Ask NCFP

JJ Hanley faced a situation well known to nonprofit executives: the number of volunteers that wanted to help was outstripping the agency’s capacity to manage them.  Operating with a small staff, volunteers were key to the success of JJ’s List – which connects people with disabilities with community businesses and services – and her late-night brain-storms of one weren’t getting anywhere… Read More

Once again everyone’s favorite time of year has arrived, audit time! For many, this can be viewed as a daunting and even arduous process.  A family foundation in NCFP’s network of Friends who no longer cringes at audit time shares this list of questions to ask your auditor to ensure your organization has a clean financial bill of health. Questions for the Auditors Did management limit… Read More

The decision of whether and how to conduct site visits for some or all of your grantees is worth considering carefully. Initial questions to help frame your use of site visits include: Do we have specific goals for conducting site visits? Do we have the capacity to conduct site visits, and are we willing to dedicate the board and staff… Read More

I work for a small family foundation as their non-family executive director. The foundation has been in existence for 25 years. In the near term, I will be sitting down with the founder, who is preparing to write his legacy. I am wondering if you’re familiar with other founders who have shared excerpts concerning their vision for philanthropy that you thought to be… Read More

How can we get an honest picture from our advisors about whether the strategies they are pursuing are the right ones? How do we know our advisors are telling us everything we need to know? Consider having general investment, legal and other training sessions for your foundation board that are conducted by someone other than the advisors who you’re working… Read More

Q: Our foundation’s third generation is coming on the board and some have young children. Some family members say the lack of child care during board meetings hinders participation. Can the foundation pay for child care so that parents can attend board meetings?… Read More