Services

Our Services

Pembroke Philanthropy Advisors helps our clients clarify their philanthropic goals and values; and we work with them to strategically develop and execute a philanthropic plan, maximizing its scope and impact. Click on each service to learn more.

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Philanthropic Advising

Foundation Management

Family Philanthropy

Philanthropic Advising

Advisory services range from helping a donor identify charitable interests and philanthropic goals to preparing a comprehensive plan for foundation operations to succession planning. Pembroke will organize the initial framework of a donor’s charitable vehicle, including the design of its mission, structure, policies, funding priorities, and grant guidelines.

We help donors prioritize philanthropic fields of interest, types of programs, and recipient populations, and also independently assess proposals and funding requests. We keep donors apprised of collaborative funding opportunities and special initiatives within an area of interest. And we can recommend ways to better integrate their investments with their philanthropic priorities through mission related investing opportunities.

Consulting to Advisors
Pembroke works with investment advisors, estate attorneys, financial planners and accountants to help create philanthropic practices for their clients. Our expertise and specialty service allow us to provide these trusted advisors with a crucial resource and a key way to add value to their clients with no competitive conflicts of interest.

Foundation Management

Our foundation management services offer a cost-effective solution for new or established foundations seeking the benefits of professional foundation management without the complications or expense of establishing and staffing an office. The board maintains full control, but is relieved of the demands of the daily operations.

We manage all aspects of a private foundation’s day-to-day operations, including:

  • Grant Making Services
  • Developing foundations’ operating budget, grant making budget, cycle and process
  • Evaluating and reviewing grant applications
  • Performing due diligence and conducting site visits
  • Acting as liaison between the donor and non-profit organizations
  • Preparing recommendations for funding for foundation trustees
  • Recommending investments in mission-related projects inline with the foundation’s mission
  • Administrative Services
  • Preparing and distributing meeting minutes
  • Handling all correspondence with applicants and grantees
  • Preparing and distributing external communications materials
  • Maintaining a database of applications and grants
  • Preparing year end reports on grants
  • Monitoring and evaluating reports from grantees
  • Coordinating foundation Board meetings
  • Bookkeeping, bill paying, and invoicing
  • Generating grant checks
  • Preparing materials for the foundation’s audit and Form 990 PF tax return, including lists of grants and disbursements made during the year
  • Working with the foundation’s legal and tax advisors to assure timely reporting and to keep in full compliance with federal and state regulations

Family Philanthropy

Pembroke helps families leave a legacy through charitable giving. Through philanthropy, family values such as a spirit of giving and community involvement are passed on to future generations. We help our clients maximize the important roles that the entire family can play when it comes to philanthropy. We enable family engagement with services such as family meeting facilitation, involvement of the second and third generations in charitable activities, and stewardship training for younger family members and trustees.

Next Generation Leadership Training
The next generations of philanthropists, who fit into the “X” (born 1964-1980) or “Y/Millennial” (born 1981-2000) generations, will become the major donors of the future. We specialize in working with these younger generations to help them to understand their family’s giving mission and to prepare them to take on the family’s philanthropic responsibilities in the future. We also facilitate multigenerational discussions about charitable giving plans and priorities to ensure a continuity of values and to teach financial stewardship.

Frequently Asked Questions

I know I want to make an impact with my charitable giving, but I’m not sure where to start. How can Pembroke help me?

We can help you articulate your philanthropic mission based upon your interests and values. Then, we can help you identify your charitable giving goals and objectives. From there, we can help you develop a plan for your giving.

Can Pembroke help get my children involved in philanthropy?

Yes. We can do this in a number of ways. For example, we can help your children discover their charitable interests through a specific process; we can train the second and third generations in stewardship and governance; and we can identify philanthropic interests, approaches, and interests that cut across generational lines.

Our foundation is just getting started. Will Pembroke help us get organized?

Yes. Organizing and defining your new foundation properly is essential. Pembroke can provide consulting services on a short term basis to guide you through the start-up process.

Will Pembroke do the back office foundation management work once we get set up?

Yes. Pembroke staff will handle the filing and database management, phone calls, grant letters, denials and other correspondence, grant checks, and more. We can manage all of the administrative work for your foundation.

Will Pembroke visit potential grant recipients and recommend organizations to support?

Yes, we do site visits, proposal evaluation, and recommend grants.

Can Pembroke help extend social impact beyond grant making?

Yes, for donors who wish to promote impact beyond grantmaking, we consult on mission-related investment opportunities.

Does Pembroke provide asset management?

No. Pembroke does not manage money. But we work closely with our clients’ asset managers, and we can help them develop investment and spending policies for clients’ foundations.

How does Pembroke charge for its services?

Our fee structure is based upon the individual requirements of each client. Advising services are charged on an hourly rate. Larger projects are charged on an agreed upon project fee. Foundation management services are charged as a percentage of the grant making budget, taking into consideration the foundation’s level of activity. Once the fee is agreed upon by both parties, we will tie that fee to a cost-of-living index.

Is Pembroke beholden to specific charities?

No. We work for the donor. We seek the best charitable investments for our donors based on research, site visits, and our clients’ interests.

Can’t my attorney or accountant handle my philanthropic needs?

We work with your trusted advisors to fulfill your philanthropic goals. While your attorney and accountant have important roles to play, we have specific training in program development, grant making, and foundation management.