SOS Meals on Wheels Gift Acceptance Policy

Service Opportunity for Seniors (DBA, SOS Meals on Wheels) solicits and accepts gifts and future gift commitments that are consistent with its mission and that support its core programs and special projects.

Donations will generally be accepted from individuals, partnerships, corporations, community organizations, and government agencies unless the acceptance of such gifts would create a hardship or is inconsistent with the beliefs, values, and mission of SOS.

When considering whether to solicit or accept gifts, SOS considers the following factors:

  • Mission and Values. Whether acceptance of the gift would compromise the mission or core values of SOS.

  • Compatibility. Whether there is compatibility between the intent of the donor and the SOS’s use of the gift.

  • Form of Gift. Whether the gift is offered in a form that SOS could use without incurring substantial expense or difficulty.

  • Consistency. Whether the gift is consistent with prior practice.

  • Primary Benefit. Whether the primary benefit is to the mission of versus the donor or others.

  • Public Relationships. Whether acceptance of the gift could damage the reputation of SOS.

  • Effect on Future Giving. Whether the gift may encourage or discourage future gifts.

Gifts Generally Accepted Without Financial Review

  • Cash. Cash gifts are acceptable in several forms, including in cash, by check, by money order, or by credit card. All forms of online payment that are currently accepted are indicated on the giving form on our website.

  • Marketable Securities. Marketable securities may be transferred electronically to an account maintained with our brokerage firm or delivered physically with the transferor's endorsement or signed stock power (with appropriate signature guarantees) attached. All marketable securities will be sold promptly upon receipt unless otherwise directed by SOS’s Finance Committee, which also serves as its Investment Committee. For cases in which our bank does not have the ability to broker certain securities, decisions around whether a mechanism to convert them can be established will be made by the Finance Committee.

  • Bequests. Donors are invited to make bequests to SOS under their wills and trusts, and to specifically name “Service Opportunities for Seniors, DBA SOS Meals on Wheels” as the beneficiary so as to avoid confusion between ours and other similarly named organizations. Such bequests will not be recorded as gifts to SOS until such time as the gift is irrevocable.

  • Other Financial Instruments: Donors are invited name SOS as beneficiary of the following financial instruments and are asked to specifically name “Service Opportunities for Seniors, DBA Meals on Wheels” as the beneficiary, so as to avoid confusion between ours and similarly named organizations.

    • Annuities

    • Retirement Plans

    • Charitable Remainder Trusts

    • Charitable Lead Trusts

Gifts Generally Subject to Review

Certain forms of gifts or donated properties may be subject to review prior to acceptance. Examples include:

  • Tangible Personal Property. The Finance Committee shall review and determine whether to accept any gifts of tangible personal property, taking any restrictions, carrying costs, marketability, mission-alignment, and title considerations into account.  

  • Life Insurance. SOS will accept gifts of life insurance where “Service Opportunity for Seniors, DBA SOS Meals on Wheels” is named as both beneficiary and irrevocable owner of the insurance policy. The donor must agree to pay, before due, any future premium payments owing on the policy.

  • Real Estate.  Prior to acceptance of any gift of real estate, SOS may request a review to determine whether any covenants, conditions, restrictions, reservations, easements, encumbrances or other limitations are associated with the property, including insurance, property taxes, mortgages, notes, environmental concerns, or maintenance expenses. The cost to secure such assessments are generally the donor’s responsibility.

Establishing the Value of Donated Property

It is the policy of SOS to comply fully with the valuation rules set out in Publication 561 of the Internal Revenue Service and the relevant income, gift and estate tax laws and regulations. Certain gifts with estimated value in excess of $5,000 must be accompanied by an appraisal. The fee for the appraisal may not be based on the value of the appraised property, and the appraiser must be qualified, as defined by IRS rules and must meet other criteria. The cost to secure an appraisal is generally the donor’s responsibility. There is no guarantee that any gift made will be tax-deductibe.

Restricted and Unrestricted Gifts

SOS will accept unrestricted gifts, and gifts for specified programs and purposes, provided that such gifts are consistent with its stated mission, purposes, and priorities. SOS will not accept gifts that are too restrictive in purpose, such as those that violate the terms of the corporate charter, gifts that are too difficult to administer, or gifts that are for purposes outside the mission of SOS.

Gift Processing, Gift Receipts, Donor Recognition and Use of Funds

Key principles of SOS’s donor relations practices include safeguarding the confidentiality of donor relationships and ensuring that gifts are recorded, allocated and used according to the donor intent and designation. SOS makes every effort to ensure accepted gifts are in the best interests of the organization and the donor, and works to follow The Donor Bill of Rights adopted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals and other professional organizations.

Donor and gift information will be coded into our donor database, which is accessible only to our fundraising team. SOS keeps this information confidential unless the donor explicitly agrees to public recognition, in which case only authorized information will be shared. All donors, regardless of their anonymity status, will receive private confirmation of their gift, including the date of the gift and the value, where permissible. Donors may request information about their gift history at any time.

Tax and Legal Implications of Gift Making

SOS is a registered 501(c)(3) organization, a status with some tax-related allowances in relation to charitable gifts. We urge all prospective donors to seek the assistance of personal legal and financial advisors in matters relating to their gifts, including the resulting tax and estate planning implications. SOS and its employees and agents are prohibited from advising donors about the tax implications of their donations. .