Hiring staff and renting office space can be expensive, and employees bring a lot of responsibility. Why not outsource your operations to a team of experienced professionals? You set policy and we implement it. This can reduce your responsibility and risk, and we can save you money at the same time.
We offer full-service support to manage the day-to-day operations of your foundation. Our team handles everything from due diligence research and site visits to grant processing and compliance-monitoring. We have worked with families and foundations of all types and sizes to design, implement, and manage dozens of grantmaking programs.
To support your foundation, we are able to:
- Meet with the appropriate nonprofit organizations.
- Respond quickly to any questions from nonprofits by phone or email.
- Prepare and make available an application form to be used by potential applicants.
- Help nonprofits prepare grant applications, as appropriate.
- Conduct appropriate vetting of each applicant and each proposed project. This typically includes conducting a site visit, reviewing the organization’s tax return and certified financial audit, and consulting with experts (or foundations) that are knowledgeable of the organization or the issue.
- Prepare written evaluations of each application, for review by the Foundation’s Board of Directors. As part of this process, establish metrics for each proposed grant.
- Meet with the Board of Directors to present a slate of grant recommendations several times a year as previously determined.
- In consultation with legal counsel, prepare all required Foundation correspondence, including grant contracts, grant award letters, decline letters, and payment letters.
- Track grantee payment schedules and arrange for grant payments as needed.
- Determine the appropriate reporting requirements for each grantee and monitor each grant to ensure proper reporting to the Foundation. Track progress towards the metrics for each awarded grant.
- Review interim and final reports from grantees, and follow up with questions should any concerns arise. Review financial reports to ensure that all funds were used for charitable purposes as intended by Board. Work with grantee to resolve problems and, if necessary, the return of unused grant funds.
- Report regularly to the Board of Directors on the status of potential applications and open grants.
- Manage all the logistics of the Board meetings, including preparation and circulation of the meeting agenda book, making arrangements for a meeting room and any required refreshments or meals, mailing the required meeting notices and taking minutes of the meetings.
- At each Board meeting, report on recently completed grant projects and determine whether each project had met its goals or metrics. Use this discussion to help the Board learn about what projects have been successful. This includes determining what techniques or tools achieve success, what nonprofit leaders are reliable and, and what organizations are having an impact on issues of importance to the Foundation.
- Keep the Foundation’s formal minute book and any other formal documents required by the Foundation.
- Prepare a Board manual containing official policies and procedures.
- Conduct regular briefings for the Board on trends in the field and the best practices for modern foundation management.
- Develop and manage a public Web site for the Foundation with a private “Directors only” portal.
- Create and manage an annual budget for the Foundation; pay bills; track expenses; and provide regular reports to Board meetings.
- Work with CPA to create quarterly financial statements for Board meetings.
- Organize site visits for Board members as needed.
- Search out training and education opportunities for Board members.
- Maintain the formal minute book showing Board approval of policies and grants.
- Oversee annual signed conflict of interest forms from each Board member, as well as signed copies of the Confidentiality Policy, the Ethical Conduct and Governance Policy, and the Non-Discrimination Policy.
- Maintain the formal minute book showing Board approval of policies and grants.
- Prepare a formal Board manual containing the Foundation’s policies and procedures.
- Create and keep digital and physical files demonstrating that the Foundation has conducted the necessary due diligence on each grant application and monitored each grant award to ensure all Foundation funds were used for charitable purposes.
- Review the tax return and financial statements prepared by the CPA.
- Consult with legal counsel on all legal issues regarding the operation of the Foundation.
- Create and manage all digital and physical files required for the appropriate management of the Foundation’s grantmaking and necessary for the annual financial audit, tax return, and potential IRS review.
- Track the Foundation’s grantmaking to ensure that it meets the annual required 5 percent payout.