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Perpetuity Doesn’t Have to Be Forever
Foundation surveys often ask if the foundation is operating with a limited life span, or in perpetuity. The choice is typically presented as a binary one: Did you set a time limit, or are you going to be around for eternity? There is a third choice, however, if perpetuity is not mandated in the foundation’s... Read More
Curiosity as Catalyst for Personal Renewal, Community Transformation
At some point in our life and work, we ask ourselves, Is there more to know? Is there more to experience? Is there more impact or change we can make? It’s not that we’re ungrateful for what we have. It’s that we get restless, frustrated, fatigued. We heard somewhere that philanthropy was about taking risks,... Read More
Try These 7 Methods to Get to a Giving Focus
Exponent Philanthropy recently revised The Foundation Guidebook, our signature publication for those new to foundations or philanthropy. Below is an excerpt from the 128-page resource. Get your copy >> Many foundations use a combination of methods to settle on a focus. Once you consider the approaches that follow, it is important to recognize when you may... Read More
Making the Early Grant, and Very Often the First
“When we first came to you, all we had was an idea. Blackstone’s early support for the climate/forests idea helped to precipitate a vast wave of organizational, scientific, and programmatic activity that has culminated in placing it at the top of the international agenda.” Jan Hartke, Partnership Director of the Clinton Foundation, 2011 Blackstone Ranch... Read More
What’s Your “Type”? Complex New Regulations Highlight Importance of Supporting Organization Classification
For funders, especially private foundations, the federal tax rules governing supporting organizations can be important. Grants by private foundations to certain types of supporting organizations are subject to expenditure responsibility and may not be counted toward the private foundation’s annual 5% minimum distribution requirement. The complexity of the rules governing supporting organizations, updated on February... Read More
Impact Investing: A Foundation’s 15-Year Journey to Catalytic and Direct Investments
This post is an excerpt from the complimentary resource Essentials of Impact Investing: A Guide for Small-Staffed Foundations, created by Exponent Philanthropy and partners Mission Investors Exchange and Arabella Advisors. Want to align your investments with your mission? Download your copy >> By Jesse Fink, The Fink Family Foundation When my wife, Betsy, and I formed the Betsy and Jesse Fink Foundation [now... Read More