Today I have continued to explore the Association of Small Foundations' members-only Web site. I have signed up for a "Webinar" on November 12, 1-2 p.m. I've never participated in a Webinar. The topic is "Running the Small Foundation Office."
I've also looked at a lot of sample documents, and drilled in deeper on the topic of family members/trustees also being paid staff. I contacted Rob Greelee, e.d. of the Greenlee Family Foundation in Boulder, CO. Similar in size to the TFF (once funded). He was preceeded by his sister as executive director. Discussed the pros and cons of this arrangement: Pro: more invested in the Foundation's success, promotes more family togetherness. Negatives include: too intimately involved in the family to be impartial, may not be the most qualified person, may stir jealousy among other family members about having what might be perceived as a "cushy foundation job."
I need to write a letter of application to the TFF trustees stating why I am interested in this job, what I expect to get out of it, what experience I have in the non-profit and journalism sectors that qualify me for this job.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Preparations
Two weeks ago I signed up for ASF's Fall Seminars, October 27 & 28 in Boston. I went to a similar event they hosted back in 2002, I believe, before the TFF's membership in ASF expired in 2003. (We reactivated the membership this past summer, 2009.) I expect I'll be more motivated and informed prior to the seminar, with more sense of urgency about tangible outcomes to this learning, i.e. setting up the administration of the Foundation.
Seminars to choose from include tax preparation, "Foundations 101," "Getting to Impact," "Investment Essentials" and "All in the Family," held over two days. I opted not to sign up for the third day.
I have communicated with Jackie Mahoney, director of grantmaking at the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region. I know her from previous experience in non-profits that have received funding trhough the CFGCR. I am looking for resources, including consultants, groups and alliances to help us find the right kind of management/staffing for the TFF. There was a Grantmakers Alliance of Northeastern New York that I found out about on the ASF Web site, with Maureen Yee as the contact, but Maureen is no longer at the CFGCR and the Alliance no longer exists.
Jackie explains that the CFGCR can take the role as "staff" for family foundations that are outside the Community Foundation's umbrella, on a fee/consultant basis. The CFGCR can coordinate all the paperwork, the grant cycles, due diligence on grantseekers etc. -- all the office and paperwork that can be overwhelming (Jackie's word) for a Foundation our size. Family members can still be involved, doing site visits (the most important function, she said) and advising the CFGCR on their values and mission and the kinds of projects they want to fund.
The Community Foundation staff can provide a level of support -- more work or less work -- that we decide on. If we only want their help in soliciting grant requests, for example, they would do an email blast to all the local charities that generally fall under our mission.
Ideas for a job description for an administrator, whether it is me or another family member or an outside entity like a Community Foundation (culled from the National Center for Family Philanthropy's Guide to Creating Your Family Foundation):
-- Answering mail, email and telephone calls;
-- Writing materials for the Foundation, if needed, such as: a brochure, a web page, a fact sheet, grant guidelines, grant summaries, Board and committee minutes;
-- Coordinating meetings, distributing minutes and preparing briefing materials for the Board;
-- Soliciting and screening grant proposals;
-- Identifying and conducting due diligence on grantees;
-- Scheduling and keeping records on site visits to potential grantees;
-- Attending conferences, networking meetings;
-- Issuing and mailing checks to grantees;
-- Following up with grantees: monitoring grant expenditures, grant evaluations
As I see it, having a family member as Foundation staff can be ideal -- it ensures that family stays involved and that the Foundation will fund projects that are meaningful to the family and stick to the founders' (JWGT & NMT) intent. It is important to spell out what I would be doing, formally and systematically.
On the other side, the biggest challenges for me or another family member being the sole staff person include:
-- Learning how to run an office (I have experience running a one-man office for Albany Pro Musica, 2004-08;
-- Working alone
-- Reporting to members of one's own family;
-- Setting work/family boundaries with NMT, brothers, nephews;
-- Being able to hear criticism from family members
If we choose to run the Foundation from top to bottom, without outside help, it will take a lot of time initially to set up an office and put administrative systems together, with things like this consider:
-- How will we manage the Board?
-- Will we accept unsolicited proposals?
-- If so, how and when will we accept and review proposals?
-- How many grants and what types of grants will the foundation make?
-- What kinds of follow-up will we do after a grant is awarded?
-- What records should we keep?
-- How should bookkeeping and accounting be handled? (Ed Dennehy, NMT's tax accountant, currently does this.)
-- How will we let people know about the Foundation?
Seminars to choose from include tax preparation, "Foundations 101," "Getting to Impact," "Investment Essentials" and "All in the Family," held over two days. I opted not to sign up for the third day.
I have communicated with Jackie Mahoney, director of grantmaking at the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region. I know her from previous experience in non-profits that have received funding trhough the CFGCR. I am looking for resources, including consultants, groups and alliances to help us find the right kind of management/staffing for the TFF. There was a Grantmakers Alliance of Northeastern New York that I found out about on the ASF Web site, with Maureen Yee as the contact, but Maureen is no longer at the CFGCR and the Alliance no longer exists.
Jackie explains that the CFGCR can take the role as "staff" for family foundations that are outside the Community Foundation's umbrella, on a fee/consultant basis. The CFGCR can coordinate all the paperwork, the grant cycles, due diligence on grantseekers etc. -- all the office and paperwork that can be overwhelming (Jackie's word) for a Foundation our size. Family members can still be involved, doing site visits (the most important function, she said) and advising the CFGCR on their values and mission and the kinds of projects they want to fund.
The Community Foundation staff can provide a level of support -- more work or less work -- that we decide on. If we only want their help in soliciting grant requests, for example, they would do an email blast to all the local charities that generally fall under our mission.
Ideas for a job description for an administrator, whether it is me or another family member or an outside entity like a Community Foundation (culled from the National Center for Family Philanthropy's Guide to Creating Your Family Foundation):
-- Answering mail, email and telephone calls;
-- Writing materials for the Foundation, if needed, such as: a brochure, a web page, a fact sheet, grant guidelines, grant summaries, Board and committee minutes;
-- Coordinating meetings, distributing minutes and preparing briefing materials for the Board;
-- Soliciting and screening grant proposals;
-- Identifying and conducting due diligence on grantees;
-- Scheduling and keeping records on site visits to potential grantees;
-- Attending conferences, networking meetings;
-- Issuing and mailing checks to grantees;
-- Following up with grantees: monitoring grant expenditures, grant evaluations
As I see it, having a family member as Foundation staff can be ideal -- it ensures that family stays involved and that the Foundation will fund projects that are meaningful to the family and stick to the founders' (JWGT & NMT) intent. It is important to spell out what I would be doing, formally and systematically.
On the other side, the biggest challenges for me or another family member being the sole staff person include:
-- Learning how to run an office (I have experience running a one-man office for Albany Pro Musica, 2004-08;
-- Working alone
-- Reporting to members of one's own family;
-- Setting work/family boundaries with NMT, brothers, nephews;
-- Being able to hear criticism from family members
If we choose to run the Foundation from top to bottom, without outside help, it will take a lot of time initially to set up an office and put administrative systems together, with things like this consider:
-- How will we manage the Board?
-- Will we accept unsolicited proposals?
-- If so, how and when will we accept and review proposals?
-- How many grants and what types of grants will the foundation make?
-- What kinds of follow-up will we do after a grant is awarded?
-- What records should we keep?
-- How should bookkeeping and accounting be handled? (Ed Dennehy, NMT's tax accountant, currently does this.)
-- How will we let people know about the Foundation?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)