A survey conducted by AGB in 2014 found that foundations have become more active as fundraisers, particularly in real estate development, and as advocates for the institution overall.  However, as AGB's Director of Foundation of Foundation Programs and Research pointed out in a recent blog post, "as the role of the foundation evolves, the potential for conflicts between institution administrators and the foundation board may also be increasing."

For this reason, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between institutions and their related foundations is an important tool in maintaining a productive relationship. John Carter, former president and COO of the Georgia Tech Foundation, discusses the benefits of MOUs in this video from AGBU.