Family Members and Donors

How do we ensure that the family will not lose “control” of the foundation over time?

Posted on May 3, 2016 by National Center for Family Philanthropy

There are a variety of strategies that family foundations around the country have used to retain control while engaging non-family board members in their work. These strategies may be used alone or in combination, and may include the following: Strategy 1: Create term limits for current board members. A technique used by many family foundations, term limits can be a… Read More

March 2016 NCFP Non-family Staff Peer Network Call

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Christine Koehn, Sharmila Rao Thakkar

The NCFP Non-family Staff Peer Network is open to senior level non-family staff members who are current member’s of NCFP Friends of the Family network. This network, co-chaired by Christine Kuehn of The Celia Lipton Farris and Victor W. Farris Foundation and Sharmilla Rao Thakkar of The Siragusa Foundation, is offered as a “safe space” for non-family staff peers facing… Read More

Changemakers: National networks engaging next gen philanthropic leaders

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Andrea Zucker, Biz Ghormley, Brendan Adams, Iris Brilliant, Manuela Arciniegas, Mary Galeti, Rebecca Balter, Katie Scott

Family foundation boards are expected to see a period of unprecedented change over the next few years, with a new generation of philanthropists poised to take over leadership roles. It's more important than ever that we provide emerging philanthropic leaders with a variety of networking opportunities and resources to allow them to effectively address the most pressing social issues… Read More

2016 Trustee Education Institute: a Comprehensive Seminar for Family Foundation Trustees

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Virginia M. Esposito, Susan Crites Price, Andrew Schulz, Bruce Kahn, David Grant, David Dodson, David Neal, Alice Buhl, Jan Jaffe, Kelin E. Gersick, Ph.D.

NCFP’s Trustee Education Institute provides a comprehensive introduction to all of the key legal, investment, ethical, grantmaking, and family dynamics issues facing family foundation board members. Featuring a faculty made up of NCFP’s senior staff and highly respected philanthropy experts, this three day, intensive seminar will cover: What does it mean to be a steward of both the public’s trust… Read More

How long should a foundation keep grantee reports?

Posted on February 19, 2016 by Andras Kosaras, James P. Joseph

Are there legal requirements, IRS or other, for foundations regarding receiving and retaining paperwork from grantees that documents how grant dollars were spent? A good rule of thumb is to keep grant materials for seven years. We suggest four years at a minimum. The IRS audit statute of limitations is three years. So, it is important to keep grant materials… Read More

Naming Recognition: Is it ok to name a building after donors rather than the foundation?

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Andras Kosaras

Our foundation, the Hearts and Hopes Foundation, provided a grant to a new research facility at a local university. The university has suggested naming the facility after our donors: i.e., the “John and Mary Smith Research Center.” Is this okay or do we have to name it the “Hearts and Hopes Foundation Research Center?” We want to ensure we are… Read More

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