Financial Advisors Centre
Quick Links
Bobby's Blog 
Articles archives 
Be on our mailing list 
The Family Philanthropy Institute (FPI)
The concept of family philanthropy has exploded in recent years, largely because it opens a different level of consultation incorporating major tax and estate planning with strategic philanthropy. The FPI is dedicated to serving the needs of Jewish family foundations - both private and public - throughout the Montreal area. The Family Philanthropy Institute provides a centralized source of information, education and community linkage to assist family foundations in maximizing the impact of their philanthropic giving in both the Jewish and general community.
We seek to create informed, educated donors - however independent they may be - who will find in the JCF value and a valuable service. Our community’s financial advisors have been integral partners for over 20 years.
Benefits to partnering with the JCF
- The JCF has a long and successful track record developing relationships, managing funds and facilitating the grant-making process
- Knowledge of local, national, and global Jewish communal needs, and proven history in bringing organizations together for creative partnerships
- Strategic guidance and consulting of philanthropic best practices available through professional staff expertise - services that are not offered by commercial brokerage firms
- Opportunities to participate in coordinated activities among groups of family foundations
- Receive current information on grant-making opportunities in a variety of fields of interest
- Honest broker - as an independent organization, the JCF has no agenda other than to assist foundations in forwarding their individual philanthropic missions
- Immediate income tax reduction
- No capital gains tax on contributions of appreciated stock
- Allows for donations of private company stock
- Not subject to numerous rules and regulations governing private foundations
- Makes grants to virtually any not-for-profit cause within the Jewish and general communities
- Avoid the time and expense of staff required to handle administrative responsibilities
- Anonymity
Services provided
Organization and establishment
- Advising donors of matters of Board governance
- Providing trustee orientation
- Assistance in the development of an overall mission statement and a policy statement on grant-making
- Help in developing annual goals and plans and, if required, longer term strategic philanthropic plans
- Serving as the catalyst in raising the concept of charitable succession planning and offering suggestions for strategies that will begin a productive dialogue
- Assistance in developing policies and grant guidelines
- Serving as a central point for acceptance of proposals from the Jewish and general communities
- Reviewing and evaluating grant requests if asked
- Prepare cheques and make distributions
- Coordinate grant making with community priorities and other foundations
- Assistance in identifying other sources of funding for projects of interest
- Facilitating site visits as appropriate
Investment, tax & financial management
- Assistance in developing investment policies
- Monitoring and reporting on investment performance
- Planned giving advice
Education
- Facilitate attendance at outside conferences and meetings
- Advise funders on means to monitor and assess grants
- Support funders in assessing their grant-making effectiveness
- Provide a series of educational programs for families who have created public foundations, private foundations and/or philanthropic funds.
Kinds of family foundations
Public donor-advised Foundation
Within the JCF (a public foundation) with its own identity, a consult with trustee fund allows the donor's family to set a board of trustees who will advise the JCF on allocations and investment management. The JCF administers the fund and makes charitable donations in the name of the Family Foundation. Private Foundation
Incorporated under Quebec or Canadian law as non-profit corporations or organized as charitable trusts, and recognized by the CCRA as tax-exempt organizations. It may have derived the bulk of its income-producing corpus from a single bequest, or it may receive annual contributions from an individual, group of individuals, or members of a family, and it exists for the sole purpose of making grants. Grant-making decisions are made by a board of trustees, and this board may be autonomous or controlled by the donor or donor family.
Within the JCF (a public foundation) with its own identity, a consult with trustee fund allows the donor's family to set a board of trustees who will advise the JCF on allocations and investment management. The JCF administers the fund and makes charitable donations in the name of the Family Foundation.
Incorporated under Quebec or Canadian law as non-profit corporations or organized as charitable trusts, and recognized by the CCRA as tax-exempt organizations. It may have derived the bulk of its income-producing corpus from a single bequest, or it may receive annual contributions from an individual, group of individuals, or members of a family, and it exists for the sole purpose of making grants. Grant-making decisions are made by a board of trustees, and this board may be autonomous or controlled by the donor or donor family.