DONOR SERVICES
The HEMENWAY &BARNES Donor Services Office (DSO) is a fully integrated
complement to the array of legal, fiduciary and advisory services offered by
the firm to individuals and families. We support, assist and advise clients
in achieving their philanthropic goals, helping them to reach a new level of
both impact and satisfaction in their giving. Clients interested in
establishing a charitable trust or foundation or in increasing the impact of
their individual contributions in one or more areas of personal interest,
turn to the professionals in the DSO to help them achieve their goals. The
addition of dedicated, professional philanthropic services to the scope and
quality of the firm's existing fiduciary and legal practice reflects the
firm's commitment to responding to the full range of its clients' needs and
interests.
The DSO's largest client is the Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust. A
HEMENWAY &BARNES trust client since the Trust's inception in 1983, it is one
of New England's largest charitable funds, with annual grantmaking in excess
of $3 million. In addition to its work with the Cox Trust, the DSO provides
a broad array of services to meet the goals and needs of other clients.
CLIENTS OF THE DONOR SERVICES OFFICE
Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust
The Rutland Corner Foundation
Fund for Nonprofits
Mary W.B. Curtis Trust
DSO STAFF
Katherine S. McHugh,Director
Rachel L. Pohl,Associate Director
Gioia C. Perugini,Program Officer
Susan M. Fish, Grants Administrator
DSO SERVICES
Program Development
Strategic Planning
Consulting and Advice
Research and Evaluation
Trustee Capacity-Building
Administrative Support
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
DSO staff members work with donors interested in exploring a new field or
area of interest to help them develop giving programs that are consistent
with the donor's interests and appropriate to the size of their giving
budget. Considerations in developing programs might include some or all of
the following:
- a survey of the public policies that impact a particular area
- an assessment of existing needs and available services
- the extent and nature of other public and private resources available to meet the need,
including any gaps in resources
- the size and capacity of the organizations currently working in the field, and
- an assessment of strategic opportunities for impact from new philanthropic investment.
In addition to individually tailored programs, the DSO will, from time to
time, highlight innovative philanthropic investment or collaborative
opportunities for interested clients and others.
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STRATEGIC PLANNING
DSO services include planning for the anticipated growth of charitable
assets, family succession and the involvement of next generation family
members in philanthropic enterprise. Our planning services also include
helping families, foundations or corporate giving programs identify goals,
define their mission and develop philanthropic strategies to achieve those
goals.
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CONSULTING AND ADVICE
In addition to planning and program development, the DSO assists clients
in increasing the effectiveness or impact of their giving. We provide
in-depth assessment of the strength of a particular organization of interest
to a donor, including the quality of its leadership, its position and
reputation in its own field of enterprise and the quality of the program
for which support is sought. In addition, we are able to introduce donors
to new organizations, challenges and exciting new work in charitable fields
of interest. Occasionally, we pool resources with like-minded donors in
charitable collaborations or partnerships that increase the impact of their
giving.
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RESEARCH AND EVALUATION
Using our own staff and consultants as appropriate, the DSO conducts
research and evaluates a broad range of activities. We may simply check
the current status of a nonprofit organization on behalf of a donor - either
openly or anonymously - or we might assess the impact of a donor's giving
on an organization or field. At the other end of the range might be a
commissioned research study of an entire field, or of the impact of a past
or proposed change in public policy on a particular population or field.
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TRUSTEE CAPACITY-BUILDING
To help donors hone their own skills, we offer short and manageable
opportunities for them to learn more about their legal and other
responsibilities as donors, the craft of making effective gifts, key
factors in assessing the financial strength of an organization, and where
to turn for more information about a field or a specific organization. In
addition, we can help trustees understand and anticipate governance issues
in foundation management and develop their own capacity to lead and manage
their foundations.
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ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
Many donors who actively manage their own charitable giving still find
the DSO's administrative services useful and effective. We can act as a
buffer or intermediary between donors and grantseekers, receiving and
processing requests for funds, handling the sometimes uncomfortable
rejection of requests, processing and maintaining grant records and/or
following up on gifts previously made. This type of support frees the
donor to focus on the satisfying and exciting work of identifying and
selecting the objects of his or her charitable interest, without
distraction.
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