DONATION POLICY

Align International solicits and accepts donations and gifts for purposes that will help us further and fulfill our mission. Because we depend greatly on donor support to fund our operations, we want to clearly communicate how we handle donations and gifts to foster and maintain accountability, transparency and integrity. 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 consequences. Effective January 1, 2021, the following policies and guidelines govern acceptance of gifts made to Align International for the benefit of all its operations, programs or services.

Use of Legal Counsel: Align International will seek the advice of legal counsel in matters relating to acceptance of gifts when appropriate. Our Executive Management Team will review with legal counsel on:

1. Gifts of securities that are subject to restrictions or buy-sell agreements.

2. Documents naming Align International as trustee or requiring Align International to act in any fiduciary capacity.

3. Gifts requiring Align International to assume financial or other obligations.

4. Transactions with potential conflicts of interest.

5. Gifts of property which may be subject to environmental or other regulatory restrictions.

Restrictions on Gifts: Align International will not accept gifts that (a) would result in Align International losing its status as an IRC § 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation; (b) are too difficult or too expensive to administer in relation to their value; (c) would result in any unacceptable consequences for Align International; or (d) are for purposes outside Align International's mission. Decisions on the restrictive nature of a gift, and its acceptance or refusal, shall be made by the Executive Management Team, in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Directors.

Gifts Generally Accepted Without Review: In most cases, Align International will accept the following donations without review:

Cash. Cash gifts are acceptable in any form, including by check, money order, credit card, or on-line. Gifts can be designated to be used for a specific program or purpose internationally and/or domestically. Undesignated gifts will be considered "unrestricted", meaning they will be disbursed to the area of greatest need at the sole discretion of the Align International Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Management Team.
Marketable Securities. Marketable securities may be transferred electronically to an account maintained at one or more brokerage firms 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 Align International's Executive Management Team. In some cases marketable securities may be restricted, for example, by applicable securities laws or the terms of the proposed gift. In such instances the decision whether to accept the restricted securities shall be made by the Executive Management Team. Please email info@aligninternational.net to begin the donation process.
Bequests and Beneficiary Designations under Revocable Trusts, Life Insurance Policies, Commercial Annuities and Retirement Plans. Donors are able to make bequests to Align International under their wills, and to name Align International as the beneficiary under trusts, life insurance policies, commercial annuities and retirement plans.
Charitable Remainder Trusts. Align International will accept designation as a remainder beneficiary of charitable remainder trusts.
Charitable Lead Trusts. Align International will accept designation as an income beneficiary of charitable lead trusts.

Gifts Accepted Subject to Prior Review - Certain forms of gifts or donated properties may be subject to review prior to acceptance. Examples of gifts subject to prior review include, but are not limited to:

Tangible Personal Property. The Executive Management Team shall review and determine whether to accept any gifts of tangible personal property in light of the following considerations: Does the property further Align International's mission? Is the property marketable? Are there any unacceptable restrictions imposed on the property? Are there any carrying costs for the property for which Align International may be responsible? Is the title/provenance of the property clear?
Life Insurance. Align International will accept gifts of life insurance where Align International 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. All gifts of real estate are subject to review by the Executive Management Team and/or legal counsel. Prior to acceptance of any gift of real estate other than a personal residence, Align International shall require an initial environmental review by a qualified environmental firm. In the event that the initial review reveals a potential problem, Align International may retain a qualified environmental firm to conduct an environmental audit. Criteria for acceptance of gifts of real estate include: Is the property useful for the organization's purposes? Is the property readily marketable? Are there covenants, conditions, restrictions, reservations, easements, encumbrances or other limitations associated with the property? Are there carrying costs (including insurance, property taxes, mortgages, notes, or the like) or maintenance expenses associated with the property? Does the environmental review or audit reflect that the property is damaged or otherwise requires remediation?
Donation of Vacation Stay. Align International will accept a donation for a vacation stay for fundraising events. Please note that under IRS rules, the use of a vacation rental/home for a limited time is generally not deductible due to the Partial Interest rule.

Additional Provisions – The following provisions will be implemented whenever appropriate:

Gift Agreements. Align International may enter into a written gift agreement with a donor to specify the terms of any restricted gift, including provisions regarding donor recognition.
Pledge Agreements. Align International will accept pledges of future support, including associated matching gift commitments.
Fees. The donor is responsible for: (a) any fees for independent legal counsel retained by the donor for completing a gift to Align International; (b) the cost associated with any appraisal and appraisal report fees; (c) the cost of any environmental assessments, audits and reviews; (d) any title searches, reports, insurance or binders (in the case of real property); and (e) all other third-party costs and fees associated with the transfer of a gift to Align International.
Valuation of Gifts. Align International shall record gifts received at their valuation on the date of gift. When a gift is irrevocable but is not due until a future date, the gift may be recorded at the time the gift becomes irrevocable in accordance with GAAP.
Written Acknowledgement. Align International shall provide written acknowledgement of all gifts made to Align International and comply with the current IRS requirements in acknowledgement of the gifts.
Endowment Policy. The following provisions will govern all endowments made to Align International:

All gifts for the purpose of establishing an endowment or contributing to an existing endowment must first be reviewed and formally accepted by the Align International Board of Directors and Executive Management Team.
As the establishment and management of endowment funds require a significant legal and financial commitment on the part of the recipient, the minimum amount for an initial gift is $25,000.
Recognizing that such sums must often be accumulated over a period of years, Align International will allow a donor to spread the payments for a period of up to five years to meet the minimum endowment policy amount.
An endowment fund will not be activated until the minimum funding level has been reached.
An endowment fund may be designated for a specific purpose, program, or project depending on the wishes of the donor, subject to approval of the Board of Directors and Executive Management Team.

NOTE: The terms "funds," "contributions," "gifts" and "donations" are used interchangeably throughout this policy document unless otherwise stated.

END OF ALIGN INTERNATIONAL DONATION POLICY