How do foundation trustees become a vibrant, unified team with members who are moving in the same direction? How do they become a team that respects one another’s values while passionately sharing a clear and common vision? Developing a mission statement can help trustees focus. It’s a challenge to know one’s own values and to... Read More
By communicating openly, you can build good relationships with potential partners from the start—and quickly help others move on to other funders. “It’s important to remember that our success as grantmakers depends on our grantees’ success,” says Exponent Philanthropy member Christine Elbel of The Fleishhacker Foundation. “If we can improve our processes, we’re contributing to... 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
“Few tasks in the foundation world prove as interesting, rewarding, and exhilarating as the site visit,” write the authors of Grantmaking Basics: A Field Guide for Funders. “Site visits can lift your spirits and enliven your day by reminding you precisely why you chose to work in the foundation world.” Make the most of your... Read More
A records retention policy is a simple written document—one or two pages—that summarizes your procedures for storing, organizing, purging, archiving, and protecting foundation documents and fulfilling public reporting requirements. A records retention policy typically includes the following information: What documents you store and how long you store them Where you store different types of documents:... Read More
This sample is courtesy of the Cullen Foundation. Read More