Q: A donor prefers to give by check. What do I do?

A: First, remember to thank them!

• • There are a few ways a donor can start giving by check, which we'll discuss in the next question. In all cases, ask the donor to send their first check to you. 
  • When you receive the check, fill out the New Gift Form on Staffnet (under the MTD section), print it out and send the check and form to Reliant. This is preferable to them sending it directly to Reliant so that you can make sure the donor's contact information is correct and that the gift is directed to the account you are responsible for. It also cuts down on the wait time of knowing that the person wrote the check and mailed it to you because you received it. 
  • If the donor's check doesn't arrive at your address within a normal amount of time, you may contact them to let them know you haven't received the check and want to make sure it didn't get lost in the mail. Sometimes people have run out of checks or stamps and it took them longer than normal to get the check in the mail to your address. Or, they got busy and forgot write the check.

Q: What are the different ways a donor can start giving by check?

A: There are two main ways a donor can give by check.

• • A donor can fill out the How to Start Giving Form and give it to you, along with their check. You'll use the information from that form to fill out the New Gift Form on Staffnet (under the MTD section). Print it out and send the check and form to Reliant. It's easier for our Gift Services department to enter the typed information from the New Gift Form than the handwritten information from the How to Start Giving Form. You do not need to send in the How to Start Giving Form. 

    A donor can simply give you a check without completing the How to Start Giving Form. However, it can be helpful to have the donor fill it out if possible so that you have all the information necessary to fill out the New Gift Form.

• • A donor can also go to Reliant.org to start a new gift and choose Check by Mail as the payment type. The advantage of this is that the donor will have created an account at Reliant.org and gain some familiarity with the website. However, you will still need to collect the first check and send it in with a New Gift Form. 

Q: Can I send Reliant more than one check and New Gift Form at a time?

A: Yes. You can usually fit four New Gift Forms and four checks in a envelope for the cost of a regular stamp. If you have more than four checks, consider using a large envelope, which costs less than sending multiple smaller envelopes. 

Q: Where do I send the checks and New Gift Forms?

A: Mail the checks to Reliant-MTD, 11002 Lake Hart Dr., Ste. 100, Orlando, FL 32832-7106

Q: What if the check is made out to me instead of Reliant?

A: First, ask them to rewrite it to Reliant. If you can’t get them to re-write it...

Related pages

• Cash Gift FAQ
• Gift Cards