FOUNDATION LEGAL SERVICES

Charitable Allies provides services to foundations so they can stay focused on fulfilling their mission. We can also help start a charitable foundation.

Our team of nonprofit lawyers will work with you to better understand your foundation, your grantmaking priorities, legal issues in grantmaking, measuring impact and outcomes, and what can reasonably be expected of grantees.

Every day we see foundations struggling with:

Grant Agreements and Restrictions
Effective Grantmaking Strategies
Employment Law and Human Resources
Compliance with UPMIFA
Identifying and Measuring Outcomes

“

I emerged from our meeting energized with ideas and direction. I appreciate you for your clarity of thinking, your insight, and your professional guidance. Community Health Network Foundation will benefit from seeds that were planted today. I look forward to an ongoing collaboration.

Martha Henn, Grant and Proposal Writer, Community Health Network Foundation

UPMIFA

The Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act
  • We can help you stay in compliance with UPMIFA.
  • A law adopted in the vast majority of states that provides guidance on investment decisions and endowment expenditures for nonprofit and charitable organizations.
  • Controls how organizations can modify, or vary, from a fund’s original stated purposes for reasons of frustration, waste, etc.

Grant Agreements and Restrictions

  • We help assess whether a grant accomplishes an acceptable charitable purposes, and negotiate possible restrictions in use of funds
  • Draft or revise grant agreements to reflect changing grantmaking strategies
  • Implement grant alternative strategies such as program related investments

Employment law and Human Resources

  • You’re an employer as well as a foundation, and no matter the size, every employer must have policies that ensure consistent and fair treatment for all.
  • We can create policies specific to your foundation and also help you with employee transition and/or discipline.

Effective Grantmaking Strategies

  • We can help you create and execute effective grantmaking strategies to further your foundation’s mission
  • Advise regarding membership, board, structure and other questions
    • Help you learn to measure impact and outcomes of your philanthropy
    • Learn what information you can reasonably expect of grantees
    • Assess programming gaps in your priority and geographic areas and find and implement strategies to plug those gaps

Governance

  • Charitable Admin Expenses (CAEs)
    • All expenses attributed to achieving the foundation’s charitable mission, including administrative expenses and direct activities (DCAs).
  • DCAs
    • Non-grantmaking activities of foundations consistent with their missions, such as hosting conferences, providing programing assistance, and serving on advisory boards.
  • Review and advise regarding bylaws and articles or trust instrument
  • Advise regarding membership, board, structure and other questions

Outcome Measures

  • We can work with your foundation to identify and measure outcomes
  • Why Outcomes Matter
    • Help you tell your story more effectively
    • Evidence-based, data-driven
    • Foundations and major donors care
    • Show the difference you made
    • Focus on charitable mission
    • Avoid unintended consequences