Facebook’s under-30 Mark Zuckerberg led US philanthropy in 2013 with a gift of almost $1billion in company stock to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Aside from this being a stunning benefaction by any measure SCVF  is one of the nation’s best run. Its CEO Emmett Carson is an experienced and very highly regarded foundation executive.

Why do some people choose giving to community foundations and others set up their own? The simple answer is that, like anything else  in business or  philanthropy, trust is the critical factor

Zuckerberg is clearly willing to hand  over much of the decision making about which charities should be the ultimate beneficiaries to Carson, rather than  his own staff. And  in this instance that makes good sense. SVCF is literally down the road, it’s been in business a  long time and  one can venture that Dr. Carson will know when to check in.

But not all community foundations are equal; size alone does not ensure empathic gift making, good management or satisfying consultation with donors. Managing large investment portfolios is not for the faint of heart; some of the highly regarded community foundations as well as  the commercial entities like Fidelity or Vanguard are rightly focused  on managing the money. Their deep down knowledge  of the charities themselves, and the charities’ capacity to use resources effectively and efficiently is often a mixed bag at best.

FFM/C’s take is that we are not right for everyone. A donor advised fund at a community foundation may be the best choice for  a  number of reasons – among them the founding donation, the yield available for annual distribution, the willingness to cede a lot of control, the desire to avoid the hassles and expense of foundation management, picking charities, etc.

But some people enjoy giving and derive immense pleasure out of acting as a family, often  knowing the charities, seeking real involvement – and frankly some crave the recognition. For them  FFM/C is a choice.

Think about your  motives. Act on  your principles.