A mission statement is a short, written declaration about why you are engaging in philanthropy or, if your giving structure is a foundation, why the foundation exists. Mission statements are powerful because they are heartfelt, simple, and easily communicated. A mission can help you: Make the best use of your resources by focusing grants and... Read More
Exponent Philanthropy members often ask about mission, vision, and values statements: What are they? Does my foundation need them? How do we create them? Maridel Moulton, an organizational development consultant, presented the following information at an Exponent Philanthropy educational program. What is a mission statement? In one or two sentences, a mission statement clarifies what... Read More
From a tax law perspective, a private foundation may pay “reasonable and necessary” administrative expenses—and count them toward its annual distribution requirement—without subjecting the foundation or its managers to a penalty tax. These expenses must be (a) related to the accomplishment of the foundation’s charitable purposes, (b) related to its investments, or (c) payments of... Read More
Generally, a worker may be classified as an independent contractor if the employer has the right to control or direct the result of the work but not the means or methods of accomplishing the result. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses a 20-factor test to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent... Read More
Don’t spend your days dreaming of more engaged members. Here are some ideas to get your trustees’ attention and breathe some life into your board: Communicate with your trustees–Ask them (either individually or as a group) what they want out of board service. Are they satisfied with the way things are? What would they like... Read More
To develop a filing system as part of your overall records management system, first sort your documents into major categories that fit with your foundation’s operations. Foundations sort their documents in different ways; some foundations, for example, sort according to the following categories: Founding Documents Legal and Accounting Records Board Records Program Records Personnel Records... Read More