A brick commercial office and warehouse building on a quiet street in clear daylight

Donate a Building

A Building Can Fund Something Larger Than Itself.

Office, retail, warehouse, mixed-use, industrial and institutional buildings — reviewed on leases, operating history, environmental condition and what the property actually costs to hold.

Submit a Building for Review

A commercial building is reviewed the way an institutional buyer would review it, because the obligations that come with it are the same either way. Leases, actual operating numbers, environmental history, zoning status and deferred maintenance decide whether a gift can be accepted responsibly — and whether accepting it would help the mission or quietly drain it.

What we review in this category

Office buildings and professional condominiums

Retail buildings, strip centers and single-tenant property

Warehouses and distribution buildings

Mixed-use buildings with commercial and residential space

Former schools and educational buildings

Community facilities, clubs and meeting halls

Industrial and manufacturing property

Vacant commercial buildings and redevelopment sites

Leases and the rent roll

Occupancy is the first thing reviewed. Every lease, option, renewal right, purchase right, co-tenancy clause and unpaid concession changes what the building is. Estoppel certificates are ordinarily required during professional review, and a lease abstract prepared early saves a great deal of time.

Operating statements

Two to three years of actual income and expense — not projections — establish what the building genuinely produces and consumes. Utilities, janitorial, snow removal, management fees, repairs and vacancy history all matter more than a stated capitalization rate.

Environmental condition

Commercial and industrial buildings carry environmental history: underground tanks, floor drains, solvents, transformers, asbestos, lead and vapor intrusion. A Phase I is commonly required, and a Phase II follows where the first raises a concern. Environmental risk is the single most frequent reason a commercial gift cannot be accepted.

Zoning, code and permits

Current zoning, legal nonconforming status, open permits, unresolved violations and accessibility compliance shape both use and liability. A building that cannot legally be occupied at its historic use is a different asset from the one the owner remembers.

Debt, taxes and carrying cost

Mortgages, assessments, special districts, delinquent taxes and mechanics liens are identified early. Insurance, utilities, security and repairs continue every month of review, and a vacant building often costs more to hold than an occupied one.

Deferred maintenance

Roof age, structural condition, HVAC and electrical capacity, elevators, fire suppression and building envelope are examined item by item. The honest number is the useful one.

Pathways

Individual and family owners

An owner who built or bought the building decades ago and is now managing it alone. The review looks at the same things a buyer would, but the conversation is about a gift, and the owner's timing and family circumstances are part of it.

Corporations

Corporate-owned real estate brings board authority, accounting treatment, environmental history from prior operations, and often an occupancy that ends when the company leaves. Identify the approving body and any parent-company consent at the start.

Trusts and estates

Trustees need the trust instrument, evidence of authority and, in many cases, beneficiary consent. Fiduciaries also need a documented basis for the decision, and review produces a record that supports it.

Institutions and nonprofits

Schools, clubs, associations and nonprofits transferring a building face their own bylaws, member or board approval, donor restrictions on the original gift, and sometimes state attorney general notice requirements. These are identified before any transfer is contemplated.

Information the review requires

Address, parcel numbers, building size and year built.
Current zoning, permitted use and any variance or nonconforming status.
Rent roll and copies of every lease, including options and renewal terms.
Two to three years of operating statements, including utilities and repairs.
Environmental reports: Phase I, Phase II, tank records, asbestos or lead surveys.
Code violations, open permits and any pending municipal action.
Mortgages, mezzanine debt, mechanics liens, assessments and unpaid taxes.
Insurance history, current coverage, and any claims in the last five years.
Deferred maintenance, roof age, structural condition and major systems.

Questions specific to this category

A Mustard Farms initiative supporting approved Commissary Grant programs.

Organizational information, governance and the full review process are published at MustardFarms.org. Program information is at CommissaryGrant.com.

Mustard Farms does not provide legal, tax, appraisal or financial advice. Proposed gifts are subject to legal, financial, title, environmental, operational and governing-body review and written acceptance. Donors should consult independent advisers.