"Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) is a national network of foundation professionals and social entrepreneurs who strive for excellence in the practice of philanthropy. Our mission is to develop emerging leaders committed to building a just, equitable, and sustainable society. EPIP exists to ensure that emerging foundation professionals are...
PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS / PHILANTHROPY
Private foundations face particular legal issues and challenges that must be managed by their executives and boards. Informed leaders can maximize the impact of their foundations in advancing their charitable missions. But they must carefully manage those issues and challenges that can expose the foundation and its leaders to penalties and damage to their public reputation, especially if the foundation is engaged in arrangements and transactions that involve potential or actual conflicts of interests. Careful planning is critical to building a strong and sound infrastructure to ensure the foundation’s ongoing effectiveness and legal compliance.
Is The Way We Think About Charity Dead Wrong? Some Legal Thoughts
Dan Pallotta blew the roof off at TED 2013 with his talk about why The Way We Think About Charity is Dead Wrong (over 850,000 views and counting). Dan spoke passionately about the inability of the nonprofit sector to solve some of the society's greatest problems (e.g., poverty has been...
Council on Foundations 2012 Annual Conference
The Council on Foundations 2012 Annual Conference was held in Los Angeles on April 28 – May 2. Once again I was a virtual attendee through the valuable blogs and tweets of others. Here are some my favorites: Recap Sixteen Lessons this Next Gen-er Walked Away with from my...
Council on Foundations 2011 Annual Conference
This year's Council on Foundations (CoF) Annual Conference was held in Philadelphia. I was in town for the annual board and membership meetings of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) but am again blogging about the Conference as a virtual attendee through the blogs and tweets of others. Saturday,...
10 Keys to Starting a Nonprofit – Private Foundation
A thoughtful commitment to charitable giving and sufficient funding are baselines for starting a nonprofit private foundation. But there’s more needed. Check out the following steps you should take as you move forward: Identify your reasons for starting a new organization. Are they primarily altruistic or personal? What is it...
2010 Western Conference on Tax Exempt Organizations
Last Thursday and Friday, I attended one of my favorite annual events, the Western Conference on Tax Exempt Organizations (WCTEO), co-sponsored by Loyola Law School and the Internal Revenue Service. As always, the event was attended by many prominent attorneys, accountants, and executives who practice in the nonprofit and...
Foundations for the Common Good
Caring to Change, an independent project conducted in collaboration with the Aspen Institute's Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation, earlier this year released Foundations for the Common Good, a report written by Mark Rosenman on how grantmaking can be more effective if focused on the broader goal of advancing the "Common Good."...
2010 Council on Foundations Annual Conference
Regretfully, I again missed the Council on Foundations (CoF) Annual Conference, though I was present in Denver for the Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) annual board and membership meetings before flying to Portland to participate in the ReVV 2010 Conference. The theme of the CoF Conference this year: Intersections: Social...
Charitable Trusts & The Financial Meltdown – Erik Dryburgh
Erik Dryburgh of Adler & Colvin presented a program for the San Francisco Foundation on April 28, 2009 titled "Charitable Trusts and the Financial Meltdown: What to do With Underwater CRTs and Foundations." Dryburgh opened the program describing the scenario as a "philanthropic train wreck." He noted that some...
NCRP Criteria for Philanthropy at Its Best
In March 2009, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy ("NCRP"), an independent watchdog of foundations and institutional grantmakers, released the Criteria for Philanthropy at Its Best: Benchmarks to Assess and Enhance Grantmaker Impact. NCRP claims that the Criteria is "the first ever set of measurable guidelines that will help foundations...