Author Description

To answer the basic question of how many active family foundations are planning to spend down or exist in perpetuity (or have not yet made a decision), and to examine foundations' motivations and decision-making, the Foundation Center, in collaboration with the Council on Foundations and with additional assistance from the Association of Small Foundations, launched a study of family foundations in 2008. The report, Perpetuity or Limited Lifespan: How do Family Foundations Decide?, presents the full range of study findings, which are based on survey responses from 1,074 family foundations. This brief summarizes key findings from the report.