Primer Series - All Titles

Three Ways to Order Online By mail or fax By phone: 888-212-9922; 202-580-6560 (local)

New -
Getting to Impact: Why Evaluation Is Key
Do you think evaluation is only for large foundations? Not anymore. Understand the benefits of incorporating a simple evaluation process into your work. This primer introduces principles that keep evaluation meaningful and manageable for small foundations; profiles small foundations that use simple evaluation to get to impact; and provides steps for getting started.

Member: $10| Non-member: $15 

New -
Investing in Nonprofit Leaders
Strong leaders play an essential role in the success of nonprofit organizations, and as funders, your accomplishments hinge on theirs. By taking steps to support nonprofit leaders, you can bolster the organizations you trust, support the issues you care most about, and further your mission in a meaningful way. Learn about the challenges faced by nonprofit leaders, and a range of ways to offer training and help.

Member: $10 | Non-member: $15

New -
Closing Shop: When Small Foundations Get Out of the Foundation Business
Written for small foundations that have decided to get out of the private foundation business, this Primer walks you through the strategy choices, tasks, and legal steps of closing shop.
Full description > >

Members: $10 (log in) | Non-members: $15

How to Avoid Self-Dealing
The self-dealing rules are among the easiest for foundations to violate. The rules prohibit certain transactions between private foundations and insiders, called “disqualified persons.”
Full description >>

Members: $10 (log in) | Non-members: $15

Awarding Grants to Individuals
Learn the regulations associated with grants to individuals, and get hints for making grant distribution easier.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

Basics of Proposal Review
Find out how to accomplish one of the most central foundation tasks without getting lost in paper. Help your board focus its time on the proposals most relevant to your foundation’s interests.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

Bringing on the Board: Practical Steps for Orienting Foundation Board Members

This Primer guides you through an entire process of planning and implementing orientation - from defining goals and developing an agenda, to developing briefing materials, choosing appropriate (and sometimes necessary) topics for orientation, and planning ongoing training.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Communicating with Grantees: Building Effective Relationships Throughout the Grantmaking Process

Communicating clearly and consistently with grant seekers and grantees is essential to achieving success as a foundation. Find instructions, guidelines, and "ingredients" for creating each type of communication - from a mission to a grant application, grant agreement to the grant report. You'll also find a host of samples, so you can begin creating or refining your communications right away.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Connecting to Your Family's Foundation: A Primer for the Next Generation

For the next generation--learn tips and strategies to get involved in your family foundation’s succession planning process. Discover how your involvement can help the foundation, teach you skills, and enhance your respect in the family.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Creating a Strategy and Plan for Your Foundation’s Investing:

Developing and Using an Investment Policy Statement

Set a course for managing your foundation’s assets through time. An investment policy statement (IPS) is essential in helping you fulfill your fiduciary duties and oversee and manage your assets effectively and efficiently. Learn about all the steps in developing an IPS, from making key board decisions, to developing your asset allocation policy, to putting together your IPS document. Find out how to develop an investment plan that provides steady, ongoing guidance to better achieve your philanthropic goals. Super-Primer, 58 pages.
Member: $20
Non-member: $30

 

Disaster Relief Grantmaking: Response & Prevention for Small Foundations
Many small foundations respond to emergencies and disasters in their local communities, nationally, and in other countries. This Primer helps you prepare to respond to the next disaster, so you can act quickly to help those most in need. Learn principles for more effective disaster grants—such as getting reliable information on needs, and collaborating with other donors. Find out how to create a disaster grantmaking plan for your foundation, and learn how to work to minimize the impact of future crises.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Effective Governance for Unstaffed Foundations

Get oriented to the full range of governance responsibilities, and how unstaffed foundations can carry them out effectively and efficiently. Your "one-stop" intro to governance.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Financial Reporting for Private Foundations: A Uniform System

A group of experienced foundation financial officers, CPAs, and attorneys has developed the first standard, uniform system of financial reporting that any private foundation can use as a model. The system can help your foundation prepare your Form 990-PF, since the statements are designed so that financial information can be transferred easily to the Form. The uniform system also can help bookkeepers, accountants, and others with little or no private foundation experience quickly learn basic financial issues specific to private foundations.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Funding and Engaging in Advocacy: Opportunities for Small Foundations

Discover the wide "comfort zone" the law offers you as a private foundation for funding and engaging in advocacy activities. Learn how advocacy can leverage your foundation’s resources for maximum impact.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Getting It Done: The Who and How of Small Foundation Investing
One of your board’s biggest investment-related decisions is choosing who will manage and oversee assets to fulfill your foundation’s investment goals. This Primer describes three main options to get the work done: hiring an outside investment consultant to hire and oversee managers; hiring investment managers and overseeing them directly; or choosing to take care of all investment tasks in-house. Find out everything you need to decide "Who?" - including what investment work involves; what professional consultants and managers do; and how to hire, monitor, and evaluate advisors - if you decide to hire outside help.
Super Primer, 47 pages.
Member: $20
Non-member: $30

 

How Technology Can Help You Manage Your Foundation

Find out how technology can increase small foundations’ effectiveness and efficiency. Get tips for evaluating to what extent various technology options are a good investment, given your foundation’s size, function, needs, and budget.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

How to Start a Private Foundation **FREE **

Get an "A to Z" overview of everything you need to start a private foundation, from choosing the structure, to filing with federal and state agencies, to operating within the law. Download a free copy from The ASF Bookstore today!

 

International Grantmaking: Opportunities for Small Foundations

Discover why giving internationally is an important opportunity for small foundations, and how it’s completely doable. Discusses options for giving abroad and the basic rules.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Involving Children in Philanthropy

Offers family members principles and strategies for involving children in giving and volunteering. Provides tips for teaching financial values and financial literacy, and includes techniques for involving teens in family foundation boards. Along the way, families relate their own stories of how they have involved their children in philanthropy. The Primer is organized around two groups of young people: younger children and teens.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Keeping Good Records: Small Foundations' Guide to Staying Organized

Explains what documents to keep and for how long, also describing how to organize, archive, and protect your documents - not just now but consistently over time.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Legal Essentials for Small Foundations

A top-seller and a staff favorite. Become familiar with the most important laws governing private foundations.
Full description > >

 

Members: $10 (log in) | Non-members: $15

 

Leveraging Your Assets with Loans and Other Program Related Investments (PRIs)
Small foundations are using PRI loans and other investments to enhance the power of their grantmaking, build capacity, and leverage the impact of their assets. PRIs can be counted toward your foundation’s distribution requirement, and repaid funds are recycled for other PRIs or for grants. The Primer includes a step-by-step guide to making your first PRI, and examples of PRIs from ASF members.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Making Plans for Succession: What Founders Need to Know

For the founder--learn tips and strategies to create a successful process for training and involving the next generation in your family foundation, and for preparing younger members for leadership.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Missing Investing for Small Foundations
Mission Investing is the practice of using the 95 percent of assets that a foundation typically invests to achieve program goals as well as financial returns.
Full description > >

Members: $10 (log in) | Non-members: $15

 

Policymaking Made Clear: Eleven Foundation Policies Your Board Should Consider

Walks you through 11 policies that can help you operate more efficiently, align daily operations with your mission, fulfill your legal and ethical responsibilities, increase transparency, and orient new board members.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Principles of Foundation Investment Management: Guidelines for Trustees and Financial Officers

Offers an overview of seven basic principles that small foundation boards can use to manage and oversee their assets. The principles include: setting your investment objectives, determining your spending policy and asset allocation policy, managing risk, and assigning responsibilities for investment tasks. Download a free copy from The ASF Bookstore today!

 

Protecting Your Small Foundation with Insurance

Find out about the risks foundations face and how having appropriate insurance can help you manage those risks. Learn how insurance contributes to good management and governance.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

Recruiting Foundation Trustees: How to Identify and Find the Right People for Your Board

Designed for foundations expanding their board for the first time as well as for those wanting to fill one or two board positions. Takes some of the guesswork out of recruiting by offering a way to develop board qualifications and think through who you need to fulfill your mission and goals.  Describes simple ways of identifying, cultivating, and interviewing potential board members who fit your needs. Also discusses the benefits of increasing diversity on your board, and how to go about achieving more diversity.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Setting Up a Small Foundation Office
Managers of new foundations or foundations that haven't yet established offices will find the "A to Z" of setting up the foundation's first administration. Topics include: handling money; choosing office space; getting essential equipment and a computer system; establishing Internet access, e-mail, and a Web site; creating a records management system; and setting up basic financial tracking. Get all the information you need to run your foundation smoothly and create a solid framework for the future.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

Trustee Compensation for Small Foundations

This Primer offers you a framework to help your board carry out a thoughtful discussion about trustee compensation and craft a policy that fits your foundation's unique outlook and circumstances. Foundations that decide to compensate trustees will find a process for determining a reasonable compensation level.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

 

With Your Own Eyes:
Using Site Visits to Make Better Grants and Fulfill Your Mission
Many ASF members report that written proposals often do not convey the work of the grantseeker effectively. One of the best ways to help you decide whether to fund a particular organization or project is to visit the organization. Learn how to develop a site visit strategy for your foundation, prepare for and conduct the visit, and use the information you gained to make grant decisions. Features stories about ASF members' site visit experiences.
Member: $10
Non-member: $15

Working With Community Foundations: A Guide for Small Foundations