How to choose between starting a donor advised fund (DAF) or a private foundation can be a complicated process.Which is best is determined by your level of wealth and the amount of control, labor, legal costs and privacy that you desire. This article will look at the pluses and minuses of each.

One of the tools that may deserve consideration during a business exit is establishing a private foundation at the time of the business sale. It serves as a powerful tool in lessening your tax exposure and becomes the base of charitable giving that can last forward through multiple generations of your family.

The vast majority of donors engage in “checkbook charity.” A gift of cash is easy to execute and is straight-forward. Even affluent donors with high incomes and high net worth give cash. According to the 2025 Bank of America (BOA)  Study of Philanthropy,  nearly 82% of affluent donor households made gifts directly from their personal assets and income. However, the remaining 18% utilize some sort of charitable giving vehicle. These savvy donors have blended concerns about c