Last month, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Angus King (I-ME) introduced bipartisan legislation that aims to reform private foundations, and ensure that charitable dollars held in donor advised funds (DAFs) are distributed to working charities in a reasonable period of time. A joint press release states: “Donor-advised funds currently have more than $140 billion set... Read More
As an employer, you are responsible for documenting that your employee is eligible to work in the United States. To do this, the employee must complete Immigration and Naturalization Service Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. You, the employer, must keep this form on file for as long as the employee works for you. For small... Read More
Most foundation files of any significance should be kept a minimum of 3 years. That can add up to a lot of paper! Here are filing and storage tips: Give some thought to and take time setting up your filing system. Ultimately, you’ll waste less time and save yourself a lot of space. A good... Read More
A job description is a general, global view of the job and its responsibilities. It should include the title of the position and a broad view of the requirements of the job; for example: The executive director is the chief executive officer and is responsible for carrying out the policies established by the board, interacting with the... Read More
Most funders ask grantees—prospective and current—to customize their budgets and financial information to fit the funder’s requirements. Project Streamline, a collaboration of grantmakers and grantseekers working to improve application and reporting practices, recommends a different way: Make requests for nonstandard information the exception rather than the rule. Consider the real costs to nonprofits of customizing... Read More
Direct charitable activities (DCA) are those in which the foundation maintains some significant involvement, rather than simply awarding a grant to a recipient that carries out the activity. Examples of direct charitable activities include: Conducting educational seminars and conferences Providing goods, shelter, or clothing in which the foundation maintains some significant involvement (e.g., the distribution... Read More