Investment fees intertwine with market ups and downs, and both are integral to a foundation’s investment strategy. In low-return environments, higher fees could be a hindrance to higher return, but they might be necessary to reach to that higher return. It is more important than ever to be aware of the fees and costs so... Read More
What’s on the agenda for your board this year? Are you covering the bases of good governance? Maintaining a checklist of annual to-dos can be an easy way to keep your foundation up to date and on-track. A checklist for your board can serve as a reminder of your legal obligations and governance best practices.... Read More
To paraphrase the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, it’s easy to give away money. However, it’s much more difficult to know how and where to give it. Anyone who has managed a grantmaking program understands. Granting money is not difficult. Doing it effectively is another story. That’s why many leanly staffed foundations often enlist philanthropic advisers—organizations... Read More
Families across the country continue to struggle with the rising cost of food, gas, housing, and more. Even Halloween candy prices were up 13% this year! Even more scary: nonprofits are facing the same inflation pressures—and many of them came into 2022 already facing declines in donations, a cliff in pandemic relief support, workforce shortages,... Read More
There are big benefits when a family foundation invites one or more nonfamily members to its board. Nonfamily members can help the family make more objective grantmaking decisions. Similarly, family members tend to behave differently in the presence of nonfamily members. This can help shift family dynamics that may be getting in the way of... Read More
Over the past few years throughout the social sector, we’ve witnessed an unprecedented number of what many have termed, transformational gifts. These contributions span widely. Depending on the size of the recipient organization, they range from tens of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars across a broad range of institutions and issues. However, their... Read More