Here's the documentation you need:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf

The short answer is that the IRS considers the date of gift to be the 
date the donor relinquishes control over the money.  So if the donor can 
still potentially spend the money in some other way after midnight on 
December 31, 2010, the gift is not made in 2010 for tax purposes.

It is the donor's responsible to prove to the IRS a valid deduction, not 
yours, and for that reason many receipts will list the date the gift was 
processed.  For donor recognition and soft credit purposes, you can 
consider the gift for any year (past, present or future) agreeable to 
both your organization and the donor!

The problem arises when a donor wants a receipt dated for the past year 
when the gift was not made until 2011.  No can do, in that case.  Most 
donors are sophisticated enough to realize that non-profits can't fudge 
the date, but once in a while, a newer philanthropist might try to work 
the system due to ignorance of the IRS rules.  Those cases should be 
handled by the prospect manager and not the finance office to avoid hurt 
feelings.

Good luck!

Susan Ruderman

On 12/25/2010 1:47 PM, Gail Kana Anderson wrote:
> Merry Christmas everyone.
>
> The question has just been raised, can a gift come in the first week of January if the promise has already been made.  I am looking for some documentation on this but thought I would go first to the collective wisdom of my colleagues.
>
> Best to all.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Gail Kana Anderson
> Deputy Director
> Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
> The University of Oklahoma
>
> =========================================================
> Important Subscriber Information:
>
> The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
>
> If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).
>

-- 
Susan Cronin Ruderman, Ed.M.
[log in to unmask]
Boston, MA area

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).