Tag: family foundation

Conference Call: 10 Precautions for Protecting the Benefits of Your Private Foundation

Interested in protecting your estate and maximizing the impact of your charitable giving? Then establishing a Private Foundation is worth your consideration.

A Private Foundation provides the ability to retain control over the administration and investment of assets that have been recognized as important for future grant-making. By making gifts from your Foundation to charities in increments over time, you can extend your influence over the ongoing use of your gifts.

While there are many advantages of Private Foundations, there are also often-overlooked pitfalls (see below), which McManus & Associates Founding Principal John O. McManus recently discussed with clients, as part of the firm’s educational focus series. To listen, click here:

 

1. Using care when compensating family members through the foundation
2. Beware the penalties for self dealing
3. How to address office sharing with family offices
4. Promptly addressing misuse of foundation funds or income
5. Why you should avoid legally binding pledges
6. How to protect the founder’s mission
7. When to seek legal advice
8. How to exercise expenditure responsibly
9. Identifying any benefits from joint investments or co-ownership
10. Using caution with ticketing and fundraising events.

For guidance on the creation or management of a Private Foundation, contact McManus & Associates at 908-898-0100.

The New York Times Highlights John O. McManus as Trusted Philanthropic Advisor

This week, The New York Times published the story, “Want to Help? Do Your Research Before You Donate,” which highlights John O. McManus as a trusted philanthropic advisor. As noted by the article, John recently challenged the firm’s foundation clients to think beyond the borders of their typical charitable intent and to consider a new initiative: the needs of those suffering in the most recent natural disasters. From the article:

Dr. Granowitz was on a business trip when the hurricane struck. He watched on television the images of devastation. The day he returned home, he got a call from John O. McManus, a lawyer who advises Dr. Granowitz on philanthropic giving through his family foundation.

“He said, ‘What are you doing about charity relief in Puerto Rico?’” said Dr. Granowitz, who is chief medical officer for a major pharmaceutical corporation. “I said, ‘Frankly, John, nothing yet.’ He said, ‘Well, get off the stick and do something!’”

This client worked with McManus & Associates to combine his own philanthropic mission with the immediate need of the people of Puerto Rico. In the story, The Times follows the charitable gift from its source to the distribution warehouse in San Juan.

Two key pieces:

  • In times of need, please think beyond your typical charitable beneficiaries. From The New York Times article:

Mr. McManus said the focus of his clients’ charitable giving includes organizations affiliated with the nursing profession and those that serve older people.

  • Take time to research these gift initiatives to ensure that your new charitable investments provide the “hoped for” yield. Also from the story:

Communicating directly with donors, showing the effect their dollars have had, is more than just a way to verify that the recipients have used the money. “We’ve found that people want to meet someone with the organization, and they want to hear the stories, the so-called ‘mission moments’ which give examples of their work,” Mr. McManus said.

McManus & Associates would love to help you think through your family foundation’s strategy, or if you are now ready to establish a family foundation, we are here to guide you through its creation.

Most importantly, if we can assist you to refine your own relief effort in the recently devastated areas of Houston, Puerto Rico, Northern California, Mexico City, or the tragedies in Las Vegas, New York City, or the First Baptist Church in Texas, please contact McManus & Associates at 908-898-0100; we’re happy to make the process easier.