Following more than $8.5 million in charitable commitments during its inaugural year, Funds4Charity introduces a founding Donor Circle creating a new model for connecting philanthropists with nonprofits
Gladwyne, PA., September 15, 2026 — Funds4Charity will return to the Miami Beach Convention Center February 22–24, 2027, alongside iConnections Global Alts Miami, introducing a new model designed to connect philanthropists and nonprofit leaders more directly and move charitable capital toward impact.
Following an inaugural year that generated more than $8.5 million in charitable commitments, Funds4Charity 2027 will launch the Funds4Charity Donor Circle, a membership-based community of philanthropists who each make a $250,000 charitable commitment in advance of the event.
Funds4Charity applies the capital introduction model pioneered by iConnections in alternative investments to philanthropy. Rather than asking nonprofit leaders to spend months cultivating prospective donors with no certainty of funding, Funds4Charity begins with capital that is already committed to giving.
Donor Circle members then meet a curated slate of vetted national and international nonprofits and determine where their charitable capital should go. The capital is 100% donor-directed. The idea reflects the broader iConnections philosophy of Capital in Motion: bringing the right people together to move capital toward opportunity.
“We believe improving connectivity between philanthropists and charities is the path forward. Too often philanthropy events lack meaningful representation from the incredible charity founders doing the work. When you put great philanthropists and great charities in the same room and give them the opportunity to connect directly, you can accelerate trust, accelerate funding and ultimately accelerate impact.” Lacey Abbott, President and Chair of Funds4Charity and Founder of Philos
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A New Donor Circle for Strategic Giving
Each Donor Circle member will make a $250,000 charitable commitment to the Funds4Charity 501(c)(3) before arriving in Miami. Members will receive curated introductions to vetted nonprofits, pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings with nonprofit founders and leaders, programming and affinity groups focused on strategic giving, and access to a network of philanthropists, family offices, foundations and principals.
Members will also have the opportunity to nominate a nonprofit for consideration to participate in Funds4Charity, as well as receive invitations to two celebrity charity dinners across 2026–2027. To preserve the independence of the process, nominated nonprofits are evaluated by the Funds4Charity team and cannot receive the nominating member’s own Donor Circle commitment. A private Donor Circle Welcome Reception will open the program on the evening of February 22.
“Nonprofits spend enormous time and energy trying to find their way into the right rooms with donors. Funds4Charity flips that model. We bring together charitable capital that is already committed to giving with organizations ready to put it to work. In 2026 alone, donors directed more than $8.5 million through Funds4Charity. With more than $326 billion currently held in donor-advised funds across the U.S., the opportunity is far greater. Our goal is to help build the bridge between that capital and the nonprofits creating meaningful impact.”
Ron Biscardi, Co-Founder and CEO of iConnections
Funds4Charity x Philos Extends the Relationship Beyond the Event
Funds4Charity is also introducing Funds4Charity x Philos, with Philos joining as the organization’s emotional stewardship partner. Through the partnership, donors will receive a personalized Impact Portfolio™ featuring photo and video updates that document where their charitable commitments went, the people and communities reached, and the impact made throughout the year.
“Through Funds4Charity x Philos, we’ll follow the stories and impact behind the commitments made through Funds4Charity. The relationship doesn’t end when the commitment is made. Donors will be able to continue following the work and see what their generosity makes possible.”
Lacey Abbott, President and Chair of Funds4Charity and Founder of Philos
Building on More Than $8.5 Million in Inaugural-Year Commitments
Funds4Charity launched in 2026 alongside Global Alts Miami, bringing together approximately 80 vetted nonprofits and 100 philanthropists, alongside family offices and foundations. Participating organizations included the Turn 2 Foundation, founded by Derek Jeter; Big Green, co-founded by Kimbal Musk; All Hands and Hearts, co-founded by Petra Němcová; the David Ortiz Children’s Fund; Teach For America; charity: water; and To Write Love on Her Arms.
Speakers included charity: water founder Scott Harrison, Petra Němcová and Callahan “Cal” Walsh, Executive Director of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Philanthropic leaders in attendance included Rob Walton, Lili Buffett, and John Arnold.
One moment during the inaugural gathering helped inspire the new Donor Circle model: entrepreneur and philanthropist Beck Bulat made a $1 million commitment from the stage, demonstrating what could happen when a donor committed capital first and determined where to direct it after engaging with participating organizations.
“Participating in Funds4Charity was a truly meaningful experience, and I’m proud my commitment helped inspire the new model moving forward,” Bulat said. “For me, philanthropy is also about the example I set for my daughters. I want them to grow up knowing that what matters is not only what we achieve or what we have, but what we choose to do for others.”
iConnections donated venue resources, technology and logistical support to the inaugural Funds4Charity event, helping ensure resources flowed toward participating nonprofit organizations rather than event overhead.
About Funds4Charity
Funds4Charity is a philanthropic capital introduction platform connecting philanthropists, family offices and foundations with vetted nonprofit organizations. Built on the capital introduction expertise behind iConnections, Funds4Charity uses curation, technology and intentional one-on-one meetings to connect charitable capital with organizations positioned to create meaningful impact. Funds4Charity returns to the Miami Beach Convention Center February 22–24, 2027.
About iConnections
iConnections is a global financial technology platform connecting allocators, fund managers and service providers across alternative investments. Its flagship Global Alts Miami features more than 21,000 pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings, 200+ speakers and four days of programming. In 2026, Global Alts Miami brought together approximately 5,500 decision-makers representing more than $55 trillion in assets.
Funds4Charity builds on prior iConnections philanthropic initiatives including Funds4Food, Funds4Minds, Funds4Ukraine, Funds4Kids and Funds4Teachers.
