Accountability Self-Assessment Tools for Private Foundations

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This is part of "Principles for Grantmakers & Practice Options for Philanthropic Organizations."

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The self-assessment tools below are designed to be a comprehensive resource to help you determine if your foundation is complying with key federal laws and regulations and is engaging in generally recommended good practices for being accountable to the public. Addressing issues of accountability is an ongoing process for an organization, and these tools are designed to help organizations with that process.

Accountability Self-Assessment Questionnaire

The Accountability Self-Assessment Questionnaire helps assess a foundation's compliance with legal issues and other accountability issues. The questionnaire comes in versions for unstaffed and staffed private foundations.

Accountability Self-Assessment Worksheet

The questionnaire is accompanied by a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to help tabulate responses. The worksheet comes in versions for unstaffed and staffed private foundations.

Legal Compliance Checklist

The Legal Compliance Checklist contains all legal requirements tracked in the Accountability Self-Assessment Questionnaire, to ensure compliance with federal law. The checklist comes in versions for unstaffed and staffed private foundations. Note: The self-assessment tools were developed for grantmakers around the nation, and are not tailored specifically to Minnesota laws governing foundations. The Practice Options for Philanthropic Organizations cover Minnesota laws as well as federal laws.

Glossary of Terms

Staffed Foundations

Unstaffed Foundations

Legal Disclaimer

None of the information in these self-assessment tools should be construed as offering legal advice. The specific advice of legal counsel is recommended before acting on any matter covered in this tool.

Acknowledgements

This self-assessment tool represents a compilation of generally accepted good practices for foundation accountability from a number of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, including the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, Council on Foundations, Independent Sector, Minnesota Council on Foundations, Donors Forum of Chicago, Council of Michigan Foundations, The Aspen Institute and the Association of Charitable Foundations (UK). The format of the self-assessment tool includes elements from an assessment tool developed by Community Foundations of Canada.