The law requires very little when making grants to most domestic public charities. Other than knowing a grantee’s tax status—your foundation has a great deal of flexibility. However, I regularly encounter funders, foundation staff and professional advisors who do not know this. What the Law Requires When Making Grants A few years ago, Project Streamline... Read More
On a cold day in February 2015 at a board retreat on the coast of Maine, the board of directors of the Emanuel and Pauline A. Lerner Foundation made a big decision. After five years of funding nonprofits in Maine focused on civic engagement, cultural tolerance, and women and children, the board decided to take... Read More
Originally published by PEAK Grantmaking (November 17, 2017) A few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to attend a full day, in-person event with PEAK Grantmaking’s Midwest Regional Chapter. As a millennial (albeit on the older side of the generation) who started her career taking trainings online and conducting webinars, you might be surprised to... Read More
How does a nonprofit organization operate effective programs and also run a successful social enterprise? How does its enterprise generate both earned revenue and significant benefits to the organization’s target population? Balancing these two goals is harder than it looks, requiring adept leadership that is mission-focused and skilled in resource management and clear messaging. Some... Read More
As the manager of a new foundation, setting up the foundation’s administration might seem daunting. This Exponent Philanthropy primer will help you determine what administration model will work best for your foundation, and, if you decide your foundation needs a formal office, this article will help you establish basic office systems so your foundation can... Read More
I worked for a nonprofit organization for several years and remember taking boxes of letters and envelopes home to fold, stuff, and seal because we couldn’t afford to pay a service to do it. When I started working at a foundation, I overlooked funding needs such as those, I’m ashamed to admit. We as funders... Read More