Accountability Self-Assessment Tools
For Private Foundations
These self-assessment tools 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.
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.
Questions?
For questions about this self-assessment tool, please
contact the Minnesota Council on Foundations at 612.338.1989 or
info@mcf.org.
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