Private and community foundations remain steadfast in their commitment to help the people, issues and causes about which they are most passionate.

The world of philanthropy continues to thrive as foundations identify new giving opportunities and develop innovative programs and services to support them. This requires a highly unique and specialized workforce, however, and organizations are seeking guidance on how to develop and elevate their talent management strategies.

SullivanCotter works closely with foundations to provide the insight and information needed to help attract, develop and retain the market’s top talent. Our industry-leading compensation, benefits and governance advisory services in the not-for-profit sector allow us to work closely with boards and executives to deliver customized strategies and programs to help align strategy with mission-based objectives.

Our foundation services include:

Executive Compensation and Governance
  • Designing, evaluating and implementing executive total compensation programs
  • Selecting appropriate and defensible peer groups for compensation benchmarking
  • Determining and documenting reasonableness of compensation programs to help ensure compliance with federal and state regulations
  • Developing incoming and outgoing executive compensation and benefits packages
  • Issuing reasonableness compensation opinions
Employee Compensation
  • Designing competitive cash compensation programs, including salary and incentive programs
  • Developing salary administration strategies, including salary structure design and evaluation
  • Analyzing programs for external competitiveness and internal equity
Board Compensation and Governance
  • Educating board on best practices and regulatory requirements
  • Designing, evaluating and implementing board compensation programs

Foundation HR Alliance

The Foundation HR Alliance Summit brings together leaders from foundations across the country to network, learn and share.

Created and managed by SullivanCotter, the Foundation HR Alliance is a forum for private and community foundations to network, connect and have ongoing dialogue around talent and culture issues of greatest importance.


This year’s Summit will take place on May 3-5 in Sausalito, CA.

Session topics include insight into:

  • Pay Transparency
  • Key Trends in Philanthropy
  • Recruitment and Onboarding
  • CEO Panel on the Future of People
  • Staff Relations
  • Development and Advancement

View this year’s agenda >

To learn more about the Summit, contact NanciHibschman@sullivancotter.com.

Recruit, engage and retain top talent for your foundation.

Contact SullivanCotter

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