January 10, 2002 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Legal Answer Book for Private Foundations
by Jody Blazek and Bruce R. Hopkins
The complex regulations that govern foundations have prompted many donors to choose easier ways to give their money to charity, note the authors of this book, who say they hope that clarifying the rules will help philanthropists — and future generations of their families — to enjoy the rewards that come from creating and operating a foundation.
The first chapter of The Legal Answer Book for Private Foundations provides definitions of relevant legal terms and provides other basic information. Subsequent chapters include more-detailed information on regulations such as those that prohibit donors and others from reaping undue financial gains from their foundations, finances (including federal requirements for the amount spent each year on charitable purposes and investments), taxes and tax returns, disclosure, grant making, and the process of terminating a foundation.
Final sections turn to topics such as the different types of foundations, alternatives to private foundations, the tax-exemption process, and the deductibility of charitable contributions. Endnotes point readers to specific regulations in the Internal Revenue Code that correspond to each answer in the book.
Jody Blazek is a partner at Blazek & Vetterling, an accounting company in Houston, and Bruce R. Hopkins is a lawyer in Kansas City, Mo.
The Legal Answer Book for Private Foundations is the fifth in the Wiley Legal Answer Books series.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 1 Wiley Drive, Somerset, N.J. 08875; (800) 225-5945; fax (800) 597-3299; http://www.wiley.com; 352 pages; $65; I.S.B.N. 0-471-40579-5.
