What We Do

Thoughtful grantmaking starts with good information.

We manage the grantmaking process from initial inquiry through final reporting, creating an experience that works well for both foundation board members and nonprofit partners.

Services may include managing grant applications and processes; communicating with applicants and grantees; reviewing proposals, financial statements, audits, and tax filings; conducting site visits and nonprofit meetings; preparing written grant evaluations and recommendations; coordinating award and decline communications; tracking grant payments; and monitoring reports and outcomes.

Our goal isn't simply to process grants. It is to help board members understand the organizations they support, make informed decisions, identify meaningful opportunities, and learn from their giving over time.

Just as importantly, we believe nonprofits deserve a grantmaking process that is clear, respectful, and proportionate to the funding being considered.

We handle the details that keep your foundation moving.

Effective philanthropy requires strong infrastructure. Clear Foundation Management manages the administrative work that can otherwise consume a board's time and attention.

Depending on your foundation's needs, we can coordinate correspondence and recordkeeping, maintain grant and governance files, track payments and commitments, manage annual calendars and deadlines, coordinate with outside advisors, prepare reports, organize site visits, maintain policies and procedures, and oversee the many day-to-day responsibilities involved in operating a private foundation.

Think of us as your outsourced foundation office: professional support when you need it, without the expense and responsibility of building a full internal staff.

Better meetings. Better decisions. Stronger foundations.

Board meetings should be an opportunity to discuss priorities, learn, make thoughtful decisions, and engage family members—not spend valuable time sorting through administrative details.

We manage the work before, during, and after each meeting, including developing agendas, preparing board materials, coordinating logistics, documenting minutes and decisions, maintaining governance records, and following through on action items.

We can also help boards establish and maintain policies, clarify roles and responsibilities, develop annual calendars, strengthen governance practices, and introduce education and discussion topics that support effective trusteeship.

For family foundations, this work often extends beyond governance. We help create an environment where multiple generations can participate meaningfully and where a family's philanthropic legacy can evolve without losing sight of the values that inspired it.

Confidence that the details are covered.

Private foundations operate within a specialized regulatory environment. While attorneys, accountants, and investment advisors each play important roles, someone needs to ensure the pieces work together.

Clear Foundation Management serves as a central point of coordination among your board and professional advisors.

We maintain organized records, monitor grantmaking and payout requirements, coordinate required governance documentation, support audit and tax-return preparation, track deadlines, and work with your foundation's legal and accounting professionals when specialized guidance is needed.

We don't replace your attorney, CPA, or investment advisor. We help make sure everyone has the information they need and that important responsibilities don't fall through the cracks.

Carry your values forward.

A family foundation can be more than a vehicle for charitable giving. It can provide a place for generations to come together, learn from one another, and put shared values into practice.

We help families create thoughtful opportunities for participation at every stage—from introducing younger family members to philanthropy to preparing future trustees for greater responsibility.

That might include next-generation grantmaking, family learning sessions, site visits, trustee education, values and mission conversations, or simply creating space for meaningful discussions about why the family gives.

There is no single model for successful family philanthropy. We help families build an approach that feels authentic to them.