[Shanna G.]

How would you record a constituent that has their own business (like a consulting or design firm) and gives donations from the business? Do you create two records - one individual and one organization (even if you only have business contact info for the person) - or do you just create one record (if so which one)? If you create to records, how do you record the gift?

[Melissa Siobhan]

If they always give through the organization then you only need an org record.

If they only give individually you most likely only need an individual record.

If they give through both you need both and can choose to soft credit the individual for the company gifts if you want one place to see all of the gifts.

Where to record a gift is based on who is the legal donor of the gift - i.e. per the IRS who should be getting the receipt for the gift. This is typically based on whose name the checking account or credit card is in.

[Nina Williams]

I agree with Melissa with one small exception. We have a lot of Alumni who are artists. The have a business checking account at their home address. For those, I mearly record the gift as being from the individual but use the option of Business check. Our Auditors said that this works only for those "freelance and self employed" from their home address.

[Melissa Siobhan]

Because I find it too much work to find out the legal status of a business, regardless of it being run out of their home address, I still record the gift on a business record.