Boards & Governance
Board members play a critical role in directing the strategic direction of foundations. The Council's board and governance resources will help board members become more effective by providing key tools and guidance essential to understanding the governance of foundations.
Board Compensation
Fundamentals
Introduction
Should your foundation board members be compensated for service, or should they serve in a voluntary capacity? Whether you are considering this issue for the first time, or whether it’s a question that has arisen before, compensation has become more than an internal management…
2019 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report: Board Compensation Tables
Publication, Research
The 2019 Board Compensation Tables provide foundation board and staff with the tools they need to benchmark their board compensation policies and practices against peers in the field. This report contains data collected through the Council’s 2019 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Survey and presented…
Community Foundation Legal Webinar
Recording
View the Webinar Slides
Community Foundations: Gearing up for Year-End
Spend 90 minutes with the Council's legal staff to explore topics associated with year-end. As well, take a moment out to celebrate #CFWeek and gear up for #GivingTuesday!
Topics Include:
Year-end gift acceptances…
Governance Basics- Board Structure, Committees and Delegation and Policies and Procedures
Download the Presentation Slides
In partnership with Guidestar, this webinar reviews some of the fundamental issues associated with board governance. Topics include:
board structure (size and composition);
the role of committees and the board’s ability to delegate; and
the necessary…
Governance and Compliance Issues for Foundation Financial Management
Legal Compliance Guidance
This white paper provides a review of critical governance issues that foundations must consider to remain in compliance with prevailing and emerging laws and regulations. Readers can expect content focused on trustee fiduciary responsibilities as relates to duties of care, loyalty, and…
10 Things Every New Foundation Board Member Should Know
Publication
The Council on Foundations, in collaboration with BoardSource, created this easy-to-use guide for new foundation board members. This publication is designed as a basic guide for new foundation board members, providing an introduction to tools and knowledge essential in your first years of service…
A Compliance Checklist for Private Foundations
Legal Compliance Guidance
The persistent scrutiny of nonprofit governance has prompted leaders at many types of organizations to take steps to assure that their own houses are in good legal and financial order. This checklist is a good place for you as a private foundation to start.
Stewardship Principles for Corporate Grantmakers
Publication
The Stewardship Principles for Corporate Grantmakers are a set of governance best practices that embody how corporate philanthropies can reflect fundamental values including honesty, integrity, fairness, and trust, in their board governance, management, and grantmaking.
Stewardship Principles for Independent Foundations
Legal Compliance Guidance
The Stewardship Principles for Independent Foundations are a set of governance best practices that embody how independent foundations can reflect fundamental values including honesty, integrity, fairness, and trust, in their board governance, management, and grantmaking.
Family vs. Nonfamily Management: The Castle Foundation Shares Its Story
Sample Document
By Al Castle, Executive Director Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation
Al Castle is a family trustee of the Samuel N. and Mary Castle Foundation in Honolulu. After serving on the board for several years, he was hired as the first executive director of the foundation by his fellow board members. He…
Stewardship Principles for Family Foundations
Legal Compliance Guidance
The Stewardship Principles for Family Foundations are a set of governance best practices that embody how family foundations can reflect fundamental values including honesty, integrity, fairness, and trust, in their board governance, management, and grantmaking.
A Colleague's Perspective on Trustee Orientation
External Resource
By Anne H. Morgan
Becoming a trustee of a family foundation can be a complex, confusing and confounding experience. Suddenly you are thrust into a room full of persons whom you thought you knew, but now they are all in different roles. Your favorite aunt, who has always seemed so demur and self-…
Sample Board Membership Two-Tiered Procedure
Sample Document
For incorporating the next generation onto family foundation boards.
Board Member Orientation Materials
Sample Document
Outlines the foundation materials for a new board member to become thoroughly familiar with.
Challenges in Succession Planning
Fundamentals
As family members come together in their collective role as trustees of the family foundation, they must grapple with many issues. Along with their grantmaking responsibilities, they set policies for governance and management and oversee the investment of the foundation’s assets. Unlike officers of…