Foundations vary in how much information they give in a declination letter, but the majority keep the letter very general. Here is a sample from The Trustee Handbook: The XYZ Foundation 123 Main Street Anytown, MO 11223 Dear Mr. Thomas, The XYZ Foundation appreciated the opportunity to consider your proposal to fund the Clear River... Read More
Our Trustee Handbook lists characteristics of effective foundation boards, which you might find helpful: The board has a well-defined board governance system with rules and processes that allow it to function efficiently and effectively. Board members are fully acquainted with the purposes, goals, history, and potential of the foundation they govern. Board members are united... Read More
We posted this question in our online Member Discussion Community, where members are always welcome to ask questions, share successes, and respond to fellow members. Here are the responses: Response 1 We provide scholarships to high school students and struggle with the same issue. Our approaches have evolved over the years. Eligibility for our scholarship... Read More
Yes, but there are special requirements for both the grantor and grantee foundation. The following is from our publication Legal Essentials for Private Foundations: “Your foundation may wish to make grants to another private foundation or an organization controlled by your foundation for a charitable purpose. Such a grant will count as a qualifying distribution... Read More
A foundation can provide a loan to a grantee—see our publication Leveraging Your Assets With Loans and Other Program Related Investments. Your position on the board does constitute a conflict of interest—in that it may be difficult for you to be impartial in voting on whether to award the loan—but conflicts of interest can be... Read More
Yes, but it is important to have in place a signed grant agreement with language that outlines what would happen if the grant is misused or not used according to plan. From the Chronicle of Philanthropy: Private foundations have a legal obligation to try to recover money that they believe has been misused, and publicly... Read More