Nonprofits uÂsuÂalÂly get cash donaÂtions, but some gifts could be found wrapped unÂder a Christmas tree — at least, a reÂalÂly big one.
The Minneapolis-based AlÂliÂna Health System last year reÂceived about $20,000 in doÂnatÂed sports equipÂment.
A doÂnor gave the Minneapolis Institute of Arts a moÂbilÂiÂty scootÂer worth about $2,500, while the Rochester-based Mayo Clinic scored a Town Car valued at $17,000.
At CarleÂton College in Northfield, donors gave a numÂber of items deÂscribed as "hisÂtoriÂcal treasÂures," inÂcludÂing letÂters from Civil War genÂerÂals and a paintÂing of Thomas JefÂferÂson. The University of St. Thomas reÂceived more than $1 ÂmilÂlion in art work.
The disÂcloÂsure of these and othÂer "noncash conÂtriÂbuÂtions" come from an obÂscure filÂing that some nonprofits make each year with the InÂterÂnal RevÂeÂnue Service. For some nonprofits, the value of donated goods can run into the millions of dollars in a given year.
From gift cards and cofÂfee grounds to clothÂing and houseÂhold goods, the conÂtriÂbuÂtions beg the quesÂtion: What do nonprofits do with all this stuff?
"It's kept aÂmong the fleet cars at Mayo JackÂsonÂville," EÂlaine EberÂhart, asÂsoÂciÂate chair for gift planÂning at Mayo Clinic, said of the Town Car. "Mayo perÂsonÂnel are drivÂing it around JackÂsonÂville now, to make trips around town for busiÂness purÂposes."
"A large numÂber of our visiÂtors are seniÂors, so it proÂvides them moÂbilÂiÂty," Mary MorÂtenÂson of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts said of the scootÂer. "We acÂtuÂalÂly have one of our doÂcents who uses the scootÂer when she does her tours."
Cash preferred
Cash gifts are easiÂer for nonprofits to use, charÂiÂtaÂble groups say. But in some cases, a nonprofit will take a noncash gift that fits with its misÂsion, or can be sold to genÂerÂate ÂfiÂnanÂcial supÂport.
"It's hardÂer to procÂess physÂicÂal gifts," said Matt ViÂoÂla, seniÂor program anÂaÂlyst with CharÂiÂty NaviÂgaÂtor, which evÂaluÂates nonprofits for donors.
Each year, nonprofits file fiÂnanÂcial inÂforÂmaÂtion with the InÂterÂnal RevÂeÂnue Service, and the forms were adÂjustÂed about five years ago so that charÂiÂties proÂvide more deÂtail about noncash givÂing, said John Pratt, exÂecÂuÂtive diÂrecÂtor of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. The IRS wants to make sure that neiÂther charÂiÂties nor their donors are inflating the value of noncash gifts.
"Cash is the most comÂmon," Pratt said. "UÂsuÂalÂly, it's a subÂset of nonprofits that reÂceive the noncash donaÂtions. The larÂger the orÂganÂiÂzaÂtion, the more likeÂly they are to have a gift acÂceptÂance polÂicy."
Children's Hospitals and ClinÂics of Minnesota, for exÂamÂple, ofÂten hears from peoÂple who want to doÂnate toys to kids in the hosÂpiÂtal, parÂticÂuÂlarÂly durÂing the holÂiÂdays. But the hosÂpiÂtal only acÂcepts toys that are newÂly purÂchased, due to conÂcerns about posÂsiÂble inÂfecÂtion risk, said Annie WaÂters, the diÂrecÂtor of annuÂal givÂing.
The hosÂpiÂtal also doesn't take toy guns or viÂoÂlent vidÂeÂo games, WaÂters said.
"While we love getÂting the fiÂnanÂcial donaÂtions, beÂcause it gives us a lot of flexÂiÂbilÂiÂty, there are peoÂple in our comÂmuniÂty who want to have an exÂperiÂence of givÂing someÂthing," WaÂters said. "It just seems to mayÂbe feel a little more ÂtanÂgiÂble for some peoÂple."
Art, gift cards and land
At the University of St. Thomas, the art work was priÂmarÂiÂly a colÂlecÂtion of 249 works of art from a sinÂgle doÂnor, said spokesÂman Jim Winterer. They're being used by art hisÂtoÂry stuÂdents who are studyÂing to beÂcome cuÂraÂtors, he said.
A couÂple of years ago, St. Thomas reÂceived nearÂly $26,000 in gift cards that were then used in a fundraiser to creÂate a scholÂarÂship, Winterer said. DurÂing the 12-month peÂriod endÂing June 2013, the uÂniÂverÂsiÂty reÂceived a pledge of comÂmerÂcial real esÂtate in CaliÂforÂnia with a value of more than $18 milÂlion.
The real esÂtate will come to St. Thomas upon the doÂnor's death, Winterer said, addÂing that real esÂtate gifts uÂsuÂalÂly are sold.
At St. Olaf College in Northfield, an aÂlumÂnus doÂnatÂed a 16-foot SmokÂer Craft fishÂing boat and trailÂer with a value of about $2,000. It's used in biÂolÂoÂgy classÂes, so facÂulÂty and stuÂdents can gathÂer waÂter and plankÂton samÂples aÂmong othÂer reÂsearch tasks, said Kari VanDerVeen, a spokesÂwomÂan for the colÂlege.
Across town at CarleÂton, the porÂtrait of Thomas JefÂferÂson came with an etchÂing of the formÂer presÂiÂdent, and an unÂdisÂclosed item with his sigÂnaÂture reÂlated to the SeÂcond Continental Congress.
"All of these gifts of real propÂerÂty — paintÂings, photoÂgraphs, jewÂelÂry, maps, speÂcial books — those are all used in our acÂaÂdemÂic program," said Gayle McJunkin, asÂsoÂciÂate vice presÂiÂdent for exÂterÂnal reÂlaÂtions. "We need to be able to use those gifts in our acÂaÂdemÂic misÂsion."
At AlÂliÂna, spokesÂman David Kanihan said the sportÂing goods inÂcludÂed skis, snowÂboard eÂquipÂment and lift tickÂets for a sports and recÂreÂaÂtion program at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute.
$13 million in gifts
AlÂliÂna also reÂceived nearÂly $12,000 worth of doÂnatÂed medÂiÂcal eÂquipÂment that inÂcludÂed a comÂmode and wheelÂchairs.
"Many of these misÂcelÂlaÂneÂous conÂtriÂbuÂtions of eÂquipÂment (medÂiÂcalÂly reÂlated or otherÂwise) are doÂnatÂed by paÂtients and their famiÂlies when they no longÂer have a use for it," Kanihan wrote in an e-mail.
TakÂen as a whole, the value of noncash donaÂtions can add up to some real monÂey. At the Mayo Clinic, for exÂamÂple, the gifts in 2013 had a value of more than $13 milÂlion.
DurÂing the 12-month peÂriod endÂing June 2013, the Minnesota HisÂtoriÂcal Society reÂceived 1,312 gifts of hisÂtoriÂcal artifacts, acÂcordÂing to the group's IRS filÂing, but the value is listÂed as "N/A."
"It's hard for us to put a dolÂlar aÂmount on that," said Brian Szott, head of colÂlecÂtions and cuÂraÂtor of art at the HisÂtoriÂcal Society. "The vast maÂjorÂiÂty of our colÂlecÂtion each year is through donaÂtions from inÂdiÂviduÂals or orÂganÂiÂzaÂtions. It's the backÂbone of our ÂcolÂlecÂtion."
ChrisÂtoÂpher Snowbeck • 612-673-4744
Twitter: @chrissnowbeck