General operating support is valuable for many reasons. It: Allows grantee organizations to focus on fulfilling their missions and building infrastructure, rather than on tackling peripheral projects and additional fundraising Serves as a vote of confidence for nonprofit leaders, helping to decrease burnout Lessens the inherent power imbalance between grantor and grantee, and shifts the... Read More
The individuals responsible for managing a foundation’s assets want their investments to do well. Beyond these good intentions, however, most states maintain laws with higher standards that legally bind trustees and board members to a series of duties and responsibilities. These standards—called fiduciary duties—are commonly known as the duties of care, loyalty, and obedience, as... Read More
For starters, which foundations should consider having a pension plan? One consideration is eligibility: Any foundation that compensates any individuals for their services, whether those individuals are full-time employees, part-timers, or board members, can set up a pension plan for those individuals. Of course, tax-exempt organizations don’t gain the same tax benefits from pension contributions... Read More
The content of an agenda is at the chair’s discretion, although all board members should have the privilege of placing items on the agenda for discussion or action. Board agendas should include at least the following: Approval of the previous meeting minutes—Even if you meet only once a year, you must do this approval. Try... Read More
Facilitation can and should be a key component of any grantmaker’s toolbox. According to Exponent Philanthropy members, a well-facilitated meeting: Sticks to an agenda Progresses smoothly Gets results Draws folks out Engages participants well Dissipates tense situations Increases participants’ buy-in Creates a space in which participants feel valued and important The ability to confidently and... Read More
Two foundations conducted a survey to ask grantseekers how they viewed the foundations’ grantseeking processes and what suggestions they had to improve them. The foundations sent anonymous surveys to 70 grantee organizations; 33 were returned. Respondents were a highly experienced group: nearly 60% had been in the field 10-plus years and 72% were either executive... Read More