Product Briefs Archives - Foundation Source

New Premier Services

FS Web — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 17:19:17 +0000

Grantee Relations

Proactively identify potential grantees and solicit grant proposals, when appropriate
Assure requests for proposals and/or applications align with foundation priorities and nonprofit needs, revisiting and making changes as needed
Perform due diligence of potential grantees
Engage grantees on programmatic aspects of the grantmaking process, including communicating details of funding decisions and terms (if approved), monitoring the activities of grantees and other foundation projects and tracking progress against grant requirements
Manage grantee communication including responding to requests for information and technical support from applicants and grantees
Present grant recommendations
Document and maintain foundation grantmaking guidelines and procedures
Review, verify, and document grantee eligibility
Send reminders to submit required materials, including missing application materials, grant agreements, and reports
Prepare application materials for staff and board review
Manage the grant post-award process by preparing grant agreements, collecting grantee acknowledgement letters, receipts, and reports from grantees
Manage grant payment schedule and payment process including communication with grantees and accounting to initiate and record payments
Create and maintain a process for capturing grantee demographic data, providing analysis to the team as relevant
Create annual year-end grants analysis to provide a data snapshot for donors
Coordinate and host annual site visits for board members as appropriate

Specialized Accounting Services

Develop and maintain budgets for operational expenses and grantmaking targets
Prepare monthly financial reporting, including Statement of Financial Position and Statement of Activities
Establish, document, and maintain procedures for cash management, fund transfers, disbursements, and other internal control protocols
Build or improve multi-year and program-based budgeting tools
Implement improved workflows, chart of accounts, automation
Evaluate and enhance policies and procedures to reduce risk and increase transparency
Streamline and document financial close processes for efficiency and accuracy
Design scalable, compliant processes for private foundations
Coordinate pre-audit planning, compile PBC lists, and liaise with auditors
Complete corporate filings required by state and federal agencies
Help board members understand financial statements, nonprofit finance concepts, and fiduciary duties
Design board reports with spending trends, and scenario models
Design and prepare tailored financial reports for boards and program staff

The post New Premier Services appeared first on Foundation Source.

Foundation Payroll Services

FS Web — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 13:45:26 +0000

Foundation Source partners with the Human Resource Consulting Group (HRCG) to provide the following:

Payroll Services Include:

Services Features

1. Assist with registering as an employer with state agencies

Reviewing current nonprofit payroll and tax guidelines
Meeting requirements on a state-by state basis

2. Facilitating payroll for all employees

Reviewing and reconciling the payroll register and W-2s at the end of the year
Coordinating completion of hourly timesheets
Reviewing and researching payroll-related tax notices as needed
Providing manual payroll check calculations to account for additional compensation

3. Working with the foundation to gather payroll information

Allocating benefits across individual employees
Verifying consistency and accuracy of classifications of disbursements
Tracking and recording payroll information and related expenses to ensure compliant tax return preparation

4. Tracking 401K/Flexible Spending Account Information

Update and maintain employee benefit contributions
Additional fees may apply

5. Providing documentation and preparing financial documents

Tracking all employee documents
Preparing analyses for workers’ compensation and financial audits

6. Using HRCG’s isolved software to:

Create custom reports
Add, remove and update employee information on the payroll register
Coordinate one-time payrolls (e.g., year-end bonus payments)
Record and modify payroll records (i.e., rate changes, taxes and banking)
Request manual checks

For foundations with up to five employees, there is a one-time setup fee of $425 that must be paid in advance and an annual fee of $3,500.
For foundations with six to ten employees, there is a one-time setup fee of $635 that must be paid in advance and an annual fee of $5,000.

The post Foundation Payroll Services appeared first on Foundation Source.

Website Services For Private Foundations

FS Web — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 08:04:33 +0000

Keep Control of Your Foundation’s Messaging Without Taking Up More Time

Having a website is no longer a nice-to-have but a must-have—it’s an essential part of your foundation’s strategy. Not only will grantees visit your site to learn more about your mission, but also other foundations and sector leaders will use your learnings to help inform theirs. Even as a foundation that wishes to make anonymous gifts or make grants by invitation only, having a website to show your impact and work is key to fulfilling your mission.

Did you know?

Without a website, someone else will communicate your foundation’s messaging for you.
Public services such as Candid, Cause IQ and others will gather the public information available about your foundation to make it accessible to fundraisers and those in need. If you don’t have a website, these public companies will control the way that your foundation is presented to the public.

STARTER

Template-based website with a home page and up to three additional pages

Development:

Standard URL option (<>foundationsites.org)
No client access to the back end — we do all the edits for you
Content support is very light with one or two general sentences per topic
Contact form available and/or link to online application
No built-in analytics
Annual round of edits: two after Year 1 with allowance for edits/ updates

Branding:

Color: one primary and one secondary
Logo: simple text-based logo from a template

Imagery + Iconography:

Stock photos

Typography:

One header font and one body copy font from simple list

SEO + Accessibility:

Built-in, on-page SEO including title tags, meta description, SEO-friendly URL, internal linking, canonical links
Mobile optimization (responsiveness)
Sitemap
WCAG AA
Two rounds of implementation/ build edits

Custom design elements: None

ADVANCED

Everything in Starter, plus: Configurable website with a home page and up to five additional pages/sub pages

Development:

Custom or standard URL
Custom URL will need to come from the client
Standard URL will be provided by PG Calc <>. foundationsites.org
Will insert code for client-managed analytics
Annual round of edits: five after Year 2 with allowance for edits/ updates
Content support is more robust

Branding:

Colors: one primary color, two secondary colors, two tertiary colors
Logo: graphic logo from template

Typography:

One header font
Body copy fonts and guidelines
Guidelines for H1 – H3
Link copy guidelines

Imagery + Iconography:

Stock photos and/or photos sent by client
Stock iconography and/or iconography sent by client

SEO + Accessibility (everything in Starter, plus):

Personal recommendation on content organization and site navigation
Five rounds of implementation/ build edits

Custom design elements: None

PREMIUM

Everything in Advanced, plus custom scoping and design

The Premium Website offering is a customized package where you will partner with the technology experts at PG Calc and the philanthropic experts at Foundation Source. We provide white-glove service to maintain all technical needs and ensure that website content and messaging help you reach your philanthropic goals.

KEY FEATURES	ADVANTAGES
Analytics	Track who visits your website and monitor if you are reaching the audience you intend
Easy navigation and intuitive design	Website won’t crash or malfunction, affecting usability
Desire for clear impact communication	Organize and present content effectively
Ensuring all stakeholders are involved and informed	Website will accurately represent the foundation’s work
Robust data privacy and security measures	Monitoring and detection tools detect and respond to security incidents in real-time to help prevent potential security breaches and mitigate the impact on the foundation’s operations
SEO and accessibility	Built-in, on-page SEO (Title tags, meta description, SEO-friendly URLs, internal linking, canonical links, etc.) Mobile optimization (Responsive) Sitemap Personal recommendations on content organization and site navigation WCAG AA
Multiple options	Starter, Advanced or Premium options available to fit your current and growing needs

”The PG Calc team was fantastic to work with; they were very responsive and engaged throughout the process. They created a beautiful, seamless experience for us that is a new component of our development operations—the finished product looks and feels just like our website. We are so pleased with the result!”
— LINDSAY JOHNSON,DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS, CAPE ELEUTHERA FOUNDATION

LOOKING FOR MORE CUSTOMIZED OPTIONS?

Let’s talk!

(Additional fees may apply.)

The post Website Services For Private Foundations appeared first on Foundation Source.

Your Good Works Deserve a Great Website

FS Web — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 00:48:07 +0000

Put your best foot forward with a clean design and clear messaging.

Share information about your foundation in your own voice
Select the colors and fonts to create the look and feel you want
Get white-glove service to help guide you as much or as little as you’d like

Show your impact.

Use all available tools to get your message across
Get pictures, charts and data – all at your fingertips

Bring transparency to your grantmaking process.

Choose from an open application process or invite-only application
Be a good partner to the nonprofits you serve

”The PG Calc team was fantastic to work with; they were very responsive and engaged throughout the process. They created a beautiful, seamless experience for us that is a new component of our development operations—the finished product looks and feels just like our website. We are so pleased with the result!”
— LINDSAY JOHNSON DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS, CAPE ELEUTHERA FOUNDATION

Looking for even more customized options?

Let’s talk! (Additional fees may apply.)

GET IN TOUCH

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Enhance Your Grant Management Process

FS Web — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 05:25:22 +0000

Applications

Ensure alignment with your mission and priorities before making a grant.

Web-based grant management services
Makes it easy to accept grant applications online
Organize, review, track and reply to grant requests
Build and manage your application process

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Outcomes

Evaluate your giving and inform your future granting strategy.

Helps you monitor the impact of your grants
Collect progress reports and track performance metrics
Works seamlessly with Applications to support the grantmaking lifecycle
COMING SOON: Select from a template or create your own report

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Keep charities up to date on the status of their applications, outcome reports and payments with this exclusive portal.

Complete, view, and track applications and outcome reports
Track status of grant payments
Create and manage charity profile
COMING SOON: Charity and grantor direct messaging

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

The post Enhance Your Grant Management Process appeared first on Foundation Source.

Charity Search in Impactfully Select

FS Web — Thu, 13 Jul 2023 03:15:29 +0000

The Quick-View Dashboard Search lets you search by keyword, charity name, and tax ID, so you can quickly see which organizations are in the IRS records and which ones have been added by your foundation.

The Advance Search lets you search by geographical area and advanced filters. You also can view your findings in a tile or list view.

When you select a charity, you can see if they are verified and if you’ve given to them before. The Easy-View Window streamlines two of the most common annual foundation tasks: reviewing previous grants and confirming that recipients are still in good standing before renewing or sending a payment.

Impactfully Select users can Add a Charity Record into their personal account, so that they can make grants to charities of their choosing. Added charities can only be seen by the foundation that created the record and its users. Impactfully Select provides a compliance notification on added and non-verified charities, so that funders are alerted before granting to those organizations.

READY TO GET STARTED?
For more information, contact us at 800.839.0054 or impactfully@foundationsource.com.

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Corporate Philanthropic Services

FS Web — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 10:41:20 +0000

Services for Corporate Giving Programs and Foundations

Need assistance with your corporate foundation or corporate giving program? You’ll benefit from our comprehensive suite of tools, technology, and expertise.

Administrative Support

We provide day-to-day support for your corporate philanthropy, including:

Initial Setup

Customization of Foundation Source Online®
Uploading of historical giving activity (from a standardized electronic file)
Configuration of viewing rights and permissions for each employee granted access

Transaction Processing

Preparation of donation checks and transmittal letters

Compliance Oversight

Confirmation of IRS status for 501(c)(3) organizations
USA PATRIOT Act due diligence for terrorist organizations

Additional Services for Corporate Foundations

Funding and expense processing
Monitoring for self-dealing and jeopardizing investments
Tax preparation and filings: annual 990-PF, estimated taxes, year-end

WITH FOUNDATION SOURCE, YOU GET COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES AND A “VIRTUAL STAFF” OF FOUNDATION EXPERTS

IT’S A WIN-WIN: WHY COMPANIES ENGAGE IN PHILANTHROPY

Whether you are a chocolate company fighting to save the rain forest that sources your cocoa or a Detroit engineering firm sponsoring local STEM programs, businesses often find that doing good is perfectly aligned with doing well.

How Philanthropy Helps Society

Supports the community and environment in which the company operates
Broadens awareness of issues relevant to the company, such as domestic violence, coral reef bleaching, or food insecurity
Puts company expertise, networks, and resources in service of the greater good

How Philanthropy Helps the Company

Enhances company brand
Supports employee recruitment, retention, skill-building, and engagement
Fosters improved relationships with customers, vendors, and suppliers
Facilitates the creation of discoveries with commercial potential by funding basic research that aligns with company interests

Foundation Source Online®

Foundation Source Online® is a secure, web-based platform for managing your corporate giving activities, including charity research, donation processing, activity tracking, and reporting. Viewing rights and permissions are customized for each staff member given access to the site, enabling you to control what they can see and do while online. This award-winning technology provides oversight and control of corporate giving activities and facilitates communication and collaboration among those involved.

KEY FEATURES

Charity Research

Database of IRS-approved public charities and all other exempt organizations
Supplemental school data from the National Center for Educational Statistics
Access to research from GuideStar® and Charity Navigator
Vetting of charities not found in the database

Online Donations

Streamlined systems to initiate and review donations
Management of multi-year commitments
Creation of “favorite charities” list for expedited giving

Customized Review and Approval Workflows

Manage donations by individuals, committees, satellite facilities, and geography
Manage donations with programmatic and/or budget restrictions
Ability to filter out categories of charitable organizations by National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities

Activity and Financial Reporting

Track receipt of donation acknowledgments
Library of standardized reports
Filters for user-defined reporting
Custom reports available

Streamlined Grants Management
Applications makes it easy for you to accept online applications from those seeking donations from your company, then organize and review those applications. It Includes:

Eligibility quizzes to pre-screen applicants against program guidelines
Customized applications with “required fields” that ensure complete submissions
Review and collaboration tools for stakeholders
Letter and email templates for notifying applicants of decisions or the need for additional information

Outcomes helps you track the impact of your charitable donations. It automates the process of collecting key performance information from nonprofits and other recipients:

How donations were spent
Recipient’s progress towards goals
Unexpected challenges
Lessons learned

Advisory Services

Private Client Advisor

Each client is supported by a Private Client Advisor, a relationship manager dedicated to your company, who is available to assist company representatives on a daily basis with our services. He/she gets to know you and your giving program inside and out. Private Client Advisors are backed by specialists with expertise in tax and legal issues, compliance, and philanthropy. They can help:

Set up and configure the Foundation Source Online® platform
Configure customized granting permissions and grant approval processes
Provide orientation and technology support for Foundation Source Online® users
Review donations and transmittal letters for accuracy
Accept correspondence on your behalf

Philanthropic Advisory Services

Our Philanthropic Advisory Services team has extensive experience in partnering with corporate foundations. Foundation Source clients have access to customized advisory services, tools and resources that enable foundations to maximize the impact and efficiency of their philanthropy.
Talk to us today to learn more.

Employee Engagement

These optional services are available through our network of preferred partners:

Employee matching
Volunteer tracking
International programs
Fundraising campaigns

WE CAN HELP YOU DEVELOP A CSR STRATEGY THAT ALIGNS WITH COMPANY BUSINESS GOALS

Adding a Corporate Foundation to Your Company’s Philanthropy

Nearly all companies engage in philanthropy as a means of giving back to the communities in which they operate. This includes financial contributions, donations of product, in-kind services, employee matching and volunteering.

However, only a fraction of these companies take advantage of the additional benefits that come from adding a corporate foundation to their philanthropic efforts. These unique and powerful advantages include:

Tax Benefits

The company can avoid capital gains taxes when land, stock, and other appreciated assets are donated to the foundation.

Expanded Philanthropic Options

Corporate foundations can engage in a wide range of charitable activities that would not be tax deductible if handled directly by the company:

International grants directly to organizations outside of the U.S.
Employer-related scholarship programs
Grants to individuals for disaster relief and economic hardship
Loans for a charitable purpose that are paid back to the foundation
Grants to for-profit entities, when they are used for a charitable purpose or to advance the work of the foundation

Consistent Giving

Staffing and overhead can be paid by the foundation and counted toward its 5% minimum distribution requirement, resulting in a reduced cost to the company.

Reduced Company Overhead

Corporate foundations are not required to collect substantiation receipts for gifts of $250 or more— a big plus for employee matching programs.

Foundation Creation

If your company is interested in establishing a corporate foundation, we can help. We typically can provide a new corporate foundation, ready for funding, in less than a week. We’ll provide the nonprofit corporate entity, bylaws, recommended governance policies and file IRS Form 1023 for recognition of exempt status.

ONLY A FRACTION OF CORPORATIONS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS THAT COME FROM ESTABLISHING THEIR OWN CORPORATE FOUNDATION

Our Clients

Why Foundation Source?

Technology

AMPLIFY YOUR IMPACT

Our tech platform was built with one thing in mind: more effective philanthropy.

MDR Tracking
Streamlined Grant Workflows
Extensive Reporting

Expertise

YOUR PARTNER IN GIVING

Let us join you on your philanthropic journey with the experience and tools you need to reach your goals.

Tax and Legal Specialists
Philanthropic Advisory
Advanced Grantmaking Support

Administration

MODERN PHILANTHROPY STARTS HERE

Our tech-enabled solutions make giving – and having a foundation – easier.

Grant and Expense Processing
Compliance Monitoring
Tax Preparation and Filing

The post Corporate Philanthropic Services appeared first on Foundation Source.

Corporate Foundations: Getting Started

FS Web — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 04:16:19 +0000

Corporate Foundation Benefits

A corporate foundation can engage in charitable activities that would not be tax deductible if handled directly by the company. These include loans for a charitable purpose that are paid back to the foundation; grants to for-profit entities when they are used for a charitable purpose or to advance the work of the foundation; scholarship programs; and even grants to individuals for disaster relief and economic hardship.
It can allow for a more consistent level of giving: building an endowment in years when company profits are high that can be tapped into during less profitable years.
The company can avoid capital gains taxes when highly appreciated assets—such as stock, land, and other appreciated property—are “gifted” to the corporate foundation.
Staffing and overhead for the foundation can be paid by the foundation, resulting in a reduced cost to the company.
When named for the company, the foundation’s charitable activities reflect positively on the company’s image. Similarly, a company with a well-known and respected name can generate greater public visibility for the foundation’s charitable activities.
The foundation’s funding guidelines can help company executives gracefully turn down inappropriate funding requests, especially from friends, customers, and employees.
Unlike donations made directly by the company, foundations are not required to collect substantiation receipts from nonprofits for gifts greater than $250. For companies with matching gift programs, or that make many small donations, this means they do not have to expend resources tracking and collecting these receipts.

Starting a Corporate Foundation Has Never Been Faster or Easier

Foundation Source will establish your corporate foundation and have it ready for funding in less than a week. Over the past decade, we’ve created over 2,000 foundations and have developed a proven and streamlined process.

Here’s what’s included:

Creation of the foundation entity (a Delaware nonprofit corporation)
Bylaws and essential governance policies
Preparation and filing of the IRS application for exempt status (Form 1023)

OUTSOURCED EXPERTISE AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO ESTABLISH AND HELP YOU MANAGE YOUR CORPORATE FOUNDATION

Simplified Foundation Management

Foundation Source provides a full suite of services to keep your corporate foundation running efficiently, effectively, and compliantly. This allows your staff to devote their time to strategy and program development, as well as the needs of running your business.

We take care of everything: state and federal filings, transaction accounting, document management, compliance monitoring, transaction processing for grant checks, transmittal letters, expenses, and fees.

You’ll also enjoy peace of mind knowing that foundation experts are keeping watch to help you avoid compliance issues that can result in financial penalties, reputational harm, and even loss of exempt status.

Below is a brief summary of our foundation management services.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT

We provide the day-to-day support all corporate foundations need to operate efficiently and compliantly. This includes transaction recordkeeping, active compliance monitoring, grant check processing, and state and federal filings. There’s no need to hire additional staff or burden existing employees with duties they aren’t trained for.

ONLINE RESOURCES

Foundation Source Online® is a secure, web-based platform for managing foundation activities, including charity research, grantmaking, reporting, viewing investment balances across all accounts, and checking your 5% minimum distribution requirement. Viewing rights and permissions are individually defined for each staff member given access to the site. It provides transparency into foundation activities and facilitates communication and collaboration among those involved.

PHILANTHROPIC ADVISORY SERVICES

We have philanthropy, tax, and legal experts to get you started and then take your foundation to the next level. Services are coordinated through a dedicated Private Client Advisor, who serves as your primary contact and gets to know you and your foundation inside and out. In addition, our Philanthropic Advisory Services team has extensive experience in partnering with corporate foundations. Foundation Source clients have access to customized advisory services, tools and resources that enable foundations to maximize the impact and efficiency of their philanthropy. Contact us today to learn more.

STREAMLINED GRANTS MANAGEMENT

Applications facilitates the grantmaking process, making it easy for your foundation to accept and review online applications while also making the process convenient for your applicants. Because applications are submitted electronically, staff can efficiently organize and manage grant requests; centrally communicate about them; review them online; and easily generate data and reports.

Outcomes helps the foundation track the impact of its charitable donations, monitor performance, and request formal reports, all from a simple web console. It automates the process of collecting key performance information from nonprofits, including how grant funds were spent, grantee’s progress towards goals, unexpected challenges, and lessons learned.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

These optional services are available through our network of preferred partners: workplace giving, volunteer tracking, international programs, fundraising campaigns, and disaster relief.

The post Corporate Foundations: Getting Started appeared first on Foundation Source.

Outcomes

FS Web — Sat, 12 Nov 2022 02:18:31 +0000

Don’t Make Decisions in the Dark

Harness the power of Outcomes and see exactly what your grants have achieved. It’s never been easier to get monitoring reports from your grantees.

Outcomes organizes and automates the process of collecting follow-up reports from your grantees, saving your foundation time and effort.

KEY FEATURES

Flag for Results: Set the timetable for your grantees’ progress reports, both financial and narrative, at the time you make the grant and then forget about it. Outcomes will take care of the entire follow-up process.

Reminders: Automated reminders go out to your grantees letting them know when their progress reports are due, so you won’t need to stay on top of them to meet their deadlines.

Submission Alerts: Email notifications alert you when your grantees have submitted their progress reports, eliminating the need for endless checking and re-checking.

Overdue Alerts: Automated notices let you and your grantees know when their report is overdue.

Cross-Cutting Review: Export results from multiple organizations to understand the collective impact of your grantees.

ADVANTAGES

Simplicity: The formerly time-intensive challenge of scheduling, receiving, and tracking grantee reports becomes effortless.

Accountability: Hold grantees accountable for agreed-upon achievements. Their proposed activities and deliverables can be easily transferred from
their original request for funding to the monitoring documents for reporting purposes.

Historical Archive: Provides an online record of each grant, from application to final report, so you can revisit past results when making future grant decisions.

At-a-Glance Comparisons: Easily do an “apples to apples” comparison across multiple grantees by asking grantees to provide their information in the same format.

“As our foundation’s grant manager, I can say that the Outcomes module of the platform has been a huge timesaver! We have been able to customize our templates to meet our unique requests to our grantees, and the ‘Flag for Results’ button has further helped to ensure that important follow-ups are not missed.”

AMELIA WHITECULTURES OF RESISTANCE NETWORK

The post Outcomes appeared first on Foundation Source.

Applications

FS Web — Sat, 12 Nov 2022 01:26:38 +0000

A Better Process

Easily accept online applications
Eliminate time spent on long-shot requests
Review applications in real time
Confirm eligibility of charities
Track every activity

Foundations can post their guidelines and funding criteria to cut down on the number of extraneous requests for funding. Because applications are submitted electronically, the foundation can efficiently organize and manage grant requests; centrally communicate about them; review them online; and easily generate data and reports.

Our secure, web-based system is available 24/7 and easily accessible from any device.

A Better User Experience

User friendly
Accessible to everyone at the same time
Information organized for your needs
Customized to your foundation

“Switching from paper files to the Applications module has drastically improved our entire grant making program. The Board members are now able to review grant applications online and make comments for others to see which has streamlined the grantmaking decisions. Potential grantees have found the online application process to be easy to navigate with the ability to upload supporting documentation. This process has made our grantmaking process, from start to finish, more efficient.”

JAY H. SANDAK, PRESIDENT/CEOTHE HERBERT & NELL SINGER FOUNDATION

The post Applications appeared first on Foundation Source.