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John
Littleford

Senior Partner and Founder of Littleford & Associates

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

A 40-year veteran of the fields of education and consulting, John Littleford currently assists private schools across the globe with all aspects of administration, board governance, and compensation. As an undergraduate at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, John Littleford pursued a well-rounded course of study in the languages and humanities, taking a variety of classes in Russian, Chinese, and history. John Littleford earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian History and Russian in June 1966. He also obtained a Critical Languages degree in Russian and Chinese languages from Princeton University. John Littleford pursued graduate work in Russian and Chinese studies at Harvard University, Princeton University, and Stanford University. He also holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Administration and Leadership from Harvard. John Littleford would go on to launch his career in education as a teacher and administrator. After seven years working in such capacities as a first grade teacher, middle and secondary school history teacher, seventh grade English and French teacher, upper school head, and assistant headmaster, John Littleford was appointed Headmaster of the Breck School in Minneapolis. From 1974 to 1986, John Littleford served as Headmaster of the Breck School, where he held a wide range of administrative responsibilities. Upon assuming his role at the Breck School, John Littleford drew upon his passion and interest in Chinese language, launching the premier Mandarin studies program in the United States. In tandem with these endeavors, John Littleford later developed a thriving student exchange program with China and fostered lasting educational relations between the country and the Breck School. A proactive administrator, John Littleford established partnerships with numerous professional arts organizations in and around Minneapolis, integrating a variety of extracurricular educational programs into the Breck School’s curriculum. Following the Breck School, John Littleford worked as Headmaster for the University School of Milwaukee and La Jolla Country Day School in La Jolla, California. In 1994, John Littleford launched Littleford & Associates in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he serves as a Management Consultant to numerous independent and international schools worldwide, as well as a range of other nonprofit organizations including hospitals, universities, foundations, and corporations.


John Littleford's Schools

John Littleford's Companies

John Littleford's Publications

  • Safe Harbors Compliance, John Littleford
    December, 2010
    by John Littleford

    Since founding Littleford & Associates, a consulting firm for nonprofits, independent and international schools, and other businesses, I have advised thousands of clients on head compensation, board governance, and other related issues. One topic in which I have found nonprofits of all kinds expressing particular interest over the years is safe harbors compliance. In fact, the law requires it.
    The “Intermediate Sanctions Act,” applies to all U.S.-chartered nonprofits. It requires that 501©(3) institutions review CEO compensation every year and establish “safe harbors” for remuneration. This means, in essence, that total compensation for the head/CEO and for those who are in a position in the organization to exert considerable influence its the affairs must fall within a normal range of compensation for similar positions in like institutions, or within the range of market replacement cost for someone at that position.
    At Littleford & Associates, we use our proprietary head compensation database, the most accurate and extensive in the world, to confirm safe harbors compliance. Utilizing compensation information gathered from countless individual confidential interviews, we have a comprehensive database that exceeds IRS standards for obtaining and utilizing comparability data. Indeed, we have knowledge of aspects of executive compensation packages that goes well beyond that which is reported to regional or national associations or on online surveys.
    I counsel clients accurately on whether their proposed compensation package falls within the range of similar organizations. We work with nonprofit organizations to impart a full understanding of the safe harbors issue, ensuring all necessary steps are taken for compliance. I prepare documentation tailored to each client, including the Rebuttable Presumption of Reasonableness Checklist required by the IRS. For more information on this and our other consulting services, visit the Littleford & Associates website at www.jlittleford.com.

  • "Local Solutions for Global Issues", John Littleford's Blog on Bigsight
    March, 2011
    John C. Littleford and his firm Littleford & Associates provide “local solutions for global issues” in three distinct sectors: independent as well as international schools, non-profits, and corporations.

    Independent and international schools represent a major area of focus and expertise for Littleford & Associates. Providing a wide range of services, Littleford & Associates offers counsel on board governance, executive searches, financial management, marketing for enrollment, safe harbor compliance, strategic planning, and fundraising as well as faculty and staff compensation and evaluation.

    In the realm of corporate services, Littleford & Associates assists primarily private and family-owned companies. Many of the challenges these for-profit businesses face are very similar to those of non-profit and educational institutions. Thus, John Littleford is able to apply his extensive consulting expertise and experience to the numerous issues that such organizations face. For these corporations, the firm provides counseling on issues of leadership transition and succession planning, board development and strategic planning in particular.