Why work with The Foundation Office rather than set up a private foundation?

Simplicity

Many philanthropists believed their only option for directing gifts of large sums to charities over a long period of time was to establish a private foundation.

However, setting up and running a private foundation is a surprisingly complex, costly, and time-consuming venture. The work is ongoing for individuals, families, and corporations whose real goal is simply to make decisions regarding which charities to support.

By establishing your foundation at The Foundation Office, you decide which charities should benefit from grants from your foundation. We look after the rest.

 

Value and Service

We offer services which are cost-effective, professional, personalized, efficient, and life-changing.

Benefits of working with The Foundation Office include:

  • The simple, quick, no-cost establishment of your own named foundation
  • Donations made to charities are made in the name of your donor-advised fund foundation (i.e., The Smith Family Foundation at The Foundation Office)
  • Professional management of book-keeping, legal compliance, financial, and administrative matters of your foundation
  • Fewer resources directed to overhead
  • Fees at a fraction of a cost of running a similar private foundation
  • Economies of scale from shared management
  • Access to (and fees for) only the services and management you need
  • Anonymity or recognition for your donations—your choice (In contrast, names of board members and donations made from a Private Foundation are always public information.)
  • Secure online access to your granting history and account information
  • Freedom to focus on giving to the charities of your choice

  

Why work with The Foundation Office rather than any other public foundation?

Donor-advised funds through public foundations are an increasingly popular approach to philanthropy, because they provide the most effective and efficient way for many individuals, families and corporations to give. There are a number of choices among public foundations to manage your donor-advised fund—but we believe The Foundation Office offers unique benefits to Canadian philanthropists.

Benefits of working with The Foundation Office include:

  • Personalized, customized service from a boutique foundation
  • Professional management by a leadership team with decades of experience in managing Canadian foundations
  • A deep knowledge of the local, national and international work of Canadian charities
  • Proven track record of providing exceptional service to numerous individuals and families who have established their foundation within The Foundation Office*
  • Continuous monitoring of the changing charity landscape and legal requirements for charities
  • The option for The Foundation Office to work closely with your financial advisors to establish a segregated investment account for your foundation (allowing you to make recommendations into your foundation’s individualized investment portfolio strategy)
  • Meaningful reports from charities supported
  • Opportunities to visit sites your foundation supports
  • Facilitation of individual and group learning within The Foundation Office community
  • The introduction to and connection with other like-minded donors
  • Sharing best practices and experiences with other philanthropists in The Foundation Office community
  • Collaboration with other donors as desired
  • A structure which facilitates the easy passing to future generations the privilege and joy of giving, without also passing on the responsibilities of managing the foundation.

 

* We would be happy to provide an introduction for you to speak with a current holder of a donor-advised fund at The Foundation Office.

The audited financial statements of The Foundation Office are public information. We are pleased to make available our condensed statements for your review here. Copies of our complete financial statements are available upon request.