This guidance addresses the issue of "tipping" for grantmakers, emphasizing the calculation of the public support test and the importance of avoiding "tipping" grantees. In the nonprofit sector, "tipping" occurs when a corporation, private foundation or major donor makes a substantial gift or grant that jeopardizes a nonprofit's public charity status. This situation is most common for very small or young nonprofits, or when there are outsized grants – whether one-time or spread over multiple years – in relation to the nonprofit's overall size.
This resource provides an overview of community foundation fundamentals, highlighting essential activities and key regulated areas that foundation staff and board members need to understand. The guide covers legal considerations, tax implications, financial management, fund operations, grantmaking processes, fundraising strategies, gift acceptance policies, charitable gaming, board policies and procedures and human resources for community foundation staff and trustees.
