Glossary · structure
Private Foundation
Also known as: family foundation, foundation
- Definition
- A private foundation is a corporate-like succession vehicle that separates legal ownership from beneficial enjoyment, used for multi-generational wealth and philanthropy structuring. Common in continental European and Liechtenstein practice; less common in Singapore.
Singapore does not have a dedicated private foundation framework analogous to Liechtenstein, Panama, or Curaçao foundations. Singapore families often use trusts or VCCs for similar purposes, sometimes paired with offshore foundation structures for cross-jurisdiction succession. Foundations differ from trusts in that they have separate legal personality and named beneficiaries are typically more constrained.
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