Hello all,
I have a question about the timing of when to send out a deed of gift to a
donor.

According to The New Museum Registration Methods, "At least two original
copies of the deed of gift are sent to the donor with a letter requesting
that the donor sign and return both copies to the museum. The signed copies
are held until the acquisitions committee meets and approves the gift. After
the committee meets, the designated officer for the museum, usually the
director, countersigns the deed of gift and sends one copy to the donor with
a letter of appreciation." (Actually, we have a two-step process: committee
approval and board approval, but this doesn't affect my question).

We are using PastPerfect, and the default deed of gift is set up for donor
signatures and a separate place for the director to countersign. I
understand that the signed (but not yet countersigned) deed of gift
indicates the donor's intent to make the gift and the countersignature
indicates the museum's acceptance of the gift. My problem is that
PastPerfect cannot produce a deed of gift until after the accession record
is created, and I don't think I should create the accession record until the
gift is accepted by the museum. If I create the accession record and the
committee turns down the gift, I will have an accession record, with
accession number, that I would have to void (deaccession something that
hasn't yet been accessioned?).

Any advice from the collections managers and registrars out in the field
would be greatly appreciated.

--
Wade Lawrence, Museum Director, The Museum at Bethel Woods | Bethel Woods
Center for the Arts | 200 Hurd Road, Bethel, NY 12720 | One Cablevision
Center, P.O. Box 222, Liberty, NY 12754 (mailing address) | 845.583.2075 |
[log in to unmask] | http://www.bethelwoodscenter.org


Be inspired at The Museum at Bethel Woods, on the site of the 1969 Woodstock
Music and Art Fair.

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