Perpetuity, lifespan, and spend down

The Power of Urgency – The Eckerd Family Foundation

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Jason Born

Organized from its inception as a limited life foundation, the Eckerd Family Foundation took a bold and strategic approach to using its assets to create significant change on issues affecting young people, including juvenile justice, foster care, and education… Read More

Spending Policy (The Wallace Foundation, 2012)

Posted on January 13, 2012 by The Wallace Foundation

The Foundation’s policy is to target spending on grants and qualifying distributions at an average 5.0% of assets over long periods of time. The Foundation’s Board may elect to exceed that spending rate for a limited period of time if: There is a compelling opportunity in a programmatic area that cannot be met by reallocating funds from other areas without… Read More

A Letter to Seniors (and will be seniors): Planning for Your Future in Philanthropy

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Alice Buhl

Their stories are fascinating reminders of the many philanthropic paths available, whatever your age. Their stories fall into four categories of approaches to how they planned their own as well as their family’s philanthropic futures: senior generation members who chose to stay actively involved in leading the family’s foundation. seniors who passed on leadership but stayed active in the foundation… Read More

Alternatives to Perpetuity: A Conversation Every Foundation Should Have

Posted on October 21, 2005 by Deanne Stone

This Passages is aimed at new donors considering a limited lifespan for their foundation, existing foundations that have already set a closing date, or any family contemplating the question of perpetuity. Author Deanne Stone gives background on the perpetuity vs. spending down debate and discusses the motivations for considering an alternative to perpetuity. The paper then identifies the basic challenges… Read More

Closing the door: Spending out frees the Beldon Fund board’s imagination

Posted on October 21, 2005 by Deanne Stone

Many family foundations that make the decision to spend out their assets within a limited timeframe say that doing so keeps them focused on the mission, energized, and on their toes. Bill Roberts, former executive director of the Beldon Fund, speaks for many of the foundations interviewed for NCFP’s Passages Issue Brief on this topic, “Alternatives to Perpetuity: A Conversation… Read More

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