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Abstract: 

Donor-Advised Funds, Supporting Organizations, and Private Foundations can be remarkable tools for philanthropic individuals. Each offers its own advantages and disadvantages, but which is the best fit for your client? This article outlines a 9-step program that guides donors comprehensively through the key factors that determine the best entity structure for a specific philanthropic initiative. The steps include: Assessing your client’s philanthropic goals and desires; Family legacy and generational planning; Funding issues and asset characteristics; Management and governance; Investment policies and implementation; Grant vetting, selection and assessment; Filing and tax compliance requirements; Review, summarize, decide; Moving forward and forging a beneficial client-adviser relationship.

Keywords: planning horizon; tax implications of entity choice; donor-advised fund, supporting organization, private foundation, conflicts of interest; taxes on self-dealing; required distributions, Accelerating Charitable Efforts Act

Affiliations:  1: West Texas A&M University; 2: The Dallas Foundation.