Embracing Better Ways of Operating
Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Plan
Sample Document
Community foundations have proven themselves to be cornerstones of support to the community, especially in times of need and disaster. When emergencies or disasters strike, the Foundation must be well-prepared to quickly and effectively help itself in order to be able to help others.
This…
Grants to Government
Legal Compliance Guidance
The private foundation executive director was concerned. Members of her board were going to make grants to promote public housing and economic development but none of the groups involved were the typical 501(c)(3)s to which the foundation normally made grants. One possibility seemed to be making a…
Council-Endorsed D&O Insurance Program
Legal Compliance Guidance
Directors & Officers liability insurance provides financial protection for a foundation and its directors, officers, employees, and volunteers in the event of a lawsuit.
Does your foundation need D&O insurance?
A foundation doesn't have to be in the wrong to be sued. D&O insurance…
Guide to Directors and Officers Liability Insurance
Fundamentals
For boards of directors, trustees, and foundation managers, there are few areas of operation that cause more confusion and uncertainty than indemnification and the purchase of directors and officers (D&O) liability insurance. And it is no wonder. Mixing the often impenetrable statutory language…
Legal Compliance Guidance
There's more to closing down a private foundation than packing up and turning off the utilities. Here are some questions, considerations, and IRS directions.Sometimes it is time for a private foundation to disappear—assets may have dwindled significantly or family members no longer share a common…
Developing a Travel Policy
Fundamentals
Under the rules applicable to private foundations, directors or trustees and staff members may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in connection with the foundation's charitable activities. Such expenditures fall under the heading of administrative costs and will generally…
Executive Compensation Best Practices
Legal Compliance Guidance
The Internal Revenue Code provides excise tax penalties that can be imposed by the Internal Revenue Service whenever unreasonable or excessive compensation is paid to high-level employees of charitable organizations.
Over and above any legal requirements or public scrutiny, good stewards of…
Investing in the Future of Young People Is Paying Off
In June, I had the pleasure of introducing four recent graduates of the Cleveland School District at the Cleveland Foundation’s annual meeting. We wanted to showcase top achievers to put a human face on the investment we’ve made in the future of Cleveland’s young people. These college-bound…
Mobilizing Business Champions for Children
What do Texas preschooler Owen Hernandez and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke have in common? As you’ll see during the Learning Lab<!--[if !supportNestedAnchors]--><!--[endif]-->, “Business Champions for Young Children,” at next month’s Fall Conference for Community…
Two years ago, the Foundation Registry i3 was a lifesaver for me.
I was working as a philanthropic advisor and was looking for an opportunity to lead a group of emerging philanthropists interested in education reform from talking about collaboration to taking action. The U.S. Department of…
The prevalence of computers in modern society has led to a greater need for technology-based curricula and wired classrooms for students of all levels. Top online PhD programs are now available, but some primary schools don’t have a single computer. As a result, companies and organizations…
The Creativity Conundrum in Public Education Leadership
Many of the men and women who shaped the world over the course of history, from Mozart to Albert Einstein to Steve Jobs, have done so by thinking well outside the sphere of traditional education. Famously, each of these men had some issues…
On April 18, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan visited Dubuque, Iowa to launch the Together for Tomorrow campaign. I was honored to share the stage with him and highlight the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque’s recent work on a third grade reading initiative with our school…
In 2009, Lumina Foundation set a goal: we wanted to help 60 percent of Americans obtain a high-quality postsecondary degree or be credential by 2025. We began reporting on progress toward the “big goal” in a series called A Stronger Nation through Higher Education. At the time, setting a national…
For the past two decades, the James A. Joseph Lecture has been one of the intellectual high points of the Council on Foundations Annual Conference. The list of past lecturers at this Association of Black Foundation Executives event helps make the case, not just Ambassador Joseph delivering the…
Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation Annual 2011 Giving Totals $38 Million
Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation announced combined community giving of $38 million in 2011, compared with $36.8 million in 2010. The annual giving results were released in recognition of International Corporate Philanthropy Day, which celebrates business-community partnerships around the world.
“…