Program related investments (PRIs) are loans or other investments made by a foundation to support its charitable purpose. PRIs count toward a foundation’s distribution requirement as long as they meet a few basic requirements, and the best part is that the funds generally are returned to the foundation to be used for other PRIs or... Read More
Created by members of the Andersen family—founders and owners of the Bayport, MN-based Andersen Corporation—the Andersen Foundation’s primary geographic area of focus is the St. Croix Valley, a mix of rural, suburban, and urban communities that spans the Minnesota–Wisconsin border just east of the Twin Cities. We primarily support nonprofits in Washington County in Minnesota... Read More
Preparing your next generation to participate in a foundation goes beyond understanding the financial responsibilities of foundation giving. Hear the following recommendations from a foundation trustee—based on his personal experience—about preparing the next generation for board service. Several years ago, my family divided our family foundation, The Jules and Doris Stein Foundation, into four equal... Read More
The primary purpose of financial statements is to communicate the financial health of the grantee. A non-accountant should be able to understand a well- written statement. The balance sheet, a statement of position, views a grantee on a specific date. The income statement, a statement of activity, looks at a year’s operating activity. The statement... Read More
A job description is a general, global view of the job and its responsibilities. It should include the title of the position and a broad view of the requirements of the job; for example: The executive director is the chief executive officer and is responsible for carrying out the policies established by the board, interacting... Read More
There are many reasons why foundations set up a website. A website can be used to: Communicate your mission and guidelines to potential grantees quickly, widely, and cheaply. Outline your grantmaking process and time line. Make your grant application and reporting forms available to grantees to download or with an online grant application process. Highlight... Read More