The Grafton Street Fund
A donor-advised fund bringing a little money and a lot of thought to philanthropy
The mission of GSF is to seek out, promote, and support innovative and successful non-profit organizations.
On a practical level, the Membership plans on growing the fund over time, allowing the opportunity to present at least one annual grant towards a non-profit organization.
Looking more broadly, the Membership hopes to advance the concept of active charitable giving among young adults, relying on the Fund as a sustainable model for others to follow and improve.
Mission Background
In 2005, twelve friends formed the Grafton Street Fund (GSF) around the common goal of increasing the influence of their charitable giving by combining their finances, knowledge, and skills.
Having lived together in college, along the afore-mentioned Grafton Street, these friends had long shared an interest in the uniquely positive effect a non-profit organization can have on its surrounding community.
The creation of the Fund serves as both a commitment to charitable giving and as an acknowledgment that a small group of individuals working together can create affirmative and lasting change.
The Fund's main governing document is the Charter, which sets out responsibilities, powers and regulations for the Fund and its Members and Officers.
Giving
Grant recipient candidates are submitted by the Members in advance of the annual meeting, and are winnowed down to ten by the Board of Officers. These ten are discussed at the annual meeting, and one is selected thereafter. The Fund distributes a minimum of 5% of its corpus every year.
Governance
Officers are elected from the pool of all Members once yearly, and high turnover is encouraged. Members meet once per year to consider and discuss potential grant recipients, while officers meet at least quarterly to manage the Fund's business.
Investment of the Corpus
Investment strategy of the GSF corpus is done according to an agreed-upon general strategy, but specific investment decisions are the responsibility of the Treasurer. The Fund corpus resides with the American Endowment Foundation, which facilitates the operation of donor-advised funds like GSF.
How the Fund Works
Copyright 2007, The Grafton Street Fund. All rights reserved.
Were you actually looking for Grafton Street Restaurant and Bar in Cambridge, MA? We like them, too, and you can find them here.
2007 - Health in Harmony
2006 - Orphans of Rwanda
For more information on these organizations, check out Grant Recipients.
Interested in learning more about how a donor-advised fund works?
If you or someone you know might be interested in contributing to our experiment in venture philanthropy, please don't hesitate to contact us at info@graftonstreetfund.com.
Alternatively, you can write a check. Checks should be made payable to American Endowment Foundation / Grafton Street Fund and mailed to:
American Endowment Foundation
P.O. Box 911
Hudson, OH 44236-5911
Interested in contributing something other than cash? See this form for more information.
We keep all our donors up-to-date on our grant recommendations, investment strategy, and other key operational details of the fund, and of course, we welcome new ideas for innovative non-profits seeking catalytic grants from the Grafton Street Fund.
Want to contribute?