Embracing Better Ways of Operating
Sample Docket Write-up of Program Goals and Strategies
Sample Document
This sample docket write-up allows you to customize your program goal and strategies.
A Colleague's Perspective on Mission and Vision Statements
Fundamentals
This perspective offered by William Graustein of the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund in 2013 provides useful context on creating your own foundation's mission and vision statements.
When you get down to it, the reason a charitable foundation exists is to change the world or, at least,…
Closing Documents Checklist
Sample Document
As you prepare to close out grants, this customizable checklist can help ensure that you've received the appropriate documents from grantees.
Sample Grant Closing Letter
Sample Document
You can send this customizable sample closing letter to grantees upon the conclusion of their grant.
Sample Grant Close-Out Form
Sample Document
This sample grant close-out form can help you wrap up outstanding grants.
Charity Really Does Begin at Home: Nurturing Family Values
Fundamentals
Family celebrations and holidays are prime opportunities to create philanthropic traditions (and develop philanthropic values). To honor a child’s birthday you might plant a tree. For Mother’s Day, help your children do a good deed for someone else’s mother whose children can’t be with her. Family…
Is Perpetuity Too Long? Family Foundations Can Increase Impact With Sunset Dates
External Resource
From the Family Foundation Advisor, this article reviews the sunset-vs.-perpetuity issue and considers the potential benefits of a sunset date, with the special considerations of small family foundations in mind.
Sample Expenditure Responsibility Grant Agreement
Sample Document
Editable grant agreement for grants requiring expenditure responsibility.
This sample document is being provided for informational purposes and is not to be shared without the permission of the Council on Foundations. Use of the sample document does not create an attorney-client relationship, and…
Should CEOs Be on the Board?
Fundamentals
This briefing will help your board consider three main questions: what are the advantages and limitations of CEOs on boards? If the CEO is on the board, should they have full voting rights? How do your colleagues approach this decision?
Articulating the Foundation's Mission
Fundamentals
A mission statement gives all who are interested an idea of why the foundation was established and how it defines its own work. The statement is usually broad, worded to reflect the donor’s intent, and give a flavor of the foundation’s values and interests. For family foundation trustees,…
Private Foundation Excise Tax Rates
Legal Compliance Guidance
The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) increased the excise tax rates for violations of many of the private foundation rules. In most cases, the first-tier taxes were doubled. These changes are effective for private foundations upon the foundation’s first tax year beginning after August 17, 2006…
Working with the Media
Fundamentals
Working with the media should be part of your overall communications plan. Even if you don't have a written communications plan, you still need to focus some attention toward the media. Working with the media—that is, public relations—establishes a strong public presence and image for your…
Getting Started with Evaluation
Fundamentals
As different as foundations can be from one another, they all share the need to know what works and, especially, what works well. The more foundations can show how their grants are making a difference, the more value they can bring to their communities.
To know what works, foundations must…
Getting Started With Social Media
Fundamentals
Social media is an increasingly prevalent part of our world. Whether it’s on the news, sitting in traffic, or talking with colleagues, you’ll be hard-pressed to avoid mention of Facebook or Twitter. Is there a good way for your foundation to become involved?
Perhaps your board chair suggested that…
Funding a Dissolving Nonprofit
Legal Compliance Guidance
Question: Our foundation has been funding a local nonprofit for the last ten years. The nonprofit has one full-time employee and an annual operating budget of about $300,000. The nonprofit recently requested a $50,000 grant for operating expenditures or it will have to close down immediately. Even…
Grant Evaluation Approaches and Methods
Fundamentals
One of the greatest challenges encountered in thinking about evaluation is that there usually is more than one acceptable way to evaluate a given grant, project, or program.
The form that an evaluation takes and the products that it yields will depend on choices made about the following issues:…
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