At Foundation Paths, we help individuals and families turn their charitable hopes into something deeply impactful.  Most people want to give back in a meaningful way, but aren’t sure how to turn their intention into reality.  Creating a private foundation is the perfect vehicle to give back in a meaningful way while creating a lasting legacy.  You can use your foundation to support the causes and communities that matter most to you, year after year.  And despite common myths that you need to be wealthy to have a foundation, many families start them with modest amounts and grow them over time.

A private foundation is a simple charitable entity anyone can create.  You contribute the initial funding, and that endowment is invested so it can support grants and programs far into the future.  What makes them special is the control they offer.   You or your family set the mission, choose which organizations to support, and decide when and where to contribute.

 

Most foundations focus on grantmaking, which means they direct their resources to nonprofits, schools, or community programs, or other types of charities.   Grantmaking allows for funding to be planned for multiple years to support scholarships, youth programs, neighborhood revitalization, or any other cause you are passionate about.

 

Foundations are not simply a vehicle to distribute funds.  Over time, they become a family tradition of generosity and family values that is passed on from one generation to the next.  For many of our clients, their foundation becomes a family touchstone that brings generations together around shared values and beliefs.   As the foundation grows, so does the impact, creating a legacy that lasts far beyond any single donation.

 

At Foundation Paths, we make the process accessible.  We guide new founders through establishing their foundation, defining the mission, creating the infrastructure for governance and compliance, and working with them to manage their charitable grants and programs to maximize their impact.  We exist to take the complexity out of philanthropy so families can build something enduring, rooted in the communities they care about.