Stephanie Ellis-Smith, Phīla Engaged Giving
Phīla Engaged Giving is a national, Black- and woman-owned advisory firm with offices in Seattle and Chicago. We are a values-based agency that uses our extensive experience in the social change sector to work one-on-one with our clients to help them develop meaningful philanthropic endeavors that speak to their values as well as to the needs of a more inclusive, supportive, and healthy society.
Philosophy/Approach:
As philanthropic advisors, our sole agenda is to cultivate informed, active, and joyful givers who are equipped with the tools and concepts to become meaningful partners to organizations that are affecting change. Our expertise includes but is not limited to: 1) Identifying the family’s philanthropic goals and desired outcomes; 2) Advising philanthropic vehicles based on goals and strategies; 3) Performing due diligence on charitable beneficiaries; 4) Researching and evaluating the impact of giving; 5) Educating family offices on philanthropy best practices.
Types of clients: Private foundations, corporations, individual donors
Issues/Focus: Arts & Culture, Civic, Economy, Education, Environment, Global Health, Science, Social
Specialization: The entire team has deep roots in nonprofit work focused on a wide range of issues such as environmental protection, the arts, social justice, international development, and community building. Furthermore, we believe in a philanthropic sector that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable as we know that communities function best when all voices are valued and heard. As the only Black-owned advisory firm working exclusively with families, we are compelled to bring more than just our professional expertise to the table, but our experiences with race and gender as well.
The expertise of Phīla Engaged Giving has been invaluable to our team at Kyndryl. Over the course of three phases of work, they have led us through critical thinking, strategic planning and governance decisions that have built a sound and solid plan for the launch of our corporate foundation, and one that our company’s leadership trusts.
—Martin Laird, Corporate Social Responsibility Leader, North America, The Kyndryl Corporation (1/2023)
Stephanie Ellis-Smith, Phīla Engaged Giving
