Private Foundation Service
Foundation Management Retainer
Scalable operational support for your private foundation. From compliance monitoring to full-service foundation management — we build the infrastructure and stay involved at whatever level you need.
Starting at $1,500/month
Month-to-month terms. Custom-scoped to your foundation. Cancel anytime.
What We Can Do for Your Foundation
Every retainer is scoped to your needs. Here's the full range of services we provide — pick what matters to your foundation.
Governance & Compliance
The operational backbone. Compliance monitoring, board meeting prep, 990-PF review support, policy maintenance, and deadline tracking.
- Compliance calendar and deadline monitoring
- Board meeting preparation (agendas, materials, governance guidance)
- Annual 990-PF review support and filing coordination
- Policy review and maintenance
- Coordination with legal, accounting, and investment advisors
Grants Management & Administration
Systems and processes for running a grantmaking program — from application intake to disbursement and reporting.
- Grants management system assessment and maintenance
- Grant application and reporting process management
- Grant seeker inquiry management
- Grant disbursement administration
- Administrative budgeting and bookkeeping support
Responsive Grantmaking
Hands-on support for reviewing, evaluating, and monitoring grants your foundation receives applications for.
- Grant application review and due diligence
- Grantee research and analysis
- Grantee meetings and site visit coordination
- Post-grant monitoring and follow-up
- Grantee relationship management
Proactive Grantmaking
For foundations that want to target specific issues rather than waiting for applications.
- Research and identification of aligned organizations and programs
- Community engagement and expert consultation
- Proactive grant invitation and outreach
- Grant evaluation framework development
- Impact measurement and reporting
Strategic Planning
Developing and refining your foundation's grantmaking strategy, mission alignment, and long-term vision.
- Grantmaking strategy development
- Board member interviews and stakeholder engagement
- Grantee surveys and needs assessment
- Values and priorities clarification
- Long-term vision and program design
Communications & Community
Managing how your foundation communicates with the world — from website content to community presence.
- Communications strategy development and implementation
- Website content management
- Print and digital materials
- Community event representation
- Funder meeting participation and philanthropic trend monitoring
Special Initiatives & Entity Development
Strategic projects that go beyond day-to-day operations — from retreats and family meetings to creating new nonprofit entities that extend your foundation's mission.
- New nonprofit entity creation and formation support
- Multi-entity governance architecture and coordination
- Retreat design and facilitation
- Family meeting coordination and next-generation engagement
- Event planning, speaker coordination, and special projects
Choose Your Level of Support
These tiers are starting points — every retainer is custom-scoped based on your foundation's actual needs and complexity.
Essentials
$1,500/month
Operational backbone for foundations that need steady governance and compliance support.
- ✓Governance & compliance monitoring
- ✓Monthly check-in call
- ✓Board meeting prep (quarterly)
- ✓990-PF review support (annual)
- ✓Email support between calls
Best for: Foundations with straightforward operations that need someone keeping things on track.
Growth
$3,000/month
Full operational support plus grants management and strategic guidance.
- ✓Everything in Essentials
- ✓Grants management and administration
- ✓Responsive grantmaking support
- ✓Strategic planning guidance
- ✓Advisor coordination (legal, accounting, investment)
Best for: Foundations with active grantmaking programs that need hands-on operational management.
Full Management
$5,000+/month
Comprehensive foundation management — we become your operational team. Scales for multi-entity foundations.
- ✓Everything in Growth
- ✓Proactive grantmaking support
- ✓Communications and community presence
- ✓Special initiatives, entity development, and strategic projects
- ✓Extended availability and priority support
Best for: Foundations that want a full operational partner — including those managing or creating operating entities.
Not sure which tier fits? Book a free consultation and we'll scope it together.
Why Foundations Use This Model
Most private foundations don't need a full-time operations hire — but they need more than occasional advice. The retainer gives you a dedicated operational partner who understands your foundation, knows what's coming up, and handles the work that keeps things running.
We sit between your attorney, your accountant, and your investment advisor — coordinating with all of them while managing the day-to-day operational and governance work that none of them do.
Full-time foundation staff
$60,000–$100,000+/yr
Attorney on retainer
$30,000–$60,000+/yr
Wylie Advisory retainer
$18,000–$60,000+/yr
Scales with your needs. Administrative costs typically count toward your 5% distribution requirement.
When the Retainer Makes Sense
You don't have dedicated foundation staff and need someone managing operations.
You just completed a transition and need someone ensuring new processes stick.
Your grantmaking program is growing and you need hands-on management support.
You want peace of mind that nothing is falling through the cracks.
Your foundation is creating or managing operating entities and you need someone coordinating governance across the full ecosystem.
When It's Not the Right Fit
You only have occasional questions → Advisory Calls ($275/hr)
You need a one-time assessment → Governance Review ($2,000)
You're inheriting a foundation and need the full transition → Transition Navigator ($7,500)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you determine which tier is right for us?
We start with a free consultation to understand your foundation's operations, grantmaking activity, and what's taking up your time. The tiers are starting points — every retainer is scoped to your actual needs. Some foundations fall neatly into a tier. Others need a custom mix.
What's the difference between Advisory Calls and the Retainer?
Advisory Calls ($275/hr) are for specific, one-off questions — you book when you need guidance. The Retainer is for foundations that want an ongoing operational partner who's proactively managing things, not just answering questions. If you consistently need more than 5 hours per month of support, the Retainer is more cost-effective and more comprehensive.
Can I change tiers?
Yes. As your foundation's needs evolve, we can scale up or down. Many clients start with Essentials after a Transition Navigator engagement and move to Growth as their grantmaking program matures.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Month-to-month terms, no long-term contract. If you need to pause or stop, just let us know.
Does the retainer cover 990-PF preparation?
We coordinate and support the process — reviewing drafts, flagging issues, making sure it's accurate and compliant. The actual preparation and filing is handled by your accountant or tax professional. We make sure everyone is on the same page.
Is this better than hiring staff?
Different situation, different answer. A full-time foundation operations hire costs $60,000–$100,000+ with benefits. Our retainers start at $18,000/year. For foundations that don't need a full-time person but need more than occasional advisory calls, this is the sweet spot.
What does 'Full Management' actually look like day-to-day?
At the Full Management level, we function as your operations team. We're managing your grants pipeline, prepping board meetings, handling grantee communications, monitoring compliance, representing the foundation at community events, and keeping you informed. You focus on the mission and the decisions — we handle the infrastructure.
Can the retainer be paid from foundation funds?
Yes. Reasonable administrative expenses for a foundation's charitable operations are qualifying distributions under IRS rules — they count toward your 5% annual payout requirement. Since the retainer covers governance, compliance, and grantmaking support, most or all of the cost typically qualifies. Your accountant can confirm the exact allocation.
What if our foundation wants to create new nonprofit entities?
This is more common than people think — foundations often create operating entities for liability protection, to run specific programs, or to seed new community-based organizations. We handle entity formation, governance design, and cross-entity coordination as strategic project work alongside the retainer. The project fees are scoped separately based on complexity (a straightforward public charity is different from a California membership corporation with statutory voting rights). Once the entities are operational, we manage the full ecosystem — multiple compliance calendars, coordinated board meetings, inter-entity grant administration.
Can you manage multiple entities under one retainer?
Yes. Full Management retainers scale to accommodate foundations with operating subsidiaries, affiliated nonprofits, or multi-entity structures. The monthly fee reflects the actual scope — more entities and more complexity means a higher retainer, but it's still significantly less than hiring separate staff for each organization. We coordinate governance, compliance, and operations across all entities as a single integrated engagement.
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Book a free consultation. We'll learn about your foundation, understand what's taking up your time, and recommend the right level of support.
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