To avoid self-dealing, include the value of the laptop as part of the trustee’s compensation (and report it for tax purposes). The foundation may even “gross up” the trustee’s compensation to account for the income taxes the trustee would have to pay. If the laptop were used for foundation business 40 hours per week, you... Read More
When it comes to tackling important issues and moving the needle in the right direction, convening is a low-cost and high-impact tool. Here are examples of how and why your fellow funders convene their grantees: The Power of Convening Why We Convene Convening to Build Capacity Convenings and Other Ways to Bring Grantees Together: One... Read More
Our corporate partners offer special discounts for our members on grants management tools and other software and hardware. You may also be interested in our other many other member benefits. Read More
This list of annual to-dos for foundation boards is a great starting point. It includes actions that are legally required as well as those we recommend for Exponent Philanthropy members. The blog post Ten Ways to Move Your Philanthropy From Transactional to Transformational is another great read when thinking about how to spend the time,... Read More
When professional staff are in the mix, it can be hard to figure out the right role in grantmaking for foundation trustees. On one hand, trustees need to know enough about the grantmaking to oversee it and set strategic direction. On the other hand, stepping into grantmaking’s day-to-day minutiae can lead to the aforementioned headaches.... Read More
Some states require foundations to submit an “annual report” along with their Form 990-PF so that regulators can ensure foundations are fulfilling their charitable purpose. This is typically a template that must be completed, as determined by the state, and should not be confused with the voluntary annual reports created by many foundations. Well-written, voluntary... Read More