Yesterday, Mark Zuckerberg published a touching letter written to his week-old daughter Max which announced the beginning of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The Initiative’s mission focuses on two ideas: advancing human potential and promoting equality. And the statement that raised all the attention:

We will give 99% of our Facebook shares — currently about $45 billion — during our lives to advance this mission.

Many initially assumed the pledge from Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan was to one or more 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, but a Facebook press statement clarified that the Initiative was a limited liability company (LLC). A New York Times article explains the rationale for choosing a non-tax-exempt entity:

By using a limited liability company instead of a nonprofit corporation or foundation, the Zuckerberg family will be able to go beyond making philanthropic grants. They will invest in companies, lobby for legislation and seek to influence public policy debates, which nonprofits are restricted from doing under tax laws. A spokeswoman for the family said that any profits from the investments would be plowed back into the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for future projects.

This is reminiscent of Google’s announcement in 2005 that it would commit one percent of its profits and equity to Google.org, a division of Google Inc. and not a 501(c)(3) organization, to advance its philanthropic efforts. A Washington Post article explains Google’s rationale for not making the pledge to a tax-exempt charity or its own Google Foundation:

By using Google.org for the bulk of its charitable giving, the company will have greater flexibility in how it deploys the funds since the affiliate will not be subject to the restrictions imposed on foundations by the Internal Revenue Service. For example, Google.org will be able to invest in projects promoting entrepreneurship in Africa that are off limits for foundations because the programs turn a profit. It will also support charitable initiatives that spread the use of technology and could be viewed as questionable for a foundation since they are closely related to Google’s business.

The Omidyar Network (started by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar) provides another example of the use of a non-exempt LLC to further philanthropic purposes. A Forbes interview of the Omidyar Network’s managing partner Matt Bannick explains the hybrid model:

At the heart of our strategy is a flexible approach to philanthropy. We embrace whatever tools necessary—including nonprofit grants and for-profit impact investments–to support high-impact social entrepreneurs and the broader environments in which they work.  Our hybrid investment approach is supported by a hybrid organizational structure:  we operate both a foundation and a for-profit investment fund under the same roof.

See Part 2 of this post here.

Deeper Dive

For-Profit Philanthropy – Dana Brakman Reiser, 77 Fordham Law Review 2437 (2009)