Individuals, families, and companies regularly reach out to CMF to learn how they can give back to their communities through philanthropy. This typically takes three forms: giving back with your time (volunteering), giving back with your talent (offering your expertise), and giving back with your treasure (making a financial contribution). This resource focuses on financial contributions, as there are a number of options available to individuals and families, each with important distinctions.

Companies interested in exploring their options for giving as an organization (starting a corporate foundation or corporate giving program, etc.) are invited to view our separate resource, “Choosing a Corporate Approach: A Comparison of Corporate Philanthropy Structures.”

There are three primary forms of philanthropy available to individuals and families that are discussed in this resource:

• Making a direct contribution.
• Creating a Donor Advised Fund (DAF).
• Starting a foundation.