ASF has a reputation for being a nimble and entrepreneurial organization that delivers high-quality services, and it seeks the same in its contractors and employees. We’re also a great group of people to work with.

Full Descriptions

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E-mail Marketing Coordinator (contractor, part-time)

What is the 990-PF Tax Seminar?

The 990-PF Tax Seminar is one of few seminars that takes a close look at the Form 990-PF, the publicly available tax form for private foundations. We ask participants to bring their foundation’s 990-PF (we have sample forms on hand as well), and we dive into the form line by line and point out common mistakes preparers make.

Who should attend?

The seminar is helpful for anyone who signs or prepares the 990-PF, especially:

• Foundation staff and trustees–When you sign your foundation’s form, you attest truth and accuracy. The seminar will help you spot mistakes and be more confident in attesting to it as a public representation of your foundation.
• Accountants–Even experienced accountants can be unfamiliar the 990-PF, especially if they only complete a few 990-PFs each year. The seminar allows accountants to ask questions of CPAs with years of experience preparing the form, ensuring attendees are better equipped to prepare it without mistakes. The seminar is also accredited by NASBA, providing CPE credit.

What will I learn?

1. The most common errors made on the 990-PF—even by experienced accountants
2. The difference between self-dealing and conflicts of interest and how to avoid both
3. Things to keep in mind when making program related investments (PRIs), a great way to meet your distribution requirement in an unstable economy
4. When and how to practice expenditure responsibility
5. Why a foundation might engage in direct charitable activities and how to report them correctly on your 990-PF

Who are the presenters?

Michael Fontanello of Duffield & Otake, LLP and Christopher Petermann of O’Connor, Davies, Munns & Dobbins are our presenters. Both are CPAs with decades of experience working with nonprofit clients and preparing 990-PFs. See bios for Michael and Chris

See the full program agenda and register.

Read the review on the Foundation Center’s Nonprofit Literature Blog.

Since 2005, ASF has published a series of primers on administration, grantmaking, boards and governance, family philanthropy, impact and evaluation, and tax and legal issues for small foundations. All titles are available for purchase in our store.

Complete the survey by February 29.

For the most recent data on small foundation salaries, please see ASF’s 2012 Foundation Operations and Management Report.

Questions about ASF surveys? Contact Kathryn Petrillo-Smith, .

Read more about ASF Data and Research

The report’s summary states: “What we found was not completely surprising:  a small but important subset of grantmakers – those who work on issues ranging from human rights to environmental justice – has been disproportionately impacted by the global financial crisis and their recovery remains in jeopardy.”

Diminishing Dollars: The Impact of the 2008 Financial Crisis on the Field of Social Justice Philanthropy reveals some key findings:

• Unless the field sees five years of above average investment returns, social justice grantmaking in 2015 will remain below 2008 levels.
• Small foundations (less than $50 million in assets) will struggle the most to recover from the economic downturn.
• Nonprofit organizations seeking new funders will have a difficult time.
• Some foundations are unintentionally depleting their endowments at a very slow rate.

For starters, we’re energized by our current strategic planning process. Formally launched in October, we’ve already been engaging members, sponsors, board members, staff, and others in the philanthropic sector. The process, which we expect to complete by late spring 2012, will help focus our efforts to strengthen ASF, ultimately for your benefit.

We’ve already uncovered questions to explore, including:

• Does something unite members in addition to size?
• Is small the right word?
• Does ASF offer as much for veterans as newcomers?
• How might ASF reach members’ backyards?

Your thoughts are important, and I encourage your input. As a membership organization, it is critical that your voice is heard. Here on our website, you’ll find a page dedicated to the strategic plan, including a description of the process and a survey. I hope you’ll visit, stay informed, and offer your views. We’ll also reach out to you in other ways as the process unfolds.

In addition to the strategic plan, we’ll continue to integrate technology into our programs and services in 2012. Thanks to generous support from one of your fellow members, we’ll soon introduce an ASF blog. It will provide a forum for sharing ideas about foundations and our role in the community of givers. We’re also exploring ways to help you better understand how grantees use technology so you will be prepared to make thoughtful funding decisions.

We also recently expanded the Legislative Update page of our website to keep you informed about policy discussions that impact the philanthropic community. I invite you to participate in our monthly Legislative Update conference calls, during which we talk about developments in Congress and, when appropriate, state-level legislation.

We are also in high gear planning for the 2012 National Conference, October 7–9 in San Francisco. We recently issued a “Call for Ideas” to members and colleagues in the sector, and I look forward to seeing them come to life.

On a personal note, I’ve enjoyed meeting many of you as I travel around the country. It has been a pleasure to learn about the tremendous work you do. I also want to thank so many of you for your additional support beyond dues. Your generosity helps keep ASF vibrant.

Finally, on behalf of the staff and board, I wish you a new year filled with thoughtful grants, intentional impact, and success in all your endeavors.

All the best,

Henry Berman

“Meaningful decisions are never easy, and neither is meaningful giving,” says Berman. “It requires not just an understanding of the issues, but also of the consequences of our actions. As with our families and careers, philanthropy often involves tough choices and difficult conversations. Let’s apply the same care and diligence to our giving as we do in the rest of our lives.”

Additional insights are offered by Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

Impact 2012: What the experts say about making a difference in the new year

Read the article

The Next Generation Retreat will come to the ASF 2012 National Conference.

3 Actions Inspired by the Next Generation Retreat

“I have been inspired to effect change in our Next Generation and empower a successful and knowledgeable Junior Foundation.”
- Kristen Sheridan Purnell Young, WHH Foundation, age 26

“I plan to go back to my board and present on the retreat and become more active in our succession plan. I’m hoping to step up to different roles.” - Katie Marcus Reker, Frieda C. Fox Family Foundation, age 16

“I plan on attending more meetings and site visits as well as do my own research. I plan on being more involved and making time for the foundation.” - Derek Rutkowski, Gustafson Family Foundation

More Next Gen Resources

Sign up for the quarterly Next Gen News.

Get discounted access to the National Center for Family Philanthropy’s resources with the ASF-NCFP Affiliate Program.

Browse the ASF Family Philanthropy section.

All ASF members (primary contacts) receive one complimentary hard copy of the report..

ASF members

• Download the report for free
• Order additional hard copies for $25 each
• Download an order form
• Call us at (888) 212-9922

Non-members

• Order the report for $95 each
• Download an order form
• Call us at (888) 212-9922

Webinar

Take a close look at the new survey data during our webinar on Thusday, November 17. Register

Snapshots From the Report

• 36% of foundations surveyed said they provide compensation for routine board service and committee service. Family foundations are less likely to compensative for routine board service than independent foundations.


• Lack of asset growth or income was identified as the single most important issue facing foundations, with board/generational succession and need for greater focus/impact in grantmaking tying for second.


• The average investment return for calendar year 2010 was 11.2%.


• For each $1 in grants, foundations typically spend $0.13 in charitable operating costs.


• The two most common types of grant support are for specific programs and general operating support. 73% of foundations give specific program support, 71% provide general operating support.

Special thanks to Bernstein Global Wealth Management, our sponsor for the investment chapter of the 2011 Foundation Operations and Management Report.