Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers

Board Compensation: Reasonable and Necessary?
National Center for Family Philanthropy
This issue paper provides guidance on the legal regulations and board policies and considerations regarding board compensation.
http://www.ncfp.org/publications-main.html

Determining Reasonable Compensation for Foundation Directors and Trustees (PDF)
Council on Foundations
Recommendations on good practices for setting compensation for foundation board members.
http://www.cof.org/files/Documents/Governing_Boards/execcomp2003.pdf

At Issue: Voluntary or Compensatory Boards — Which Is the Better Policy? (PDF)
Council on Foundations
The briefing provides the legal basics of compensating board members for board service, a sampling of the most common practices, and a breakdown of the pros of compensated vs. voluntary board service.
http://www.cof.org/files/Documents/Governing_Boards/Board%20Briefs/BBBoardComp8.20031.pdf

Foundation Expenses and Compensation: How Operating Characteristics Influence Spending (PDF)
Urban Institute, The Foundation Center, GuideStar
This report documents the dimensions of foundation expenses and compensation and reveals that major differences in foundations’ operating styles have a great impact on their expense levels.
http://fdncenter.org/research/trends_analysis/pdf/fdn_exp_comp.pdf

Trustee Compensation for Small Foundations
Association of Small Foundations
This primer offers a framework to help a board carry out a thoughtful discussion about trustee compensation and craft a policy that fits a foundation's unique outlook and circumstances. Available for purchase.
http://www.smallfoundations.org/programs/primer_series

Megan Wentworth

Foundation Management Series: Foundation Governing Boards and Administrative Expenses in Private Foundations

Council on Foundations

"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."

http://www.cof.org/Learn/content.cfm?itemnumber=567&navItemNumber=1983

What Every Grantmaker Should Know: Board and Staff Compensation

Minnesota Council on Foundations

Part of the MCF Notes series, the December/January 2004 issue focused on Compensation.

http://www.mcf.org/publictrust/wegsk_boardcompensation.htm

Foundation Governance: The CEO Viewpoint (PDF)

The Center for Effective Philanthropy

This is the report published after the collection of survey data from the CEOs of America's 250 largest foundations.

http://www.effectivephilanthropy.org/images/pdfs/governanceceoview.pdf

Foundation Expenses and Compensation-Interim Report 2005 (PDF)

The Urban Institute

http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411195_expenses_compensation.pdf

2004-2005 Foundation Operations and Management Survey

Association of Small Foundations

A survey collected about operation and management of small foundations. A 2008-2009 report will be released later this year.

http://www.smallfoundations.org/site/pp.asp?c=fvKRI7MPJqF&b=2293137

Kate Cassidy

For Additional Resources, please see the Compensation section of the Grantmakers of Oregon and Southwest Washington website: