Financial Directive
1 GENERAL
1.1 Relationship with other provisions
Frame Foundation’s financial and asset management, accounting, financial statements and auditing are governed by the provisions of the Accounting Act and Ordinance, the Auditing Act, the Foundation Act and the Foundation’s own rules, in addition to the provisions of these Financial Regulations.
2 ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
2.1 Coverage of the Foundation’s expenditure and debt financing
The Foundation’s operating expenditure is covered by the income from its assets and the income from its activities. Return on assets means the current income from investment assets and capital appreciation.
The Board may decide, for particularly serious reasons only, to raise debt to finance the actual activities.
The Board may decide to incur debt if this is necessary for the management of fixed assets. The CEO may not decide to contract debt for the Foundation.
2.2 Loans, guarantees, securities
The Foundation’s funds may not be lent to third parties.
The Foundation may not provide guarantees or collateral for external debt.
The Board shall decide whether to grant a guarantee or provide security for the
Foundation’s debt.
2.3. Funding of assets
The Foundation’s investment activity is based on maintaining the fair value of its investment assets at the minimum level of EUR 60,000.
The target value of the investment assets may be reviewed annually in the context of the annual meeting of the Board. The amount of the investment assets is subject to fluctuations linked to stock market activity.
The Foundation will fund the appreciation and current income from its assets.
2.4. Management and control of investment assets
The Governing Board shall adopt an investment strategy for the Foundation, on which the management of its investment assets shall be based. The level of risk of the investments shall be moderate.
The Foundation’s investment assets shall be managed by a professional treasurer under a full mandate or under consultation agreement. The Board shall decide on the selection of the fiduciary.
Any significant change in the investment portfolio structure shall be decided by the Board.
Once a year, the CEO reports to the Board on the composition of the investment portfolio, investment events and returns by type and other current issues.
The Board and the CEO shall ensure that the Foundation’s investment and asset management activities are systematic.
The Foundation’s capital is invested in a responsible manner, in line with the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment, and investment decisions take into account environmental, social responsibility and good governance factors.
2.5. Insuring the assets and activities
The CEO is responsible for ensuring that the Foundation has adequate insurance cover for its property and staff and for its trustees.
2.6. Fundraising
The Foundation’s fundraising activities will be examined from an ethical and accountability perspective. The review also seeks to ensure that the Foundation’s partnerships, funding or donations, including wills, do not undermine its operational capacity, reputation or independence, or compromise the ethical, environmental, economic or social sustainability of the Foundation’s activities. Partnerships or funding cannot conflict with Frame’s values. The Foundation must refuse to accept donations and legacies if the conditions for the use of the funds do not comply with the rules governing the purpose and activities of the Foundation.
The Foundation will not accept funding based on illegal activities. The Foundation does not accept anonymous donations without knowing the origin of the donation. Accepting donations follows the procedure:
- The CEO decides on the acceptance of donations.
- When accepting donations, the views of the artists or organisations whose work the donation funds will support are also taken into account, to the extent possible.
- Donors are asked to provide identification information to verify the accuracy of personal data for individuals and, in the case of organisations, the company’s basic information and beneficial owners.
- Signed donation agreements are submitted to the Board for information.
- In the event of any conflicts of interest arising from donations, the CEO is primarily responsible for resolving the matter, including the return of donations.
3 BUDGET
3.1. Preparation of the budget
The CEO will prepare and present to the Board a preliminary budget for the following year by the end of October. The CEO will prepare the final operating plan and draft budget and submit them to the Board for discussion and approval at the annual meeting by the end of March at the latest.
The draft budget is based on the assumption that the subsidy received from the Ministry of Education and Culture for the Foundation’s activities will be used within the time limits laid down in the Ministry’s decision.
3.2. Budget items and Monitoring of the budget
The draft budget must be drawn up in such detail as to show all the Foundation’s revenue broken down by source and expenditure broken down by object.
The CEO shall report to the Governing Board at each Board meeting or at least quarterly on the implementation of the budget.
The CEO is responsible for ensuring that the Foundation’s purchases do not exceed the approved budget.
The Board monitors the implementation of the budget.
3.3. Account systems
The accounts and budget headings should be as consistent as possible.
4 PAYMENTS AND PURCHASES
4.1. Monetary transactions, bank accounts and cash in hand
With the exception of minor payments, payments must be made through bank accounts.
The opening and closing of bank accounts and access to them shall be decided by the Board. The Board may authorise the CEO to decide on the access rights to the accounts.
The Foundation’s credit and debit cards may be used only for the Foundation’s own expenditure. The CEO issues the payment cards for the staff members and informs the Board.
The CEO shall decide on the amount of the Foundation’s cash resources and shall be responsible for the treasury management of the Foundation.
4.2. Procurement
The purchase, disposal (including sale, donation and exchange) and rental of assets of major importance for the Foundation’s activities shall be decided by the Board.
Major purchases or other extraordinary, exceptional expenditure of more than EUR 10,000 which deviate from the budget should, as far as possible, be discussed in advance by the Board.
In the case of major exhibitions and similar projects, the approval procedure shall be agreed separately.
4.3. Verification of invoices
Before any expenditure is paid, the invoice or the supporting document must be checked for accuracy and correctness and must meet the requirements for supporting documents set out below.
Invoices for incidental purchases shall be checked by the person who made the purchase.
Invoices for regular/current expenditure shall be verified by the Head of Administration or CEO.
The auditor must enter the date of the audit and his/her name or initials on the voucher.
4.4. Approval of invoices
Invoices and payments from the Foundation shall be authorised by the CEO or his/her/their deputy. The Chair of the Board shall approve the personal expenses of the CEO.
All invoices and expenses shall be subject to substantive checking and approval in the Foundation’s financial management system before payment.
The CEO shall ensure that payments sent for payment are based on vouchers that have been checked and approved in advance.
4.5. Payment of invoices
Invoices may be paid by the authorising officer.
All invoices are paid through the Foundation’s financial management system.
5 ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
5.1. Keeping the accounts
The accounts are kept by an external accounting firm. The Board will decide on the selection of the accounting firm. A detailed contract will be concluded with the accounting firm and approved by the CEO.
When using an external accountancy firm, attention will be paid to the quality of the service and the firm will be required to have sufficient experience in the financial management of foundations.
5.2. Organisation of the accounts
The revenue and expenditure for the financial year shall be entered gross in their respective accounts, without any deduction of revenue from expenditure or expenditure from revenue, except for the necessary adjustments.
The accounting records must be kept up to date and must be carefully maintained.
5.3. Reporting requirements
The accounting entries must be based on original supporting documents numbered consecutively from the beginning of the accounting year.
The supporting document for a payment made must, where possible, be issued by the payee or the MFI which made the payment and must show
● the recipient of the goods or works
● how the expenditure relates to the Foundation’s activities
● the endorsement of the case and number auditor
● the entry of the authorising officer
● the indication of the person who paid the expenditure
● if the payment is based on an explicit decision of the Board, the number of the minutes of the Board meeting.
Where the accounts are based on statements of account, the corresponding information must appear on the statement of account or on supporting documents, contracts or invoices.
If the entry is not supported by a voucher issued by a third party, the entry must be verified by a duly certified voucher drawn up by the Foundation itself.
5.4. Financial period
The financial year of the Foundation is the calendar year.
5.5. Financial statements
The financial statements and the report on the activities of the Foundation for the previous year must be drawn up by the end of February and submitted to the Board by 1 March each year.
The financial statements shall be signed by the Board and the CEO.
The Governing Board and the Executive Director are responsible for ensuring that the annual accounts and the report on the activities of the Foundation together give a true and fair view of the results of its operations and its financial position.
5.6. Auditors and audit
The Foundation must appoint one auditor and one deputy auditor.
The Foundation’s auditors are elected annually at the Annual General Meeting to audit the accounts and administration for the current year.
A written contract with the auditors is concluded and approved by the Board. The contract shall stipulate the areas of audit to be carried out separately, in addition to or alongside the regular audit, in connection with the use of the State subsidy.
The auditors shall submit their audit report and opinion to the Foundation’s Board at least one week before the regular meeting of the Board, which shall take place by the end of March.
6 FUNDS
The Foundation may have unrestricted funds or restricted funds, the creation or dissolution of which is decided by the Board.
The Governing Board shall lay down separate fund rules for each fund.
Funds may be created from donations and bequests, or donations and bequests may be made to existing funds. The conditions of any donations and bequests must be appropriate to the purpose of the fund.
7 ADOPTION OF THE GUIDELINES
This directive was approved by the Foundation’s Board on 13 December 2016.
Amendments to this directive were approved by the Foundation’s Board on 18
November 2019.
Amendments to this directive were approved by the Foundation’s Board on 20
March 2023.
Amendments to this directive were approved by the Foundation’s Board on 28
April 2026.