Scholarships & Grants to Individuals
Making grants to individuals is a time-honored tradition for many foundations. Organizations that operate grants to individuals programs often find that these activities require in-depth legal knowledge. From information about granting scholarships for study to economic hardship awards, the following resources can help.
Sample Documents for Scholarship Funds
Sample Document
Community foundations that award scholarships and other grants to individuals from funds with donor involvement should be sure these funds comply with the requirements of the Pension Protection Act of 2006.
The PPA prohibits grants to individuals from funds that meet the fairly broad definition of…
FAQ: Scholarships
Legal Compliance Guidance, Fundamentals
What are the advantages, disadvantages, and likely costs of scholarship programs?
What do the private foundation rules require, and how should community foundations apply the rules?
What rules or procedures govern community foundation scholarship programs?
Does a community foundation need to…
Considerations for Working With 501(c)(3) NIL Collectives
Legal Compliance Guidance
More than 120 “NIL collectives” have been established in the U.S., many of them as tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, to raise funds and enter into agreements that compensate student-athletes at specific higher-education institutions in exchange for using the student-athlete's name,…
Scholarships
Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
Part of Mastering Foundation Law
Providing scholarships to individuals is a popular method of charitable giving in the U.S. But following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and the ongoing Alliance for Equal Rights v. Fearless Fund case,…
How Community Foundations Can Support Individuals and Small Businesses During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Legal Compliance Guidance
During the pandemic, many of us expected the stock market would fare poorly, that there would be long lines at food pantries, and that public health systems would be overwhelmed. Many of us did not expect to see record levels of unemployment, widespread permanent closures of small businesses, or…
Making Grants to Crowdfunding Campaigns During Disasters
Legal Compliance Guidance
You may wonder whether you can make grants to GoFundMe campaigns that are supporting localized efforts during disasters. Proceed cautiously: GoFundMe and many similar crowdfunding platforms are not registered 501(c)(3) public charities, and therefore you need to examine carefully if the campaigns…
Can Corporate Giving Benefit Company Employees? Let's Find Out
Recording
View the Slides
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…
Legal Considerations for Corporate Foundations
Legal Compliance Guidance, Publication
A Chapter in Mastering Foundation Law:
The Council on Foundations Compendium of Legal Resources
Many businesses set up related charitable organizations for the purpose of engaging in philanthropic endeavors supported by the company. Because the funding for these charitable organizations is derived…
Webinar Recording: Transforming Community Foundation Scholarship Programs from Administrative Burdens to Strategic Assets
Legal Compliance Guidance, Recording
Download the Presentation Slides
With the Stanislaus Community Foundation, National College Access Network (NCAN), and the Council on Foundations' Legal Team and Director of Community Philanthropy, this webinar explores key findings from a recent white paper published by NCAN on the topic…
Can My Foundation Fund Legal Aid for Individuals?
Legal Compliance Guidance
Legal aid provides assistance to people who would otherwise not be able to afford legal representation or access to the court system. While it is an integral part of the American justice system, especially to the most vulnerable in our society, many legal aid programs are unsustainable or have seen…
Establishing a Scholarship Fund for Corporate Employees
Fundamentals, Legal Compliance Guidance
Question: Our corporate foundation is planning to establish a scholarship fund for our employees' children. What do we need to keep in mind and what steps do we need to follow to ensure we are complying with the legal requirements?
Response: The granting of scholarships, fellowships, and…
Scholarship Funds and PPA Compliance
Legal Compliance Guidance
Bringing Funds Into Compliance
The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) includes the first comprehensive regulation of donor-advised funds. For the first time, donor-advised funds are legally defined. The legal definition is important for grantmakers that operate various kinds of component funds,…
Increasing the Number and Size of Awards
Legal Compliance Guidance
When donors to scholarship funds see the impact that their money can have on the life of a student, they are often inspired to contribute more. Sometimes they will add more to the principal of the fund so that future awardees can receive bigger scholarships or more scholarships can be awarded.…
Military Aid: How Grantmakers Can Support Military Personnel
Americans may disagree about various aspects of war, but there is broad support for helping the men and women who are fighting in wars and the families they have left behind. Dedicated assistance groups are working to provide aid to military personnel and their relatives. This article surveys the…
Assisting Corporate Employees with Charitable Dollars: A Legal Framework
Legal Compliance Guidance
Corporate grantmakers regularly serve the broader community through grantmaking, promoting employee volunteerism, and other activities. When may a corporate grantmaking entity focus its charitable efforts on assisting its own employees and their dependents?
The answer to this question depends on…