IS THIS REALLY AN ASSET?

Mercy Hospital is located near Springfield, Missouri. A religious organization created the not-for-profit hospital more than 90 years ago to meet the needs of area residents who could not otherwise afford adequate health care. Although the hospital is open to the public in general, its primary mission has always been to provide medical services for the poor.

On December 23, 2015, a gentleman told the hospitals chief administrative officer the following story: My mother has been in your hospital since October 30. The doctors have just told me that she will soon be well and can go home. I cannot tell you how relieved I am. The doctors, the nurses, and your entire staff have been wonderful; my mother could not have gotten better care. She owes her life to your hospital.

I am from Idaho. Now that my mother is on the road to recovery, I must return immediately to my business. I am in the process of finding a buyer for an enormous tract of land. When this acreage is sold, I will receive $30 million in cash. Because of the wonderful service that Mercy Hospital has provided my mother, I want to donate $10 million of this money. The gentleman proceeded to write this promise on a piece of stationery that he dated and signed.

Obviously, all of the hospitals officials were overwhelmed by this generosity. This $10 million gift was 50 times larger than any other gift ever received. However, the controller was concerned about preparing financial statements for 2015. I have a lot of problems recording this type of donation as an asset. At present, we are having serious cash flow problems; but if we show $10 million in this manner, our normal donors are going to think we have become rich and dont need their support.

What problems are involved in accounting for the $10 million pledge? How should Mercy Hospital report the amount?