Family foundation boards and their staff must develop investment and spending policies and practices that meet legal requirements and are consistent with the goals and mission of their philanthropy. The policies and checklists on this page will help any foundation board seeking to oversee and manage it’s investment strategy.
Visit the policy central homepage for details on our disclaimer and on submitting your own policy.
Sample Policies
Divestment Policies and Strategies
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Policies
- ESG Guidelines (Merck Family Fund, 2020)
- ESG Guidelines (Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, 2014)
- ESG Investment Policy (Wallace Global Fund, 2010)
Fiduciary Roles and Responsibilities
- Allocation of Investment Roles and Responsibilities (F.B. Heron Foundation, 2017)
- Checklist of Fiduciary Responsibilities (NCFP, 1999)
- Board Fiduciary Duties (Anonymous Foundation, 2006)
Investment Governance Framework
Investing Questionnaire for Family Foundation Boards
Investment Committee Charters
- Investment Committee Charter (The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, 2016)
- Investment Committee Charter (Rockefeller Brothers Fund, 2014)
Investment Management Request for Proposals
- Investment Management RFP (Longbrake Family Foundation, 2013)
- RFP for Investment Services (Broward Education Foundation, 2016)
Investment Policies
- Investment Policy (Anonymous Foundation, 2023)
- Investment Policy (Morgan Family Foundation, 2023)
- Investment Policy with Focus on Shareholder Engagement (Woodcock Foundation, 2023)
- Investment Policy Statement Focus on Diverse Managers (Marguerite Casey Foundation, 2023)
- Investment Policy Statement Template (J.P. Morgan, 2021)
- Investment Policy (The Wallace Foundation, 2021)
- Investment Policy (Sunlight Giving, 2020)
- Investment Policy Statement (Blandin Foundation, 2019)
- Investment Policy Statement (Allyn Family Foundation, 2017)
Investment Policies that Include Impact Investing
- Investment Policy Statement with Impact Investing (Frey Foundation, 2023)
- Investing Policy Statement with Focus on Impact Investing (Weissberg Foundation, 2023)
- Investment Policy with Focus on Shareholder Engagement (Woodcock Foundation, 2023)
- Mission Aligned Investment Policy (Valentine Foundation, 2023)
- Investment Policy Statement (Stokes Foundation, 2023)
- Investment Policy Statement (McKnight Foundation, 2018)
- Ethical Investing Policy Framework (Rockefeller Foundation, 2021)
- Investment Policy Statement (NorthLight Foundation, 2021)
- Investment Policies and Procedures (McConnell Foundation, 2020
- Investment Policy (Rockefeller Brothers Fund, 2020)
- Investment Policy (Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, 2019)
- Investment Policy with Focus on Impact Investing (F.B. Heron Foundation, 2017)
Impact Investing Strategies
- Mission Related Investing (Swift Foundation, 2023)
- Socially Responsible Investment Guidelines (Merck Family Fund, 2023)
- Impact Investing Moving Towards 100% (Phillips Foundation, 2023)
- Impact Investing Moving Towards 100% (Embrey Family Foundation, 2023)
- Mandate for Mission Aligned Investing (Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation, 2022)
- Socially Responsible and Mission Investing (Hazen Foundation, 2019)
Program Related Investing (PRIs)
- Program Related Investment Procedures (Frey Foundation, 2023)
- Program Related Investment and Recoverable Grant Primer (Ford Foundation, 2020)
- Program Related Investment Strategy Overview (Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, 2017)
- Program Related Investments Policy (Wieboldt Foundation, 2012)
Shareholder Activity Guidelines
- Proxy Voting Guidelines (Rockefeller Brothers Fund, 2005)
- Shareholder Activity Guidelines (Nathan Cummings Foundation, 2013)
- Shareholder Resolutions (Nathan Cummings Foundation, 2021)
- Changing Corporate Behavior through Shareholder Activism (Nathan Cummings Foundation, 2010)
Spending Policies (see also, “Investment Policy” above)
- Spending Policy (The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, 2015)
- Spending Policy (The Wallace Foundation, 2012)
- Family Foundation Spending Policy (NCFP, 2002)
Staffing Roles and Responsibilities
Please visit our complete collection of example Finance and Investment Management Job Descriptions.