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Board meeting presentation for small annual grants, fundraisers and memberships
LisaBoxWilliams
Posts: 32 ✭✭✭
I am seeking suggestions on board meeting presentation of hundreds of small annual grants rather than just going down a list. I have now added categories and I am dividing them by time of year paid which helps make the long list visually not as terrible.
Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to present the information?
Lisa@goldringfoundation.com
504-849-6078
1
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We provide our board a quarterly listing of all approved grants, with a one-page summary by category of grant (separated by DAF/CAF grants and Program grants). And we also include the full alphabetical listing of grants for the year, by grantee, # of grants and total $ of grants.
I've attached a sample of the cover sheet; this one was a different date than normal just due to the timing of the board meeting. I did not include our full listing of grants, but it sounds like you already do something similar.
Our board allows for staff approval of grants recommended by donors that are under $5k with the staff ensuring the board-approved due diligence process is completed for each non-profit. We provide an update to the board on the activity for all funds we manage.
For competitive and discretionary grants such as those made with our Emergency Response Fund for COVID relief, we provide a presentation (without specific grant awards) on our methodology/process or framework for grant determinations at least a week prior to the board meeting. The presentation is reviewed at the meeting, the board asks questions about it (if they have any), and a detailed list of proposed grants is presented. At that time, the board members can ask questions about the individual grant recommendations and abstain if a potential conflict exists. A vote is taken on the "slate" of proposed grants and those board members who have recused themselves from voting on individual grants are noted for the minutes. We do occasionally have some individual grants pulled out of the list presented for further discussion or due diligence. In that case, the board still approves the slate with those not voted on (and why they were not voted on) clearly stated in the minutes.
If they are standing grants throughout the year, couldn't you develop a process where the board approves the standing grant and then it is simply processed by staff each year under prior approval by your board until the donor recommendation changes or the nonprofit does not make it through the due diligence process at the time of payment (ie: their 501c3 was revoked)?
Kathy, Thanks for the details, very helpful. For standing grants throughout the year, this is exactly what I am trying to do...simplify the standing grants process. Capture the donor recommended changes = go through the entire list at the meeting as of now. This is what I am looking for ideas on how to change this process.
Ultimately getting the board out of the minutia of tiny grants and thinking bigger picture. It is a family foundation so this is a part of working with a family that is so different from community foundations.
Does anyone use something prior to the board meetings for the trustees to approve and then just include decisions already made in the board book?
Lisa@goldringfoundation.com
504-849-6078