What We Do

FMS manages all of our clients’ administrative and grant making activities.

• Strategic Planning: We can assist in developing a comprehensive grantmaking strategy that considers the donor’s values, goals, and long-term vision and current community needs. This works involves interviewing Board members, surveying grantees and conducting stakeholder interviews to help inform the grantmaking strategy.
• Start-up Support: New foundations can rely on us to help articulate a mission and vision, establish grantmaking programs and application guidelines, develop a governance structure and operating procedures, and create and implement a communications strategy.
• Grants Management and Administrative Servies: We help clients assess database needs, maintain a grants management software system, establish online grant application and reporting processes, manage inquiries from grant seekers, develop administrative budgets and perform bookkeeping tasks, plan and staff board meetings, and administer grant disbursement.
• Responsive Grantmaking Expertise: Our staff reviews all grant applications and conducts thorough due diligence and research, provides complete analysis, meets with grantseekers and conducts site visits, conducts port-grant monitoring and follow up, and manages relationships with grantees.
• Proactive Grantmaking Support: We work with clients interested in targeting specific issues by researching and identifying non-profit organizations and programs, and inviting them to apply for funding. Staff proactively engages with experts in the community and system actors to understand the investment opportunities. We develop and implement mechanisms for evaluating proactive grants.
• Special initiatives: FMS assists clients with designing and facilitating retreats, organizing family meetings, coordinating events, and sponsoring speakers. They facilitate discussions to help donors clarify their values, priorities, and goals, ensuring a thoughtful and intentional approach to philanthropy.
• Connecting with Experts: Our staff coordinates with other professional advisors, such as investment, banking, accounting and legal advisors to ensure compliance with legal and tax requirements and to support grant disbursement.
• Communications Support: We create and implement a communications strategy for our clients. This includes managing content on websites, updating printed or digital materials, and overseeing mass email messaging.
• Navigating the Community Landscape: FMS staff serve as client representatives at community events and funder meetings. We keep clients informed about community initiatives, nonprofit needs, fields of funding interest and philanthropic trends.