20th Annual CASE Conference for Institutionally Related Foundations

CPE Session Information

Accountants can earn up to 12.0 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits at the 20th Annual CASE Conference for Institutionally Related Foundations, April 18-20, 2012 at the Fairmont Chicago Hotel. Course Level: Group-Live; no prerequisites or advance preparation is required. Only individuals registered for the conference can attend CPE sessions and earn CPE credit. For each CPE credit session, conference attendees must sign-in and remain for the entirety of the session to earn credit.

The following is a list of CPE credit sessions offered at the conference:

Day 1, Wednesday, April 18

 

Welcome and Keynote Address

8:00-9:30 AM

A noted expert on higher education, Robert Berdahl will share his insights and thoughts on how institutionally related foundations can best support their institutions.

Learning Objectives

• Examine some of the trends facing higher education
• Learn how foundations are playing an increasingly important role in public higher education
• Hear from a higher education leader who has worked at three different public institutions with different foundation structures
• Learn how the University of Oregon Foundation and foundation board has approached legislative advocacy.

CPE Credit: Conference attendees can earn up to 1.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level: Basic

Presenter: Robert Berdahl, Interim President, University of Oregon, Chancellor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley, President Emeritus, University of Texas-Austin and former President, Association of American Universities

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Compliance Issues of Related Organizations

9:45-11:00

Does your organization often have difficulty accumulating and presenting related organization disclosures within the annual tax filing? If yes, you are not alone. The Form 990 and Schedules offer opportunities and challenges when addressing related organization reporting. This session will address compensation reporting, Schedule R, and other areas within the filing.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how your foundation should disclose and report activities of related organizations.
• Discuss how the activities of related organizations affect your annual tax filing
• Examine Schedule R and what information the IRS is looking for in the schedule.

CPE Credit: Conference attendees can earn up to 1.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level: Basic

Presenter: Karen Gries, Partner, Exempt Tax Services, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

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Are Alternative Investments Worth It?

9:45-11:00

Whether you are considering adding alternative investment options to your foundation's portfolio mix or your foundation has used them for years, one of the major questions that foundation leaders often find themselves asking is whether the long investment period and high level of fees are worth the investment risk. This session will cover the use of various alternative asset classes in an endowment portfolio, and how to employ performance measurements such as IRR, Net Multiples and Real Return with your investment decision makers to measure their efficacy. Using real-world investment examples, we will take a look at the fee structure of alternatives and how investors can benchmark performance against similar investments in the public markets in an effort to answer the question, "Are alternatives worth it?"

Learning Objectives

• Examine the various alternative asset classes and what they bring to a foundation's endowment portfolio
• Learn how to employ performance measurements with your foundation's investment decision makers
• Discuss real-world investment examples, taking a look at the fee structure and how investors can benchmark performance against similar investments in public markets.

CPE Credit: Conference attendees can earn up to 1.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level: Basic

Presenters: Rob Fischman, CFO, University of South Florida Foundation, Ken Souza, Investment Director, University of South Florida Foundation. Michael Patalsky, Managing Director, Wilshire Associates

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Gift Fees

11:15 AM-12:30 PM

More institutionally related foundations are introducing gift fees as a way to generate funding to cover foundation operations. While simple in concept, gift fees can be structured in a variety of ways and apply to specific types of gifts. During this session, a panel will discuss the pros and cons of gift fees as a funding source and share advice on what foundation leaders can do to determine if gift fees are right for their foundation.  

Learning Objectives

• Examine new trend data on gift fees from the FY 11 CASE IRF Data Book Survey  
• Analyze the pros and cons of gift fees and various gift fee structures  
• Learn how three IRFs have approached whether to implement gift fees at their foundations.

CPE Credit: Conference attendees can earn up to 1.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level: Basic

Presenters: Elizabeth Banycky, Interim CEO, Southern Illinois University Foundation, Donna Koeppe, Vice President of Administration and Treasurer, Oklahoma State University Foundation, Pamela Purcell, Vice President and General Counsel, Director of Planned Giving, University System of Maryland Foundation

Moderator: Tiffani Shaw, Executive Vice President and COO, University of Iowa Foundation

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Tax and GR Update

2:15 PM - 3:30 PM

What is happening with legislative proposals to limit the value of the charitable deduction? What college, university and foundation activities are attracting scrutiny from the Internal Revenue Service? Karen Gries and Brian Flahaven will provide an update on the latest legislative and regulatory developments affecting institutionally related foundations.

Learning Objectives

• Learn about the latest legislative developments affecting IRFs on Capitol Hill and in the states
• Review current IRS initiatives that impact IRFs, including the college and university compliance project.
• Discuss IRS concerns about excessive compensation and unrelated business activities
• Learn how your foundation can weigh in on legislative and regulatory issues

CPE Credit: Conference attendees can earn up to 1.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level: Basic

Presenters: Brian Flahaven, Director of Legislative, Foundation and Recognition Programs, CASE, Karen Gries, Partner, Exempt Tax Services, CliftonLarsonAllen LLP

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State of Higher Education

3:45-5:00

Three prominent leaders in higher education will share perspectives on the challenges facing public colleges and universities and the increasingly important role that foundations will play in helping institutions achieve their teaching and research missions.

Learning Objectives

• Learn about the challenges facing public colleges and universities
• Examine the role of institutionally related foundations and how IRFs can help their primary institutions achieve their missions
• Discuss the relationship between public colleges and universities and their foundations, including how institution governing boards and foundation boards should view their respective roles.

Presenters: William Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland, Mary Spangler, Chancellor, Houston Community College, James Votruba, President, Northern Kentucky University

Moderator: John Lippincott, President, CASE

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Day 2, Thursday, April 19

 

Finding Opportunity in an Uncertain Economy

8:00-9:00 AM

The global recovery continues but at an anemic pace. Jim Sarni will address the following topics from an institutional investor's perspective and what themes he follows in order to take advantage of certain growth opportunities and mitigate risk in others.

Learning Objectives

• The current state of the US economy - can we be optimistic?
• Where are interest rates headed?
• Europe - what is the outlook and how will it affect the global economy?
• Where are the best investment opportunities in the fixed income markets?

CPE Credit:
Conference attendees can earn up to 1.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level:
Basic

Presenter:
Jim Sarni, Managing Principal, Payden & Rygel

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The Past, Present, and Future of the IRF Field

9:15-10:30

A panel of early foundation leaders will reflect on the lessons they've learned during the past two decades and will look ahead to the future of the IRF field.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how institutionally related foundations evolved as organizations and a profession, including the history of CASE's involvement with foundations
• Discuss the lessons learned by foundation leaders learned over the past two decades
• Examine some of the issues that foundation leaders and their organizations will face in the future, including increased pressure to find additional sources of private support and revenue for their primary institutions.

CPE Credit: Conference attendees can earn up to 1.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level: Basic

Presenters: Dave Bahlmann, President & CEO, Ball State University Foundation, Gerald Fisher, Former President, University of Minnesota Foundation, Susan Kubik, Executive Director, Northampton Community College Foundation

Moderator: Curt Simic, President Emeritus, Indiana University Foundation

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FASB Update

10:45 AM-NOON

Learn the latest developments in accounting standards and standard setting from the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and how they affect institutionally-related foundations (IRFs).

Learning Objectives

• Learn about international convergence in accounting standards, including the major FASB/IASB project on financial instruments and leases.
• Discuss two major projects recently added to FASB's agenda to refresh the nonprofit financial reporting model (FAS 117)
• Learn about recent accounting standards updates and ongoing FASB projects of note for IRFs.

CPE Credit: Conference attendees can earn up to 1.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level: Basic

Presenter: Jeff Mechanick, Assistant Director, Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)

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Short Course in Tax Treatment of Fringe Benefits for University and Foundation Executives

10:45 AM-NOON

This fast-paced hour will highlight the tax rules applicable to fringe benefits associated with "fun, food and moving around," such as cars, planes, spousal travel, club dues, corporate expense accounts, tickets to sporting events and meals, and will also include an update on employment tax audits and the employer's liability for taxes.

Learning Objectives

• Learn the tax rules applicable to fringe benefits that IRFs need to know
• Understand reporting around cars, planes, spousal travel, club dues, tickets and similar fringe benefit activities
• Get an update on employment tax audits and the employer's liability for taxes.

CPE Credit: Conference attendees can earn up to 1.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level: Basic

Presenter: Marianna Dyson, Member, Miller & Chevalier

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Is Your Foundation Registered in States Where you Fundraise?  

10:45-Noon

Of course as an institutionally related foundation you are soliciting your alumni, as well as other friends and supporters of your higher education institutions. However, what you may not be aware of is the state registrations that can be triggered in forty states by those charitable solicitation activities. Simply sending an annual solicitation mailing to alumni living in any of those states may require timely, detailed registration with a government regulatory office. We will discuss why compliance is important and offer suggestions for navigating the many requirements.

Learning Objectives

• Understand why states have charitable solicitation laws and registration requirements and why compliance with these laws is important.
• Learn how you can determine which states require institutionally foundations to register and report their charitable solicitation activity
• Hear advice and suggestions on how your foundation can manage state registration requirements.

CPE Credit: Conference attendees can earn up to 1.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level: Basic

Presenters: Tracy Boak, Of Counsel, Perlman and Perlman LLP; and Jennifer Smith, Assistant Vice President, legal, University of Iowa Foundation

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Short Course in Tax Treatment of Fringe Benefits for University and Foundation Executives

1:30-2:45

This fast-paced hour will highlight the tax rules applicable to fringe benefits associated with "fun, food and moving around," such as cars, planes, spousal travel, club dues, corporate expense accounts, tickets to sporting events and meals, and will also include an update on employment tax audits and the employer's liability for taxes.

Learning Objectives

• Learn the tax rules applicable to fringe benefits that IRFs need to know
• Understand reporting around cars, planes, spousal travel, club dues, tickets and similar fringe benefit activities
• Get an update on employment tax audits and the employer's liability for taxes.

CPE Credit: Conference attendees can earn up to 1.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level: Basic

Presenter: Marianna Dyson, Member, Miller & Chevalier

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Foundation Independence

4:00-5:15  

The legal landscape for foundations has changed a great deal since Thomas Roha developed his Seven Touchstones of Foundation Independence for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges in 2000. Roha will discuss how foundations should view the touchstones in this new environment.

Learning Objectives

• Examine the seven touchstones of foundation independence and whether they are still applicable in the current political environment
• Learn about state legislative and legal developments over the past two decades that have added uncertainty as to whether foundations are independent from their primary institutions

CPE Credit: Conference attendees can earn up to 1.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level: Basic

Presenter: Thomas Arden Roha, Founding Partner, Roha & Flaherty

 

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Day 3, Friday, April 20

 

Commonfund Seminar: Getting and Spending

9:00-11:00 AM

William Jarvis of Commonfund Institute will provide an update on foundation endowment performance and asset allocation trends and lead a discussion on foundation gift and spending policies.

Learning Objectives

• Learn the latest trends in IRF endowment performance from the 2011 NACUBO-Commonfund Endowment Study.
• Discuss various spending models and whether foundations are changing their spending policies
• Discuss how foundations are seeking charitable gifts in the current economic environment  

CPE Credit: Conference attendees can earn up to 2.0 CPE credit at this session.

Program Level: Basic

Presenter:  William Jarvis, Managing Director, Commonfund Institute

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CPE Program Questions

For more information regarding refund, complaint and/or program cancellation policies, please contact Brian Flahaven at 202-478-5617 or flahaven@case.org.

CASE is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasba.org.