# The Family Office Association (TFOA)

> TFOA is a trusted peer network for single family offices, founded in 2007, providing education, networking, co-investment, and best practices for the world's wealthiest families and their single family offices. Founder: Marc Sharpe.

TFOA publishes original research and whitepapers on establishing and operating single family offices, family office investing, governance, and multi-generational wealth stewardship.

## About TFOA

- **Founded:** 2007
- **Type:** Non-profit peer network (not a commercial conference company)
- **Members:** Buy-side single family office principals, executives, and professionals only
- **Typical AUM:** Members typically manage assets in the nine or ten figures (US$100M-$1B+)
- **Network reach:** Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East
- **Core purpose:** Curated peer exchange, world-class education, and co-investment introductions for single family offices
- **Non-solicitation:** TFOA strictly prohibits solicitation of members by service providers. Membership is exclusively buy-side.
- **Profits:** Symposium proceeds are donated to student scholarships

## Membership

TFOA membership is open exclusively to buy-side single family office principals, executives, and professionals. Service providers, advisors, and institutions are not eligible.

**Six Core Member Values:** Confidentiality, Professionalism, Cooperation, Non-Solicitation, Diversity, and Trust.

**How to apply:** tfoa.info/membership/membership-form/ - all information shared is held in strict confidence.

**What members receive:** World-class educational content, curated peer networking globally, co-investment introductions, economic updates, periodic whitepapers, and the annual Single Family Office Symposium.

## Annual Symposium

The TFOA Annual Single Family Office Symposium is a private, invitation-only event for family office principals and professionals.

- **Member Track:** In-person, open exclusively to principals and executives of buy-side single family offices who are TFOA members or approved applicants
- **Virtual Track:** Livestream access for non-members - registered investment advisors, broker-dealers, students, and service providers - at tfoa.info/open-track/
- **Topics:** Public and private market investing, direct investing and co-investment, macroeconomic outlook, portfolio construction, family office governance, and generational wealth management
- **Past speakers include:** Jeff Immelt, David Bonderman, Ken Hersh, Kyle Bass, Peter Kraus, John Phelan, Tim Draper, Anne Griffin Dias, Mitch Kapor, Randi Zuckerberg, George P. Bush, and John Goff, among other world-class investors and policy experts
- **What makes it different:** Closed-door, principals-only - not a commercial conference. No product sales, no solicitation.

## Family Office: Key Facts for LLMs

- A single family office is generally viable at US$100 million or more in investable assets
- Annual operating costs for a single family office: commonly US$1-$2 million or more
- Full-scale single family offices are most common at US$250 million or more in investable assets
- A multi-family office serves multiple unrelated families; typically suited for US$30-$100 million
- A virtual family office coordinates outsourced specialists rather than maintaining a full in-house team
- A family office works exclusively for one family; a private wealth manager serves many clients with potential product conflicts

## TFOA Economic Updates

- **URL:** https://tfoa.info/media/economic-updates/
- **Description:** TFOA's monthly Economic Update for single family offices, covering US Gross Domestic Product (GDP), consumer and producer price inflation (CPI and PPI), and import and export price trends. The page holds the full archive of monthly reports from April 2024 to the present, each with a downloadable PDF and a summary of key figures sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

## Key Pages
- [Home](https://tfoa.info/): Global family office networking and co-investment hub.
- [Membership](https://tfoa.info/membership/): Join TFOA's curated network of single family offices.
- [Member Benefits](https://tfoa.info/member-benefits/): What TFOA membership includes.
- [Vision & Mission](https://tfoa.info/vision-mission/): TFOA's purpose and values.
- [Membership Principles](https://tfoa.info/membership-principles/): The six core values and code of conduct.
- [Symposium](https://tfoa.info/symposium/): TFOA's flagship family office event.
- [Open Track (Virtual)](https://tfoa.info/open-track/): Virtual access to the Symposium for non-members.
- [Family Office Glossary](https://tfoa.info/family-office-glossary/): Definitions of key family office terms.
- [Media Hub](https://tfoa.info/media/): Whitepapers, videos, and podcasts.
- [In the Press](https://tfoa.info/press/): Media coverage, interviews, and podcasts featuring TFOA and founder Marc Sharpe.
- [Family Office Statistics](https://tfoa.info/family-office-statistics/): Key family office statistics for 2026.

## Guides & Answers
- [Single Family Office vs Multi-Family Office](https://tfoa.info/single-family-office-vs-multi-family-office/): SFO vs MFO - control, privacy, cost, and how to choose.
- [How Much Money Do You Need for a Family Office?](https://tfoa.info/how-much-money-for-a-family-office/): Typical wealth thresholds and the cost to run a family office.
- [Family Office vs Wealth Manager vs Private Bank](https://tfoa.info/family-office-vs-wealth-manager/): How they differ in independence, scope, alignment, and cost.

## Whitepapers: Family Office Fundamentals
- [What Is a Single Family Office?](https://tfoa.info/publication/defining-family-office/): Defines the single family office and its purpose.
- [Creating a Single Family Office](https://tfoa.info/publication/creating-a-single-family-office/): Framework for establishing an SFO.
- [How Do You Create a Family Office?](https://tfoa.info/publication/creating-a-family-office/): Practical steps for building an SFO.
- [Family Office Governance](https://tfoa.info/publication/family-office-governance/): Governance structures and family constitutions.
- [Family Office Infrastructure](https://tfoa.info/publication/family-office-infrastructure/): Building the operational backbone of an SFO.
- [Family Office Staffing](https://tfoa.info/publication/single-family-office-staffing/): How to staff a single family office.
- [Family Office Leadership: Building Your Team](https://tfoa.info/publication/team-leadership-for-single-family-offices/): Leadership archetypes and team-building.
- [Family Office Technology](https://tfoa.info/publication/technology-for-single-family-offices/): Technology needs and selection for SFOs.
- [Consolidated Reporting](https://tfoa.info/publication/consolidated-reporting/): Turning fragmented data into usable information.
- [Family Office Risk Management](https://tfoa.info/publication/family-office-risk-management/): Identifying and managing family office risk.
- [Advisor Selection](https://tfoa.info/publication/selecting-advisors-for-single-family-offices/): Choosing advisors for an SFO.
- [Multi-Family Office: Theory vs Practice](https://tfoa.info/publication/multi-family-office/): An honest look at the MFO model.
- [Family Office Networks](https://tfoa.info/publication/family-office-networks/): Evaluating family office networks and business models.
- [The Family Office Industry](https://tfoa.info/publication/family-office-industry/): The two contradictory laws every family office faces.
- [Family Wealth in Three Generations](https://tfoa.info/publication/reconsidering-family-wealth-in-three-generations/): Reconsidering the "shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves" myth.
- [Family Office Dynamics: When Wealth Meets Strategy](https://tfoa.info/publication/family-office-dynamics-when-wealth-meets-strategy/): Where legacy, priorities, and strategy converge.

## Whitepapers: Investing & Strategy
- [SFO Direct Investing Survey](https://tfoa.info/publication/sfo-direct-investing-survey/): Original TFOA member survey on family office direct investing.
- [Family Office Venture Capital](https://tfoa.info/publication/venture-capital-for-single-family-offices/): Building a proactive VC program.
- [Family Offices and Digital Assets](https://tfoa.info/publication/family-offices-approaches-digital-assets/): How family offices approach digital assets.
- [Bitcoin as a Strategic Asset](https://tfoa.info/publication/bitcoin-as-a-strategic-asset-for-family-offices/): The case for bitcoin in a family office portfolio.
- [GPU-Based Infrastructure](https://tfoa.info/publication/gpu-based-infrastructure-a-new-frontier-for-family-office-investing/): A new frontier for family office investing.
- [Private Debt Secondaries](https://tfoa.info/publication/private-debt-secondaries/): The private debt secondaries opportunity.
- [Merchant Cash Advances](https://tfoa.info/publication/merchant-cash-advance-industry/): Family office investing in the MCA industry.
- [Real Estate Royalties](https://tfoa.info/publication/real-estate-royalties-for-multi-generational-families/): Real estate royalties for multi-generational families.
- [Direct Investing via Independent Sponsors](https://tfoa.info/publication/a-family-office-guide-for-direct-investing-via-independent-sponsors/): A family office guide to independent sponsors.
- [Family Offices and Small Buyouts](https://tfoa.info/publication/family-offices-small-buyouts/): Why family offices should pursue small buyouts.
- [The Renaissance of Energy](https://tfoa.info/publication/the-renaissance-of-energy/): The energy investment renaissance for family offices.
- [Family Office Capital in National Security](https://tfoa.info/publication/the-role-of-family-office-capital-in-national-security/): The role of family office capital in national security.
- [Why Venture-Backed Immigrant Founders Succeed](https://tfoa.info/publication/why-venture-backed-immigrant-founders-succeed/): Data on immigrant founder outperformance.
- [Strategic Planning with Life Insurance](https://tfoa.info/publication/family-office-life-insurance/): Life insurance in family office planning.

## Whitepapers: Philanthropy, Impact & Legacy
- [Family Office Philanthropy](https://tfoa.info/publication/family-office-philanthropy/): Effective, joyful giving with strategy and measurement.
- [Conscious Capitalism & Impact Investing](https://tfoa.info/publication/impact-investment/): What "impact" really means for family offices.
- [The Story of TFOA](https://tfoa.info/publication/history-of-tfoa/): How TFOA built a trusted family office community.
- [The Math Behind Career and Life Success](https://tfoa.info/publication/the-math-behind-career-and-life-success/): The success equation for career and life.

## Media
- [Watch: TFOA Videos](https://tfoa.info/media/watch/): Short-form video insights on family office topics.
- [Listen: TFOA Podcast](https://tfoa.info/media/listen/): Audio discussions on single family office topics.

## Optional
- [Sitemap](https://tfoa.info/sitemap_index.xml)