Escondido adopts donation policy requiring written offers, thresholds and council oversight for large gifts

The City Council unanimously adopted a citywide donation-acceptance policy designed to standardize how the city evaluates cash gifts, artifacts, public art and real property.

Nicole Lindsey, a management analyst in the city manager's office, presented the policy, which establishes a donation form, routes offers to the benefiting department and sets approval thresholds: department staff can accept small gifts; department heads approve gifts roughly $500–$5,000; the city manager may accept gifts roughly $5,000–$200,000; and gifts $200,000 or greater must come to the council. Lindsey said artifacts, public art and real-property donations would follow specialized review steps and that finance would perform an additional analysis when gift restrictions or long-term costs are implicated.

During discussion, council members asked staff to clarify that the valuation of a gift should include future operating and maintenance obligations. Members also requested that accepted donations in the manager-approval range be publicly posted and that the city prohibit anonymous donations. The council agreed and added language to require alignment with council priorities and a website-based notice of accepted gifts. "The gift value should be based not only on the value of the gift but the ongoing obligations associated with it," one council member said, prompting staff to incorporate that language.

With those amendments, the council adopted the policy by unanimous vote (motion approved 5–0). The policy will require donors to submit forms (in English and Spanish) and will require staff to complete reviews within 30 business days; the finance department will produce an annual report of donations valued at $5,000 or more.

Council asked staff to return with final language incorporating the changes discussed and to publish donation information on the city website for transparency.