Legal Compliance Guidance
New 21 % Excise Tax on Nonprofit Executives: Does It Impact My Corporate Foundation?
As companies file their 2018 taxes, several corporate philanthropic leaders have contacted the Council with concerns surrounding the new excise tax. As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Section 4960 of the bill imposes a 21 percent excise tax on highly-paid executives of nonprofit…
Sample Board Resolution for Scholarship Funds
Sample Document
Editable Board resolution for approving scholarship policies and procedures.
This sample document is being provided for informational purposes only 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…
Community Foundation Scholarship Programs: From A to Z
Recording
In this month’s “Lunch with Legal Counsel” webinar, Ben McDearmon, Law Clerk and Legal Administrator with the Council, continues our March scholarship series after our discussion earlier in the month on Post-Graduation Scholarships. Ben guides attendees on an exploration of topics…
Sample Gift Acceptance Policy
Sample Document
Sample policies for gift acceptance, including ethical standards, who has authority to accept gifts on behalf of the foundation, types of gift assets, and more.
This sample document is being provided for informational purposes and is not to be shared without the permission of the Council on…
Sample Policy on Records Retention and Destruction
Sample Document
Sample formal policy on records retention and destruction for board approval.
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,…
Sample Scholarship Fund Agreement
Sample Document
This document is an editable agreement between donors and the foundation to establish a scholarship fund.
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…
Updates on Global Giving and Non-Tax US Regulations that Impact Funders
Recording
If you have any questions, pleae email legal@cof.org.
Topics included regulations like the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), US Treasury’s voluntary anti-terrorism guidelines and more.
Don't Be Caught Off-Guard This Tax Season: A Guide for Navigating the New UBIT Rules
Recording
Does your organization provide parking/transportation benefits to employees or do you already file the Form 990-T? If you answered yes to either of those questions, your organization will owe taxes for 2018 and the filing process is going to be different than it was last year. The Council’s…
Can Corporate Giving Benefit Company Employees? Let's Find Out
Recording
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At the Council, we are often asked how corporations can fund scholarship programs for company employees and dependents. Similarly, corporations often want to assist employees in times of crisis, whether due to a natural disaster or a more personal tragedy. In both cases…
ER Causing You Trauma? Diagnosing the Rules and Regulations for Expenditure Responsibility
Recording
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The steps of expenditure responsibility are the federally-mandated procedures a private foundation (and DAFs) must follow for any grant made to a non-charity. While the rules for exercising expenditure responsibility are relatively straightforward, many issues and concerns can…
Webinar Recording: Lunch with Legal Counsel
Recording
The administrative costs of operating a private foundation often prove too burdensome and can easily swamp the grantmaking activity of private foundations, especially the smaller ones. As such, a foundation may decide to transfer its assets to a Sponsoring Organization to take advantage of the…
Lunch with Legal Counsel: Motivations for Corporate Giving – Proceed with Caution!
Recording
Suzanne Friday, Senior Legal Counsel and Vice President of Legal Affairs at the Council, discussed the goals and motivations driving corporate giving, with a particular focus on corporate foundations.
After a brief review of the applicable legal rules, they discuss how corporate foundations…
Top 10 Questions from the Council's First Legal Matters Workshop
Recording
Miss our Legal Matters for Community Foundations Workshop in Dallas, or did you attend, but really want to hone in on some of the bigger questions that arose from the convening? Workshop hosts Suzanne Friday and Brad Ward will walk you through some of the biggest and most prevelant…
Lunch with Legal Counsel: How Will Tax Reform Affect Corporate Giving?
The Council’s Senior Counsel and Vice President of Legal Affairs, Suzanne Friday, examines certain provisions of the Tax Reform Act and how those provisions affect philanthropy in general, but more specifically corporate foundations and corporate giving programs. This webinar also…
Legal and Tax Compliance for Corporate Grantmakers: Self-Dealing & Conflicts of Interest
Recording
In this third installment of the Legal and Tax Compliance for Corporate Grantmakers webinar, participants continue a review of the rules against self-dealing, where they come from and what they involve, as well as compare to rules regarding conflict of interest. We analyze a case study, a real…
Community Foundation Legal Webinar
Recording
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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…