Philanthropist Services

Negotiating Gift Terms

Any major charitable gift should be accompanied by a letter of agreement or contract outlining the terms of the gift to ensure that the donor and recipient’s expectations are properly aligned in writing. As part of the process of finalizing your commitment, CEJP’s staff will work to formalize:

• Business/work plan for the project, including goals, strategies, budgets, implementation timeframes, benchmarks for evaluating success and plans for future funding;
• Evaluation and reporting requirements;
• Level of funding and payment terms, including identifying the benchmarks that will trigger future payments;
• Confirmation of any matching funds from government, municipalities and/or other philanthropists;
• Terms of any challenge grants you may establish; and
• Remedies in case terms of the gift are not being met.

By formulating such an agreement, you and the charities you support will minimize the misunderstandings that so often occur when terms of your funding are only confirmed verbally and will ensure evaluation and future funding are based on your shared and clear expectations.