Stewardship Principles for Family Foundations

Stewardship Principles for Family Foundations

Principle
	Governance
	I.	We have a governing board that establishes the mission, guides the operations, oversees the effectiveness and ensures the ethical conduct of the foundation.
	II.	Authority is vested in the governing board as a whole, and each member is equipped to advance the foundation's mission.
	III.	We consider multiple strategies to further our mission.
	IV.	Our governing board exercises active fiscal oversight.
	Ethics and Accountability
	V.	We recognize and act upon our obligations to multiple stakeholders: the donor and the donor’s family
	VI.	We respect our nonprofit partners’ missions and expertise and strive for relationships based on candor, understanding and fairness.
	VII.	We welcome public interest and communicate openly.
	Family Legacy
	VIII.	Our governing board respects donor intent and later generations’ interests while also considering the demands of a changing world.
	IX.	We plan for family leadership continuity.

The above materials are for educational purposes only. They are not standard or model forms and should only be used as a reference in developing your own documents with advice from legal counsel where appropriate. Please read the full Terms of Use for more information.

Please note that these materials were collected prior to the passage of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 so do not necessarily reflect the recent changes in the law. As always, these documents should only be used as a reference in developing your own documents with advice from legal counsel where appropriate. For more information on the Pension Protection Act of 2006, see www.cof.org/hr4.