Philanthropy

The Philanthropy Support Group provides strategic counseling to donors, including advice as to the legal structures best suited to the donor's specific objectives, such as foundations, donor-advised funds, charitable remainder trusts and lead trusts, pooled income funds, gift annuities, remainder interests and supporting organizations.  We are experienced in techniques such as bargain sales and conservation restrictions.  We have expertise in gifts of special kinds of assets, including restricted stock, closely-held businesses, intellectual property and technology.  Members of the group have extensive experience as foundation trustees managing the investment portfolios of charitable funds.

The firm's in-house administrative support for grantmaking can be particularly helpful to individual donors, and clients who want to establish a private foundation.  Having facilitated the distribution of grants to several hundred organizations, our staff is ideally positioned to work with individual donors and private foundations to identify their interests and giving priorities.  We can also provide in depth information on lesser known charities, as well as unique programs within well known charities, where a client's donation may make a profound and measurable difference.

For private foundations we can produce a Mission Statement for the new foundation, a Statement of Legacy, and Grant Application Guidelines.  Our staff is experienced in managing all aspects of the grantmaking process, maintaining program and fiscal records, and working closely with foundation trustees to assist with grant decisions.