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How to Better Manage Your Foundation

Foundation Source offers modern foundation management services, integrating cutting-edge technology with time-tested, expert advice and client services. We understand the unique challenges and needs of managing a private or family foundation because we’ve been focused on exactly that since 2000.

We can provide you with:

  • The capacity and bandwidth of a professional staff—without the expense of hiring them yourself or adding to existing headcount.
  • The ability to consolidate multiple functions (administration, tax preparation, etc.) into a single-source provider.
  • A scalable solution to support your foundation as it grows in size, sophistication, and number of participants.
  • Stability, so that as your foundation evolves and changes, you won’t lose key data, momentum, or endure growing pains.
  • Purpose-built technology for your philanthropic activity, providing transparency and facilitating collaboration, no matter where foundation members are located.
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More About Foundation Management Services

Streamlined and automated foundation operations.

Efficient, worry-free foundation administration is the key to a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Our professional staff handles the details that keep your foundation running smoothly, so you can focus on your philanthropic goals.

We assist more than 2,000 private foundations, taking care of:

Accounting and Auditing

Accounting & Auditing

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Compliance monitoring for 501(c)(3) rules and regulations

Compliance Monitoring for 501(c)(3)

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Financial and regulatory reporting

Financial Reporting

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Foundation administration

Foundation Administration

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Grant and expense processing

Grant and Expense Processing

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Grants management

Grants Management

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Philanthropic guidance and consulting

Guidance and Consulting

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International grantmaking

International Grantmaking

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Recordkeeping

Recordkeeping

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Tax preparation and filings

Tax Preparation and Filings

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If you already have a foundation, we’ll transition you to Foundation Source’s automated platform quickly and efficiently. If you’ve decided to start a foundation, we can have you up and running in less than a week.

Expert Guidance: Tell us your vision, and we’ll help you get it done.

With Foundation Source, you get immediate access to a team of private foundation experts, without adding employees or building unnecessary infrastructure.

These world-class specialists have in-depth knowledge covering all aspects of private foundations, from  tax and legal to accounting and philanthropy. Their mission is to help you achieve the greatest impact on the issues you care about.

Services include:

icon-private-client-advisors-v02Private Client Advisors

icon-philanthropic-directorsPhilanthropic Directors

icon-advanced-grantmakingAdvanced Grantmaking

icon-information-educationInformation & Education

User-friendly, state-of-the-art, web-based platform simplifies foundation management.

Connect with your foundation anytime, anywhere, from any device. Simply log into the secure platform provided by Foundation Source. Developed specifically for the needs of private foundations, it simplifies foundation control, communication, and collaboration in a way never before possible. Designated foundation members get instant access and total transparency into foundation activities.

Features Include:

  • Charity research, including links to in-depth information and analysis from GuideStar® and Charity Navigator®
  • 5% distribution tracking
  • Automated granting
  • Grants management
  • Transaction processing
  • Online reporting
  • Document archiving

We’ll work with you to customize the viewing rights and granting authority for each person given online access, so you can control what they see and what they can do when logged in.

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Applications: Grants Management

Applications is a web-based grants management module that makes it easy to accept grant applications online, then organize, review, track, and reply to those requests with just a few clicks. This innovative technology is fully integrated with our core services that include research tools for more informed grant decisions, and the ability to process and deliver grant checks.

Outcomes: Grants Assessment

Outcomes, an optional module that allows donors and foundations to track the impact of their charitable donations, monitor performance, and request formal reports, all from a web browser. It revolutionizes the process of assessing grant impact by collecting key performance information from nonprofits, including how grant funds were spent, grantee’s progress towards goals, unexpected challenges, and lessons learned.

Game-Changing Tech for Private Foundations

 

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Benefits You Get With Foundation Source

Integrated Support Under One Roof
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Getting all of your foundation’s needs met in one place is more than convenient—it’s smart! Instead of coordinating the efforts of multiple advisors yourself (some of whom may lack the specific expertise required for foundation operations), you get a team of foundation specialists from one source, Foundation Source.

An End to Busywork
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We handle all of your foundation’s transactions (and keep meticulous records). We prepare and file all of your foundation tax returns, and take care of the financial and regulatory reporting.

Experts on Call, Not on Payroll
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Because our tax, legal, administrative, and philanthropic experts serve as your virtual staff, you get their top-flight support for a fraction of the cost of bringing comparable staffing in-house.

Compliance Monitoring by Top Professionals
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Running a foundation without running afoul of the IRS requires a thorough understanding of complex IRS rules and regulations. Should we spot potential compliance issues with your foundation’s activities, we alert you and help you make informed decisions about how best to move forward.

Technology Built Exclusively for Private Foundations
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Connect with your foundation anytime, anywhere by logging into Impactfully, the secure, web-based platform provided by Foundation Source. Developed specifically for the needs of private foundations, it simplifies control, communication, and collaboration.

An Instant Network of Foundation Peers
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As a Foundation Source client, you become part of a community of 2,000+ private foundations. You’ll gain access to virtual and in-person events where you can share experiences and best practices, meet with experts and sector leaders, and connect with peers who share your interests and goals.

A Full Range of Philanthropic Options
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We’ve streamlined traditionally complex processes, making it easier for your foundation to:

  • Grant directly to individuals for disaster relief and hardship assistance
  • Make program-related investments, loans, and equity investments
  • Award scholarships
  • Grant internationally
  • Run charitable programs

Managing Change

We help you navigate the inevitable transitions that come your way.

Just like the individuals and families who establish them, private foundations have life cycles, too. And since nearly 90% of foundations are intended to exist in perpetuity, they typically undergo a multitude of transitions over their extended lifespan, including:

  • Geographic dispersion of family members
  • A change in leadership
  • Family growth
  • Retirement of a trusted family advisor or key staff member
  • Generational succession
  • Sudden growth of foundation assets

No matter what turning point you encounter, Foundation Source has the resources and experience to help you through it. And because we adapt our services to fit your evolving needs, we’re a constant, steadying presence that can help your foundation maintain its efficacy throughout its lifecycle.

Thinking About Converting Your Private Foundation to a Donor-Advised Fund?

Click here to learn seven critical factors you should consider before making this irrevocable decision.