Tori,
Sorry I just saw this.  Really, there is not a difference unless your organization has established one.   The Deed of Gift, Donation form, Donation agreement or Gift Agreement are all names for the same legal document that transfers ownership of real property to the museum.  These items may include artifacts to be added to the permanent collection but them may not.  They could also include items such as computers for the office, vehicle for maintenance, craft paper for education, and the list goes on and on.

That said, your institution/policies/governing body may require that you use one form for artifacts (deed of gift) and another for non-artifact real property.  This happens sometimes when the Deed of Gift verbiage is tied directly and specifically to accessioning and they want similar paperwork but with different verbiage for non-artifact donations.

Side note, without seeing these forms, there is one other possibility.  One place I worked had what was called a donation form but it was not legal paperwork.  It was a form for registration activities that gave detailed information and history on the object.  It was typically filled out by staff and contained no signatures from the donor.  This was an in-house form which they required but was not something all other museums would have used.

Hope this helps
Tracie

From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Tori Mason
Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 1:14 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Quick question about forms

Hello List

Quick question for you all.....seeking opinions here....
Is there a difference between a Deed of Gift form and a Donation Form? Are both forms needed?
Thanks!

Tori Mason
Historic Croft House Manager
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
615-833-1534 x316
http://www.nashvillezoo.org/grassmere-historic-home

Nashville Zoo Mission:
To inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and research.

Grassmere Historic Farm Mission:
To preserve and interpret the Croft House and Grassmere Historic Farm, in order to enrich and inspire our visitors, and to educate them about the past, present and future of the property known as the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.

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