Advice please....what do you guys do when you have a business that also has a foundation as part of it, for example, Wells Fargo also has a foundation. Do you create a record for Wells Fargo (the business) and Wells Fargo Foundation?

Thanks!

Absolutely - two separate tax IDs definitely need separate receipts - the only way to do appropriate receipting is to have them on separate records.

Often they have different addresses and different staff as well.  You can link them through relationships and set up an auto soft credit if you like, as well.

Our approach is more haphazard than I'd like, but we do what makes the most sense for the relationship. If our contacts are largely through the business, or if the two company and foundation don't differentiate themselves strongly, then we'll keep it all on one record. If we have a unique relationship with each entity, then we'll tend to create two records. Ideally they'd be linked through a relationship.

We only converted to RE in May, so our decisions are based on the options available in our previous database (GiftMaker Pro), how our predecessors went about gift entry, and our relationships with each donor.

A similar issue we face is tracking matching gifts. Because they come from distinct programs with unique names, contact information, sometimes recognition preferences, we create records for then that are unique from the company's main record. Again, we started this practice in GMP and have considered whether or not we should combine records. Any thoughts weclome.

-Jenn

Original post:

We have separate records.  Exactly for the reason others cited: address, staff, they each unique entities.  It keeps giving record for local bank much cleaner without the foundation/matching gift records.  We soft credit those we need.  Do have relationship between records.

I also have a separate record for the matching gift program if it is managed separately from the foundation.  (separate address, etc.)  I believe it is also much easier to keep track of grants and matching gifts on separate records vs. together.