27th June 2025
A family have worked collaboratively using a Donor Advised Fund to strategically donate over £1 million to educational and mental health organisations and charitable causes.
Growing up hearing family stories, seeing their grandparents’ philanthropic work and the joy it could bring, planted the seeds for a new generation of philanthropists.
Intergenerational giving made easy
In 2015, ten family members visited Prism the Gift Fund after receiving a recommendation and established a Donor Advised Fund (DAF). They wanted to give but didn’t want to set up as a charity, and needed it to be straightforward and simple.
Wider family members were already involved in various charitable work and the group wanted to create a space for themselves.
“We wanted to learn, be part of the process, and give to charitable causes in a strategic and impactful way. As the younger generation in our family, it’s been meaningful to come together, share perspectives, and make decisions collaboratively about the charities we choose to support. Prism has enabled us to approach our giving with purpose, structure, and confidence.”
Building a philanthropic legacy
They have donated over £1 million to education and mental health organisations and charitable causes.
In 2018, they funded the partnership between PJAS and The Place To Be to improve teacher training in mental health and support services for children. Grants in 2018 and 2022 allowed Gesher School to fund an outdoor classroom and redevelop their therapeutic rooms, improving learning for neurodiverse pupils.
In 2019 and 2023, they provided funds for teachers to develop their skills and to strengthen learning in schools via the Holocaust Education Trust. In 2020, funds supported exhibitions and learning at the Imperial War Museum. In 2023, they funded Art Therapies for Children, allowing them to offer 35 more schools access to their services.
Donor Advised Funds make giving easy
A DAF is a cost-effective alternative to setting up a charity and gives donors time to focus on the giving whilst the administration, governance and compliance is all taken care of.
“There is a lot of knowledge and expertise in Prism. They brought so much to the conversation. It was so helpful when we were setting up at the beginning, trying to understand the best way to manage the fund and how to approach charities and organisations. It was invaluable. They are one of a kind. They do so much for us. Ellie, our relationship manager, oversees the monitoring and impact, takes notes, and creates project proposals for us to consider.”
An alternative to a charity, trust or foundation
In the past, many families would set up charities, trusts or foundations to manage their giving, but with increasing regulation and complexities, DAFs give philanthropists a more straightforward alternative with less administrative burden on clients. The team at Prism help oversee the monitoring and impact and provide, where needed, a pseudo-board structure allowing more people to be involved in the decision-making process.
“Working with Prism, we didn’t have to do it alone – they provide an umbrella of guidance, knowledge, and expertise as well as being able to claim 25% Gift Aid, which increased our donations.”
As Prism the Gift Fund celebrates its 20th anniversary and raising over $1 billion, we want to celebrate the innovators, change-makers, and donors we work with and the impact they are having around the globe. You can read more of their stories here: https://anniversary.prismthegiftfund.co.uk/
