Direct Participation Program (DPP)

See: Limited Partnership.

When you directly participate in an investment as a collective or group, it's likely that the corporate structure of your investment vehicle is that of a DPP, or Direct Participation Program.

More commonly known as limited partnerships, these entities raise money from investors called limited partners and then invest those funds in ventures involving real estate, oil and gas exploration, or equipment leasing. Or sometimes all of the above, although that's not very common.

These tend to be high-risk, high-reward ventures with a long time horizon. They're usually available only to very wealthy individuals and institutional investors.