Ending Payout as We Know It (PDF)

Insights: Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly

"A conceptual and comparative perspective on the payout requirement for foundations." Written in 2004 by Stefan Toepler.

http://nvs.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/33/4/729

Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers

Board Briefing on Payout (PDF)
Council on Foundations
This briefing offers guidance on payout strategies for reserving foundation endowment value over time vs. spending more on current needs.
www.cof.org/files/Documents/Governing_Boards/bb1payout.pdf

Sustainable Payout for Foundations (PDF)
Council of Michigan Foundations
This study evaluated the sustainable level of payout for private foundations in light of the actual experience of a sample of Michigan private foundations with diversified portfolios.
www.cmif.org/documents/update%202004.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.
www.fdncenter.org/research/trends_analysis/pdf/fdn_exp_comp.pdf

Private Foundation Administrative Expenses Research (PDF)
Council on Foundations
An analysis of administrative expense for family and independent private foundations, broken down by asset and staff size.
www.cof.org/files/Documents/Research/FMS%2011th%20Ed/Chapter5TablesChartsFdnMgmtSeries11thEd.PDF

Interpreting Form 990-PF: Looking Beyond Foundation Administrative Expenses (PDF)
Donors Forum of Chicago
This report provides some benchmarking data on foundation administrative expenses, and demonstrates the severe limitations and pitfalls in analyzing and comparing these data.
www.donorsforum.org/forms_pdf/990PF-report.pdf

Developing a Travel Policy
Council on Foundations
Guidance on developing a policy for administrative expenses a foundation will cover for employees and directors who travel on behalf of the foundation.
www.cof.org/Content/General/Display.cfm?contentID=96

Travel and Other Expense Reimbursement Policy for Nonprofit Organizations (PDF)
Minnesota Attorney General’s Office
www.ag.state.mn.us/pdf/charities/TravelPolicy.pdf

Megan Wentworth

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