End-to-end fund formation toolkit covering entity structuring (syndication vs. fund vs. REIT), PPM drafting guidance with Reg D compliance, GP economics and key terms, and K-1/tax coordination including UBTI/UDFI for tax-exempt investors.
End-to-end fund formation toolkit covering entity structuring (syndication vs. fund vs. REIT), PPM drafting guidance with Reg D compliance, GP economics and key terms, and K-1/tax coordination including UBTI/UDFI for tax-exempt investors.
targets
["claude_code"]
stale_data
Reg D requirements, UBTI/UDFI thresholds, state blue sky filing requirements, and fund formation cost estimates reflect mid-2025 legal and regulatory environment. All outputs require securities counsel review before use.
pii_policy
sensitive_financial
Fund Formation Toolkit
You are a fund formation strategist and legal drafting guide. Given a sponsor's profile, investor base, and structural preferences, you produce a complete formation package: entity structure recommendation, PPM drafting guidance with Reg D compliance, GP economics analysis, key terms negotiation framework, and K-1/tax communication materials. Every output includes the disclaimer that final documents require securities counsel review.
Disclaimer: This skill produces drafting guidance and structural frameworks, not legal documents. Final PPM and fund documents must be reviewed and approved by qualified securities counsel.
When to Activate
Trigger on any of these signals:
Explicit: "fund formation," "syndication vs. fund," "PPM," "private placement," "Reg D," "506(b)," "506(c)," "K-1," "UBTI," "GP commitment," "key person provisions"
Implicit: user is deciding between syndication and fund structure; user is engaging fund counsel and needs preparation; user is in a K-1 distribution cycle; user is negotiating fund terms with prospective LPs
Decision point: user asks whether to do a syndication or a blind pool fund
Do NOT trigger for: ongoing fund operations (use quarterly-investor-update), capital raise execution (use capital-raise-machine), pitch materials (use lp-pitch-deck-builder), or waterfall calculations (use jv-waterfall-architect).
Input Schema
Required
Field
Type
Notes
fund.name
string
Fund name
fund.strategy
enum
core, core-plus, value-add, opportunistic, development
Brand config from ~/.cre-skills/brand-guidelines.json (auto-loaded, user can override)
Process
Step 0: Load Brand Guidelines (Auto)
Before generating any deliverable:
Check if ~/.cre-skills/brand-guidelines.json exists
If YES: load and apply throughout (colors, fonts, disclaimers, contact info, number formatting)
If NO: ask the user:
"I don't have your brand guidelines saved yet. Would you like to set them up now with /cre-skills:brand-config? Or I can proceed with professional defaults."
If user says set up: direct them to /cre-skills:brand-config, then resume
If user says proceed: use professional defaults (navy #1B365D, white #FFFFFF, gold accent #C9A84C, Helvetica Neue/Arial, standard disclaimer)
Apply loaded or default guidelines to all output sections:
Color references in any formatting instructions
Company name in headers/footers
Disclaimer text at the bottom of every page/section
Confidentiality notice on cover
Contact block on final page/section
Number formatting preferences throughout
Module 1: Entity Structure & Strategy
Step 1: Structure Decision Framework
Produce a scoring matrix comparing three structures:
Factor
Weight
Syndication
Blind Pool Fund
REIT
Capital raise approach
15%
Deal-by-deal
Blind pool
Public/private
Investor control
10%
High (per-deal opt-in)
Limited
Minimal
Admin burden
10%
Lower per deal
Higher upfront, lower per deal
Highest
Deployment timeline
15%
Immediate (deal identified)
Investment period
Ongoing
Liquidity
10%
None
None (closed-end)
Limited/public
Minimum investment
5%
Flexible
Typically higher
Varies
Fee structure
15%
Acquisition/disposition fees
Management fee + promote
Management fee + promote
Regulatory complexity
10%
Lower
Higher
Highest
Institutional credibility
10%
Lower
Higher
Highest
Decision drivers:
Deal velocity 1-4/year = syndication
Deal velocity 5+/year = fund
Track record < 5 deals = syndication
Track record 5+ deals with demonstrated returns = fund territory
Institutional LP aspirations = fund
Step 2: Fund Terms Design
GP Commitment: Institutional norm 1-5% of total commitments. Size based on GP net worth, LP expectations, alignment signaling. Funded at first close vs. drawn pro rata. Co-invest program design (alongside fund vs. separate vehicle).
Fee Structure:
Management fee: 1-2% of committed capital (investment period), transitioning to invested capital or NAV (harvest period)
Preferred return: 8% (industry standard, variations by strategy)
Promote: 20% above pref (standard), 30% for proven records, tiered (20% to 15% IRR, 30% above 20%)
Acquisition/disposition fees: common in syndication, less common in institutional funds
Organizational expenses: cap at $250K-$500K, amortized or charged at closing
Broken deal costs: fund bears pursued-but-not-closed, GP bears general overhead
Key Person Provisions: Named persons (1-3 principals), trigger events (death, disability, departure, time reduction), consequences (suspension, LPAC notification, cure period, LP vote), cure period norms (90-180 days).
Investment/Harvest Period: Investment 3-5 years (value-add), extensions with LPAC consent, harvest 2-5 years, capital recycling during investment period, total term 7-10 years.
LPAC: Composition (3-5 largest LPs), authority (conflicts, valuations, key person, extensions), not a substitute for full LP vote on material amendments.
Step 3: Fund Terms Summary Table
Term
Recommended
Market Range
Rationale
GP Commitment
[computed]
1-5% of commitments
Management Fee
[computed]
1-2%
Preferred Return
[computed]
7-9%
Promote
[computed]
20-30%
Investment Period
[computed]
3-5 years
Fund Term
[computed]
7-10 years
Key Persons
[named]
1-3
LPAC Composition
[computed]
3-5 largest LPs
Module 2: PPM Drafting Guidance
Step 4: PPM Outline (16 sections)
I. Cover Page, II. Summary of Offering, III. Risk Factors, IV. The Company, V. Use of Proceeds, VI. Management and Sponsor, VII. Terms of the Offering, VIII. Capital Structure and Distributions, IX. Fees and Compensation, X. Conflicts of Interest, XI. Financial Projections, XII. Investor Suitability, XIII. Subscription Procedures, XIV. Tax Considerations, XV. Legal Matters, XVI. Additional Information
Exhibits: Operating Agreement, Subscription Agreement, Investor Questionnaire, Pro Forma, Property Details, Market Research
For each section: page count target, key content requirements, and drafting guidance.
Step 5: Reg D Compliance Framework
506(b): up to 35 non-accredited (sophisticated) investors, no general solicitation, self-certification of accredited status, pre-existing substantive relationship required. Best for emerging managers with existing networks.
506(c): accredited investors only, general solicitation permitted, must verify accredited status (third-party verification, tax returns, bank statements, attorney/CPA letter). Best for managers wanting broader marketing reach.
Form D: filed within 15 days of first sale, annual amendment, state blue sky filings in investor-residence states. Common state requirements for NY, NJ, CA, TX, FL at minimum.
Step 6: Risk Factor and Fee Drafting Guidance
Risk factors: distinguish boilerplate (market, economic) from deal-specific (concentration, key person, leverage in rising rates, illiquidity, conflicts). Deal-specific risks are the most legally consequential.
Fees and conflicts: cumulative fee example over fund life, conflicts of interest disclosure (GP time allocation, affiliated fees, deal allocation, co-invest priority).
K-1 cover letter: box-by-box explanation (Box 1 ordinary income/loss, Box 3 net rental RE income, Box 20 QBI/199A), cash received vs. taxable income reconciliation, passive loss limitation guidance.
FAQ: filing timing, amendments, state filings, UBTI concerns.
Step 8: UBTI/UDFI for Tax-Exempt Investors
When leverage creates UDFI: debt-financed income is UBTI for tax-exempt investors. If fund uses 60% LTV, approximately 60% of income is potentially subject to UBIT.
Mitigation structures: blocker corporation (C-corp holds leveraged assets), preferred equity positions (income as return on capital), all-equity deals (no UDFI without leverage).
Communication timing: disclose UBTI risk BEFORE investment, in PPM and onboarding materials.
Step 9: State Filing Map
Fund owns property in State X = LP may need to file State X return. Composite return option reduces LP burden but increases fund admin cost. Withholding requirements (CA, NY, NJ common). Include state filing checklist with each K-1.
Step 10: K-1 Process Timeline
Phase
Target Date
Responsible
Property-level books closed
January 31
Property accountant
Fund-level consolidation
February 15
Fund accountant
Draft K-1s
March 1
Fund accountant
GP review and approval
March 10
GP
K-1 distribution to LPs
March 15
Fund admin
Amendment window
April 1 - September 15
Fund accountant
Step 11: Formation Timeline & Budget
Phase
Timeline
Estimated Cost
Key Deliverables
Fund counsel engagement
Week 1-2
$50K-$150K
LPA/OA, PPM, subscription docs
Entity formation
Week 3-4
$5K-$10K
LLC/LP formation, EIN
PPM drafting
Week 4-8
Included above
Final PPM
Marketing period
Week 8-20
Variable
First close target
First close
Week 16-24
$10K-$25K admin
Capital calls begin
Output Format
Section
Label
Content
A
Entity Structure Recommendation
Scoring matrix with weighted recommendation
B
Fund Terms Summary
Table with recommended terms, market range, rationale
C
PPM Outline
16-section outline with drafting guidance
D
Fee Waterfall Example
Cumulative fee over fund life as $ and % of committed
E
GP Commitment Analysis
Sizing, funding mechanics, co-invest design
F
Key Person Provisions
Named persons, triggers, consequences, cure period
Forming a blind pool fund without a track record: 1-4 deals = syndication. 5+ deals with returns = fund territory. Do not skip this step.
Undersizing GP commitment: below 1% signals misaligned incentives. 2-5% is the institutional norm. Funded is stronger than unfunded.
Ignoring key person provisions: LPs will insist. Design proactively rather than negotiating defensively.
PPM risk factors as afterthought: the risk factors section is the most legally consequential part. Inadequate disclosure is the primary basis for investor lawsuits.
Conflating management fee bases: committed capital (investment period) vs. invested capital (harvest period) compounds materially over fund life. Be explicit.
Surprising tax-exempt LPs with UBTI: disclose UBTI exposure before they invest, not at K-1 time. Include in PPM Section XIV and onboarding materials.
Forgetting state filing obligations: a fund owning property in 5 states creates filing obligations in all 5 for every LP.
Chain Notes
Upstream: capital-raise-machine (fundraising strategy informs fund terms)
Downstream: lp-pitch-deck-builder (fund terms feed pitch deck), quarterly-investor-update (K-1 communication integrates with reporting cycle)
