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Asset Declines and Investment Strategy Changes Report

A new study of changes in investment strategies by family, independent, and public foundations shows how these foundations have reacted to the downturn in the economy and their investment portfolios. Read the full report. PDF

Survey: Foundations and the Economy

Survey results show how foundations are responding to economic downturn. Read the full report.PDF

Grantmakers Salary and Benefits Report

Measure your salary ranges, check salary increase trends, and compare your benefits relative to similar grantmaking organizations. Below, as a resource to Council members, are salary tables for 2007 and for 2008 community, private (family and independent) and public foundations and corporate grantmakers reporting base salaries as of February 1.

Also below, for anyone to access, is the 2007 survey report's Executive Summary. The full 2007 survey report is available in both book and CD-ROM format.

Also provided is an article, approved by the Board of Directors of the Council on Foundations, on determining reasonable executive compensation.PDF

2008 Tables and Analysis

2007 Tables and Analysis

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Investment Performance and Practices of Community Foundations (2007)

The final report’s executive summary, 11 key tables, and individual multiyear and calendar year performance are now available on the web for Council members to access. The full survey report will be issued in late October.

The data are presented for 207 community foundations and 230 portfolios (23 foundations are in both corporate and trust form):

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Researcher/Practitioner Forum on the State of Research on Diversity in Philanthropy

Improving the quality and effectiveness of grantmaking was the focus of the first-ever Researcher/Practitioner Forum that took place in the fall of 2007 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Designed as the first in a series, the forum brings together grantmakers and researchers so they can exchange ideas on key issues in philanthropy and better focus their research. Participants are invited based on their grantmaking background and experience on the chosen topic or their research expertise.

The El Pomar Foundation served as host for the 2007 forum, which the Council convened in partnership with the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVAExternal Link Icon)  and the Foundation CenterExternal Link Icon. The Lumina Foundation for Education provided a grant to underwrite this and a subsequent forum that will take place in late 2008.

Printed versions of the proceedings of the 2007 forum are made possible by a grant from the Diversity in Philanthropy ProjectExternal Link Icon.

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2007 Grantmakers Information Technology Survey

Prepared jointly by the Technology Affinity Group and the Council on Foundations.

The 2007 survey was conducted online using the Council’s new survey and benchmarking website. Survey participants interested in examining the data further can do their own data analysis and peer group comparisons using the benchmarking tool.

For additional information, please contact Lisa Pool (610-688-6832, Lisa.Pool@verizon.net) at the Technology Affinity Group or Judith Kroll (703-879-0697, Judith.Kroll@cof.org) at the Council on Foundations.

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Foundation Management Series

Management practices other than staff compensation and benefits are surveyed and reported biennially in our Foundation Management Series. The management series contains data on administrative expenses of private foundations (family and independent), and structures and policies of governing boards and staffing patterns of community, private and public foundations.

Below, for Council members, are the analyses and tables for the two most frequently requested sections of the Foundation Management Series: (1) administrative expenses for private foundations and (2) board compensation (reimbursement for expenses, compensation for board service, and compensation for professional services). (Note: The Foundation Management Series, Twelfth Edition, Volume I-II, Foundation Governing Boards and Administrative Expenses in Private Foundations can be purchased in book format.)

Also provided is an article, approved by the Board of Directors of the Council on Foundations, on determining reasonable executive compensation.

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Council on Foundations Launches Online Surveying and Benchmarking (2006)

The Council has moved its benchmarking surveys to an online (web) platform. This reduces the time needed to enter and analyze information and it allows survey participants to do their own benchmarking. More...

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Investment Performance and Practices of Private Foundations

In 2005, the Council on Foundations embarked on a new project—an annual survey of the investment performance and asset allocation of family and independent foundations with assets of $5 million or more. This was undertaken to meet the informational and benchmarking needs of foundations that weren’t large enough to be members of the private Foundation Financial Officers Group (FFOG) and benefit from that group’s survey.

2004 Survey Report

All of the Council's private foundation members were mailed a complimentary copy of the 148-page printed 2004 survey report. 

The 2004 Final Report's executive summary and key tables Members-only Icon on investment performance for 173 private foundationsPDF is available for Council members.

The full 2004 report can be purchased in book format.

The data were analyzed by the investment consulting firm of Prime, Buchholz & Associates, Inc. (PB&A) of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. PB&A provided their services pro bono.

Member involvement in shaping the survey and associated report has been integral to the success of this effort. The member Working Group list appears below. Three of the members are also members of the FFOG.

Private Foundation Investment Performance Working Group

Michael J. Sweeney, III, Chair
Director of Finance
Healthcare Georgia Foundation

L. Claire Davis
Administrator/Financial Manager
The Edward W. Hazen Foundation

Bruce F. Fetzer (FFOG)
Trustee
The Fetzer Institute

 

Edward B. Kacic
President
Irvine Health Foundation

Larry Moreland (FFOG)
VP, Finance & Administration
William T. Grant Foundation

Mark Paley (FFOG)
Director of Finance
The Hyams Foundation, Inc.

 

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Administering Corporate Giving

Administering Corporate Giving: 2002 provides information that will be relevant and meaningful to corporate grantmakers in their day-to-day work. Based on responses from 101 corporate foundations, direct giving programs and combined programs, data are provided on a range of topics including staffing resources and matching gifts, governance of the corporate foundation, management/governance of the direct giving program, and administrative expenses of corporate foundations.

Council members can access the entire survey report below. It is divided into four documents: the 47-page text and the 75 tables, clustered into three groups.

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