Board/Trustees

Originally published at a time of many hospital conversions, this paper continues to provide helpful information on philanthropic options for the sale of hospital assets.

The issue of payout percentage has been subject to debate, with various studies taking different positions as to the long-term effect of different rates on the corpus, but the general assumption in foundation circles is still that the 5% payout rate is the number that will enable foundations to maintain their purchasing power into the future. This paper looks at 13 foundations, and examines the ways in which their non-standard structures — whether in the areas of lifespan, payout, or methods — arise from their missions.

In 2009, the Community Research Institute (CRI) at the Johnson Center at Grand Valley State University, on behalf of CMF, undertook an analysis of organizational policies of 11 foundations.

As both investors and grantmakers, philanthropic foundations have a major opportunity to support the growing market for green bonds. For foundations focused on pressing environmental issues such as climate change, water, energy, and conservation, green bonds can be natural mission-related investments that mobilize a fuller array of philanthropic assets to expand the impact of often limited grantmaking dollars.