May 16, 2002 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Guide to Small Foundation Management: From Groundwork to Grantmaking
by Elaine C. Gast
This book is designed to show how to run a small foundation, and includes a range of advice and instructions on tasks like creating a mission statement, finding office space, filing records, recruiting staff members, and communicating with the public.
Small foundations have a need for special tools in their work, writes Dorothy S. Ridings, chief executive officer of the Council on Foundations, in the book’s preface. Ms. Gast, a staff member of the Council on Foundations, attempts to show what is available, listing reference books and helpful Internet sites, and providing a directory of services and a glossary of terms.
Ms. Gast, who says she considers small foundations to be those with less than $10-million in assets, supports each topic with tables, worksheets, and examples. For instance, in a chapter on managing grants, the book discusses types of grants and grant guidelines and gives an example of what a foundation might include in its guidelines, as well as a sample grant application form. A chapter on managing investments includes a glossary of investment terms, a list of contacts, and publications for further reading on the topic.
Designed for the primary administrator of a small foundation, the book contains in each chapter supporting sample documents such as mission statements, bylaws, a cash-flow sheet, a chart showing a schedule of administrative expenses, and minutes of a board meeting.
Publisher: Council on Foundations, 1828 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-5168; (202) 466-6512; fax (202) 785-3926; http://www.cof.org; 167 pages; $30 for council members, $60 for nonmembers.
