Private foundations that want to have a scholarship program—and do the work of publicizing the program, reviewing applications, choosing winners, and monitoring awards—must get prior approval from the Internal Revenue Service. This one-time review ensures that you award scholarships (or other grants for study, travel, or similar purposes) in an objective, nondiscriminatory way. Without IRS... Read More
You can find red flags in a nonprofit’s financial statements, Form 990, or in conversation. Red flags in financial statements Decrease in annual revenue Decrease in net assets Increase in receivables Operating deficit, particularly if more than one year A trend of decreasing reserve balances Regular cash flow problems Lack of revenue diversity Large portion... Read More
While many funders seek to build strong relationships with their grantees, sometimes barriers prevent them from doing so. One of the biggest barriers funders cited is failing to acknowledge the power dynamic between funders and grantees. In an Exponent Philanthropy blog post, Lori Heninger described how this power imbalance works: “There is a power imbalance... Read More
Succession tops the list of what keeps foundations up at night, yet many are reluctant to tackle the issue. Addressing succession early on has a number of benefits: It’s important to pass organizational strengths to future leaders while senior board members are still active. Disputes over mission, the pressure of geographic dispersal, uneven competencies and... Read More
Small-staffed funders draw on many assets besides money to advance issues in the policy arena: Human assets. Consider the creativity, passion and resourcefulness of founders, trustees, family and staff. Freedom to focus on an issue and persevere over the long term. Philanthropists have the freedom to “go deep” on an issue and commit. Most problems... Read More
When handling money, the following practices work for many foundations: Opening a single foundation bank account. Foundations that make grants only one to two times per year or those with minimal operating expenses simplify recordkeeping by making most transactions from one account. Some also use a money market account. Keeping up with cash flow needs.... Read More