A family office is a privately held company that handles investment management and wealth management for a wealthy family, generally one with over $100 million in investable assets, with the goal being to effectively grow and transfer wealth across generations. The company’s financial capital is the family’s own wealth. Family offices also may handle tasks such as managing household staff, making travel arrangements, property management, day-to-day accounting and payroll activities, management of legal affairs, family management services, family governance, financial and investor education, coordination of philanthropy and private foundations, and succession planning. 

A trust fund is an estate planning tool that establishes a legal entity to hold property or assets for a person or organization, managed by a trustee who is a neutral third party. Trust funds can hold a variety of assets such as money, real property, stocks and bonds, a business, or a combination of many different types of properties or assets. Trusts can be formed under a variety of forms and stipulations.

A private foundation is a tax-exempt organization generally established as either a trust or corporation under state law. Management responsibility rests with directors or trustees, and one of the main distinguishing factors from stand-alone charitable trusts is that private foundations can accept contributions from multiple donors. As a result, private foundations are often used by families seeking to establish a lasting charitable legacy, allowing for family members’ gifts to be pooled and then distributed to outside organizations (or used in-house) at the direction of the foundation.