If you believe all you have is money, think again! Small foundations—including those managed completely by trustees—have at their disposal a host of nondollar resources: Human assets—The creativity, passion, energy, and resourcefulness of your founders, trustees, and staff create huge potential for impact above and beyond dollar impact. Knowledge about community need— Foundations accumulate knowledge... Read More
With more than 2,100 members, SVP is a global network of philanthropists with affiliates in 25 cities across North America and Japan. Since 1997, we’ve given $40 million and hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours to strengthen nonprofits that are improving the lives of children and protecting our environment. Social Venture Partners International (SVPI) helps... Read More
Challenge (or matching) grants are great tools for stretching a foundation’s grant dollars, helping a group diversify its donor base, and testing the attractiveness of a project or program for other ”investors.” For any given project, a challenge grant also can give a foundation the stamp of approval that comes from someone else being the... Read More
The Homer A. and Mildred S. Scott Foundation was established in 1982. Mr. Scott came from a modest background in Nebraska, where he graduated from the state university with a degree in civil engineering. Mrs. Scott was a gracious woman with a passion for early childhood, education and literacy. The Scotts created their wealth through... Read More
It’s December and your foundation wants to fulfill its payout requirement within the calendar year. What can you do? Ask your local community foundation, association of grantmakers, or giving circles for information about community needs and nonprofits they support. Consult with members of the faith community. Ask your government social services agencies, United Way, or... Read More
To prevent certain abuses that could stem from allowing a nonprofit to control a for-profit enterprise (e.g., propping up stock prices), private foundations are prohibited from owning more than a small portion of any business enterprise. Specifically, the Internal Revenue Service prohibits a foundation, together with its disqualified persons, from holding more than a 20%... Read More