Introducing the Plutus Foundation

Over the course of the next year, the Plutus Awards will be expanding.

The first part of the organization’s long-term plan is the creation of the Plutus Foundation.

The Plutus Foundation is a foundation for the independent financial media. I’ve created it in order to facilitate a framework for the financial media community, particularly bloggers and especially those of us you might find at FinCon, to support programs that enhance the financial capability and well-being of citizens of the world through an endowment.

Here is the vision:

The creation of the foundation will result in an endowment providing income that will be granted, through the direction of a steering committee consisting of members, to charities and other nonprofit organizations that create and run programs that fulfill a goal inline with the mission above. The foundation could also, as directed by the Board of Trustees, create its own projects that support the mission.

This foundation provides opportunities for leadership and tax-advantaged contributions for its members and will accept contributions from individuals, corporations, and other charitable organizations. The foundation’s status as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization is pending and should be official within the coming weeks.

I have spent some time this year talking to prospective trustees (to serve on the Board of Trustees), and I’m also currently assembling the executive team. My goal is to be able to announce the full Board of Trustees as well as founding-level partners and members by FinCon 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina this coming September.

There is a big opportunity for independent financial bloggers. I would like the Plutus Foundation to be part of your charitable plan. By contributing to the foundation, bloggers can be sure their funds will be used in a charitable fashion to support the same values expressed by their work, and a selection of bloggers and other donors will serve on the Foundation Steering Committee. This committee will work with the foundation’s Director of Grants and Programs to determine how the funds will be used to support our mission each year.

The foundation will be offering three types of membership:

Basic membership is for one-time donors. For a single contribution of any amount, the donor will be considered a member of the foundation.
Sustaining membership allows donors to continually support the foundation and its mission with an automatic monthly contribution. Sustaining members are eligible to serve on the steering committee with approval from the Board of Trustees.
Independent publisher membership is a special option for blogging entrepreneurs and other media professionals. By pledging a percentage of revenue from your business in financial media, including blogs, this special level of membership confers additional opportunities to be determined. Independent publisher members are also eligible and encouraged to serve on the steering committee with approval from the Board of Trustees.
Corporate partnership is open to companies in the financial industry who can help the foundation reach its endowment goals at an accelerated pace.

In addition to membership, there are still opportunities available for anyone interested in sitting on the Board of Trustees. We are also looking for people willing to donate their time and effort to fill a role on the executive team.

These options are great for someone who is ready to help right now; membership will not be open for at least another few weeks.

I am incredibly excited about launching the Plutus Foundation. The foundation has the potential to make an incredible impact on the world — and with the support of the financial blogging and media community, the reach will only grow. I hope you will join me on this adventure and create a legacy for the Plutus Awards that extends beyond our annual awards ceremony.

Find out more at PlutusFoundation.org. If you’re ready to get involved, email me today. Let me know if you’re interested in any of the following:

Serving on the Board of Trustees.
Helping run and manage the foundation (especially if you have nonprofit experience.)
Becoming a founding member or launch partner as an industry professional, independent blogger, or individual donor.
Exploring opportunities for your company to be a corporate partner.