What's the Difference Between a Trust and a Foundation?

Many people ask me what the difference is between a foundation and a trust.

There is a short answer to this question and a longer answer.

Here’s the short answer:

“What Is the Difference Between a Trust and a Foundation?”

“Not much”.

They are more or less the same animal wearing different fur, and they help the same sort of people achieve the same objectives in the same way.

There are of course some differences in the way that they work – but if you look at the big picture those differences are really not important.

What IS important is your goals and objectives. Whether a trust or a foundation (or something else) is the right choice to help you achieve those objectives is very much a secondary question. A question that is normally answered towards the end of the planning process – not at the start.

If you are interested in the long answer, you can find it here.