We support private foundations and corporate foundations so that you can leave a permanent legacy in the world.
We offer turn-key solutions to start your foundation with ease. And we empower you to have the knowledge you need to run your foundation with confidence.
What is a Private Foundation?
Generally, a foundation is an organization that supports charitable activities for the common good. Foundations may work to help other organizations, institutions, or individuals for scientific, educational, cultural, religious, or other charitable purposes.
Although contributions to private foundations are tax deductible, many of these organizations do not accept donations from others. Rather, many times foundations are set up with funds given by a small group of individuals, by a families, or by a corporation.
Foundations often invest their principal funding, then distribute the income from those investments for charitable purposes. Foundations often make financial grants to others. Some foundations may operate programs.
We help you understand the various types of foundations:
- Private Operating and Non-operating Foundations
- Community Foundations
- Corporate Foundations
- Public charities that use the term “foundation” in their name
Learn more:
How to set up a professional athlete’s foundation
Difference between private foundation and public charity?
Corporate Philanthropy + Corporate Foundations
Cullinane Law Group works with for-good, for-profit businesses. We help companies that are giving back to their communities. We set up corporate giving programs that help businesses give back to the community, while engaging employees and shareholders. Work includes
- Corporate Foundations and their giving programs
- Employee disaster relief grants
- Employee matching gift programs
- Employer-sponsored funds to help employees in times of hardship (accidents, natural disasters, medical needs, emergency situations, death of a family member)
- Charitable support of certain causes through a streamlined processing of requests
- Employee scholarship funds
- Corporate matching gift programs
- Cause-related marketing, co-ventures
- Employee-assistance fund for employees experiencing a financial hardship
- Support with structuring giving programs, employee or franchise owner payroll deductions for charitable cause
- Corporate sponsorships and grants
Ready to Start a Foundation?
We offer a turn-key package for starting your foundation. Your foundation can be set up the right way…the first time. We handle it all! We:
- Determine the best corporate and tax structure for your organization
- Offer counsel on operations, board and management structure, scholarship, international giving, and more
- Draft and file Articles of Incorporation
- Draft bylaws and conflict of interest policies, as required by the IRS
- Draft IRS Exemption Application, including budgets, statement of purpose, mission statement, and description of your program activities,
- Serve as your attorney before the IRS and handle all follow-up inquiries related to your application.
We also help foundations with state franchise tax exemptions, state registrations, ongoing counsel regarding fundraising, insurance, risk management, staff matters, managing for-profit/nonprofit arrangements, and more.
We offer flat rate packages — so there are no surprises. We’re a firm helping based in Texas and we help clients nationwide.
More: What is a family foundation?
Managing Private Foundations
The Cullinane Law Group helps private foundations to establish policy development, grants management, and grants administration, so that your programs have the strongest impact. We help with:
- Donor intent, investment, and administrative policies and procedures
- Foundation’s grant-making practices
- Establishing foundation guidelines, procedures for monitoring and reporting on grants
- Contracts to ensure effective use of funds
- Issues from grants to non-traditional recipients
- Grants to individuals
- Executive compensation
- Private foundation rules and regulations
- Commercial and entrepreneurial activities, and when they may cross the line to become unrelated business income tax
- Public charity support tests and qualification
Learn more: Benefits of a Family Foundation
International Foundations
We assist with international matters, including:
- The complete start-up of “friends of” organizations;
- Foreign grant-making practices and oversight;
- Compliance with anti-terrorism and foreign asset control regulations;
- Developing international affiliates and operations.