What is a "payout requirement" for a private foundation?
When the U.S. government grants a private foundation tax-exempt status, it expects the foundation to use its money to do good for society. To make sure that happens, the government requires the foundation to spend at least part of its assets each year for charitable purposes. That rule is called the payout requirement.
Foundations pay that amount in the form of qualifying distributions, most of which will be grants. Within certain limits, the administrative cost of making grants also qualifies. Generally, a private foundation must meet or exceed an annual payout requirement of five percent of the average market value of its net investment assets to avoid paying taxes.
If you're a nonprofit looking for funding, the payout requirement can help you. By knowing how much a private foundation holds in assets, you can roughly estimate how much it should pay in grants each year to meet its payout requirement. You can find that information quickly through Candid's powerful database, Foundation Directory.
Foundation Directory has comprehensive information on more than 150,000 private foundations, including foundation assets. Click here to learn more about how to use Foundation Directory and here for a handy guide.
Use Foundation Directory for free at all Candid partner locations or subscribe to use Foundation Directory anywhere. Eligible nonprofits with revenue or expenses under $1M can also gain a free year of access to Foundation Directory Essential through our Go for Gold! promotion.
You can also look at a private foundation's Form 990-PF to learn about its assets and grants paid. To learn more about Form 990-PF and where to access them, see our articles on this topic.
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Staff-recommended websites
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Nonprofit Quarterly
Foundation Payout Depends on How You Average
Have you ever wondered how foundations determine how much they can and should spend in a particular year in grants, loans, and administrative costs?
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Staff pick
IRS
Qualifying Distributions
Several articles that define qualifying distributions and how they are treated for tax purposes.
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Internal Revenue Service
Taxes on Failure to Distribute Income Private Foundations
Brief statement on excise taxes charged to private foundations that do not meet their annual payout requirements.
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Foundation Center [pdf]
Understanding and Benchmarking Foundation Payout
Report explains the concept of payout and examines payout practices and spending patterns of more than 1,000 larger U.S. independent foundations. During the period 2007-2009, 46% of endowed foundations reported payout rates in the range of 5-5.9% on avera
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National Center Family Philanthropy
What is the 5% payout rule?
A useful FAQ about the 5% payout rule with a chart showing how foundations determine the minimum requirements.