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GCM Staff reimbursements during summer programs that are not related to summer program specific expenses. 

Per DiemPER DIEM:

Per Diem is the required method to be used for reimbursing meals for anyone serving in a ministry role at a GCM summer program for 10 days or more.  (If you participate in a meal plan in which you do not pay for meals during the summer program, please refrain from using Per Diem or only request Per Diem for meals you will be paying for out of pocket). Although requesting Per Diem is optional it can be helpful to offset higher grocery and meal costs staff may incur while serving in a ministry location that is not your home, and therefore doesn’t have the same conveniences’ you are accustomed to for cooking etc.

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• Reimbursements submitted to GCM to be paid from the summer program ministry account must follow normal GCM reimbursement policies. If you need to review the GCM policies go to staffnet and click on REIMBURSMENTS and click on SUMMARY and then on the summaries page you will see FORMS and OTHER and then you can download REIMBURSEMENT HANDBOOK to look at all your reimbursement policies.

OVERVIEW OF GIFTS POLICY…

In general, gifts purchased by the Summer Program must abide by the gift reimbursement guidelines contained in GCM’s reimbursement handbook (link to GIFT POLICY). That policy is summarized below, but please refer to the full policy with specific questions, or contact the GCM Finance Dept prior to making a purchase if you are unsure if a gift purchase is eligble for reimbursement.

Gifts must be spiritual/religious in nature (ex. Book, bible, etc.) with the exception of Corporate gifts (follow link to policy), speaker gifts (see below) and “token gifts” (see below).

The gift limit for the entire summer is $25 per person.

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*You can NOT give gift cards to anyone (student or staff) and get reimbursed for it either with the program petty cash or through the GCM account you are responsible for.  (The reason for this policy is the IRS considers gift cards to be compensation.  To allow gift card gifts GCM would have to track and report the gift cards as “wages” via a W2 or 1099 statement.  So, to simplify summer program finances, the rule is “no gift cards.”

“Token” gifts or prizes or gift bags passed out as a gift for the entire group (ex. to an entire LT project or all LT students) can be reimbursed if the gifts are under $5 and were given to everyone. These gifts do not have to be spiritual in nature. 

Speaker gifts, such as a welcome basket, can be reimbursed, up to a maximum of $25.  These gifts do not have to be spiritual in nature but they cannot include gift cards (see policy above).

*** It is allowable for the Summer Program to use petty cash to reimburse groceries purchased for the speaker’s meals or to include the speaker (and the speaker’s family) in summer program group meals in which participants and summer program staff are all dining together. 

**** It is also allowable for petty cash to be used for the Summer Program Director (or other summer program staff with approval from the Director) to take a speaker, employer, landlord, or other person that has assisted the Summer program out to eat for a single meal at a nice restaurant as a thank you. Please keep these meals to less than $40 per person and remember that alcohol cannot be purchased using petty cash funds.

Corporate gifts (see policy – link) can be given by the summer program to high ranking employers etc. If the gift is given to an organization, the maximum value that can be reimbursed is $150.  For individuals or couples, the maximum value is $60.  Gifts can be purchased through petty cash or by contacting the GCM Finance dept. and requesting them to make the purchase using a GCM credit card.  These gifts do not have to be spiritual in nature, but they cannot include gift cards (see policy above).

Honorarium to Church/Ministry: If you would like to give a monetary gift to say thank you to a church or ministry (ex. for the use of their space, etc.) you can request a honorarium be sent from GCM directly (NOT from petty cash) .  Please send the name of the church/ministry, their address, the amount, with the electronic approval from the summer programs director.