What are National Standards and why do they matter?

Our number one goal at Nebraska Community Foundation is helping communities realize their dreams. Our staff comes to work every day eager to empower local leaders to unleash local abundance, connect ambitious people, and inspire charitable giving.

Nebraska Community Foundation is confirmed in compliance with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations as established by the Council on Foundations. This means that NCF meets the nation’s highest philanthropic standards for operational excellence, integrity, and accountability. When donors ask about NCF’s financial management, investment, and grantmaking practices, you can say with confidence that they meet the very highest benchmarks and most stringent requirements.

The National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations program requires community foundations to diligently document their policies for donor services, investments, grantmaking, and administration. With over 500 community foundations accredited nationwide, the program is designed to provide quality assurance to donors, as well as to their legal and financial advisors.

Here’s what it means for NCF affiliated funds:

The NCF network is accountable

NCF must pass reviews every three years to ensure we continue to meet the rigorous National Standards requirements. NCF’s accreditation means you can go about your work worry-free, knowing your efforts are backed by a distinguished community foundation that continually demonstrates a commitment to transparency, quality, integrity, and accountability.

Donors can feel confident their wishes are being honored

At NCF, honoring donor intent is of the highest priority, not to mention, a requirement for compliance with National Standards. When someone decides to support their local community-based affiliated fund or another NCF affiliated fund close to their heart, they can be assured their gift will be used toward the causes they champion. It also means you can trust that all donations to your fund will be used for qualified charitable purposes.

Volunteers can focus on making an impact

The Internal Revenue Code and related tax rules are complex and ever-changing. NCF’s accreditation means our operations team has the experience and expertise necessary to navigate tax rules for charitable organizations leaving you time to get out in your community and maximize your fund’s impact.

Our role at NCF is to make achieving your dreams easier, and accreditation lets you know we’ve taken the necessary steps to keep our house in order. You can learn more about National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations and the Council on Foundations here.

 

 

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