Gift Acceptance Policy

The Meals on Wheels Gift Acceptance Policy, in its entirety, is accessible on this page. Click here for a single page ready to print .pdf file.

Meals on Wheels of Alameda County (MOWAC) has discretion to accept any contribution, gift or grant. MOWAC will not accept any gift unless the gift can be used or expended consistently with MOWAC’s purpose and mission. 

MOWAC will not accept any irrevocable gift, whether outright or life-income in character, if the gift would jeopardize the supporters’ financial security under reasonable circumstances.

MOWAC will refrain from providing advice about the tax consequences or other legal treatment of gifts and will encourage donors to seek guidance from their own professional advisors.

MOWAC will accept contributions of cash, real and personal property, in-kind gifts, publicly traded securities, and cryptocurrency. MOWAC will liquidate to cash all cryptocurrency within 1 business day of receipt.

MOWAC will provide acknowledgments to supporters that meet the IRS’ substantiation requirements for property received by the charity as a gift. 

MOWAC will respect the intent of the supporter relating to gifts for restricted purposes and those relating to the desire to remain anonymous. With respect to anonymous gifts, MOWAC will restrict information about the donor to only those staff members with a need to know the supporter’s identity to administer the gift.

MOWAC will not compensate, whether through commissions, finders’ fees, or other means, any third party for directing a gift or a supporter to MOWAC.

Donor Bill of Rights

The Donor Bill of Rights, in its entirety, is accessible on this page. Click here for a single page ready to print .pdf file.

Philanthropy is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tradition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To assure that philanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations and causes they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

I. To be informed of the organization's mission, of the way the organization intends to use donated resources, and of its capacity to use donations effectively for their intended purposes.

II. To be informed of the identity of those serving on the organization's governing board, and to expect the board to exercise prudent judgment in its stewardship responsibilities.

III. To have access to the organization's most recent financial statements.

IV. To be assured their gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.

V. To receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.

VI. To be assured that information about their donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.

VII. To expect that all relationships with individuals representing organizations of interest to the donor will be professional in nature.

VIII. To be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired solicitors.

IX. To have the opportunity for their names to be deleted from mailing lists that an organization may intend to share.

X. To feel free to ask questions when making a donation and to receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.

The Donor Bill of Rights was created by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits. It has been endorsed by numerous organizations.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Meals on Wheels of Alameda County is an equal opportunity organization and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, national origin, disability, race, size, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or any other status prohibited by applicable law.