Donor Stories

He seems to own any room he enters. With his boisterous and booming voice, “Cheshire cat” smile, and colorful suits, without knowing Farad Ali, you might assume that he was born into a privileged life. But you’d be wrong. “I didn’t know I was poor, but I was poor,” Ali said. “I was born into…

“Hi Nana and Grandpa,” the email began, “After some serious consideration, I would like to donate my $500 to the Ocean Conservancy.” Nana and Grandpa, local residents who started a donor-advised fund when they moved to the area 14 years ago, were elated to receive the note from their oldest grandson. In response to their…

While not a new concept, giving circles have become an increasingly popular and important form of philanthropy, allowing a group of individuals to combine resources to have a larger funding impact on an organization or issue area. We believe in the power of collective giving to make great change, and are proud to administer and…

Rebecca Balter’s story began long before she was born. Balter comes from a long line of entrepreneurs; her family built a successful bank in Dresden, Germany at the turn of the 20th century. In fact, the family believed so much in building a legacy for their employees, that it was the first institution in Germany…

Cécile Noël would rather comfort a ten-year old Nicaraguan boy with a hole in his heart than attend a board meeting. “When he came at the beginning of the week, the boy had a cough and a runny nose so he couldn’t be evaluated for treatment because you can’t intubate someone who isn’t feeling well,”…

As Vice President of Operations at Methodist Home for Children, Ken Perry says that he has always had a passion for philanthropy. The human service agency that he has grown to become a pillar of provides safe, stable homes where at-risk children can thrive and ultimately succeed. The organization builds on strengths, nurtures hopes and…