What’s your foundation’s brand? Many foundations don’t recognize the value of investing in their brand. Yet, organizations that prioritize and integrate strategic communications into their core operations have a distinct advantage meeting their goals and executing their missions. What Is a Foundation Brand? Your foundation brand isn’t your logo. Your brand is the complex mix of... Read More
Foundations play a critical role in advancing equity and addressing disparities in our society. One key practice that foundations are increasingly adopting is the collection and use of disaggregated data. Disaggregated data refers to the separation of compiled information into smaller units based on various characteristics such as age, sex, geographic area, education, ethnicity, or... Read More
Advocacy is the act of promoting a broad and general position to legislators, bureaucrats, media, and the public. For example, saying “Poverty is bad” is advocacy. It includes public education, media outreach, regulatory work, litigation, lobbying, voter registration, and more. Many foundations think advocacy and lobbying are the same. While all lobbying is advocacy, not all advocacy... Read More
A family private foundation creates a structure for charitable giving and a lasting legacy for the family, but it also comes with administrative burdens. Stephanie Yan, GHJ Managing Director and Private Foundation Practice Leader, talks to Pegine Grayson, Senior Vice President/Client Advisor, Director of Philanthropic Services at Whittier Trust, about the mundane but essential tasks... Read More
Program related investments (PRI) are loans, loan guarantees, or other types of investments made by a foundation to support a charitable purpose. They’re also a powerful and flexible tool to add to your foundation’s toolkit. A PRI can count toward a foundation’s distribution requirement if it meets the following federal criteria: They serve a charitable... Read More
Every year, many foundations file their IRS Form 990-PFs with inaccuracies and mistakes that can cost their wallet and reputation. Private foundations that don’t have the in-house technology to meet this requirement may seek assistance from tax advisors to avoid these errors. One such example is that starting with the 2020 tax year, Form 990-PFs... Read More