Grant Philanthropic Advisors is an independent firm helping you to focus and maximize your philanthropy—in turn, strengthening the fabric of our communities.
Philanthropy at its best creates meaning, joy and legacy. Grant Philanthropic Advisors was founded in 2019 to help donors move from responsive patterns of giving by assisting clients to identify values and become more strategic in their philanthropy. Our goal is to help donors to become more effective as change-makers.
To foster the distinctly personal, human endeavor of philanthropy, Grant Philanthropic Advisors’ founder Kaky Grant is dedicated to assisting philanthropists to coalesce around values and giving priorities.
Just as you work to create success in other areas of your life, it makes sense to pursue philanthropy with planning and purpose. The question is, how best to give and to benefit the local, regional or global-reach causes and organizations that you admire—or have yet to discover.
How do you help to make the world a better, more resilient place? Grant Philanthropic Advisors is here to help you distill your values, define the mission of your giving, and take action.
Discover and define personal and family values and priorities.
Incorporate plans and strategy for more effective giving.
Develop a portfolio of philanthropy that is targeted and meaningful.
Evaluate opportunities and options to support nonprofit groups, causes and institutions.
Kaky McGinness Grant’s grandmother in Tennessee was an avid volunteer into her 80s. “Make us ever mindful of the needs of others,” she’d say, and take young Kaky with her on some of her weekly visits to volunteer at a local nursing home.
After earning a degree in art history, Kaky began to find her way to her own passions for volunteering, as well as start to shape a career working with nonprofit organizations and donors. She began by fundraising for the Smithsonian National Zoo and The Field School, both in Washington, DC. For 15 years, she worked as a consultant for CapDev, a boutique consulting firm in North Carolina that helps nonprofit organizations develop capital campaign and major gift strategies.
In 2010, she moved to Charleston with her husband, Carter Grant, a Charlestonian whose law practice specializes in tax and estate planning.
Kaky created Grant Philanthropic Advisors in 2019 to provide a new option for individuals, families, family offices and foundations looking to cultivate deeper meaning and impact with their giving.
In Charleston, Kaky has served as the board president of the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry and the local alumni chapter for Davidson College. She is currently a Trustee of Charleston Day School. Kaky earned her Master’s degree in Philanthropic Studies from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University in 2023. She is a 21/64 Certified Advisor. And she finds new purpose in raising the Grant’s three children to involve them in volunteering and giving projects.
“I want to inspire them,” Kaky says, “Just as my grandmother did for me.”
We listen to families’ and individuals’ dreams for their philanthropy and the legacy they hope to create in the world. Our work drives to the essence of who our clients are and we listen with compassion. No two clients are the same; therefore our approach to serving each client is individualistic.
We design and help implement plans for our clients to reach their greatest effectiveness as philanthropists. We value a data driven approach; we encourage learning about community needs and issue area topics; and we urge clients to listen to community leaders on the front lines. All yield an effective decision making process.
We believe that joy fuels creativity and connection. We approach our work, our colleagues, and our clients with optimism, gratitude, and purpose. We create an environment where people feel energized to contribute, where successes are celebrated, and challenges are met with curiosity.
We strive to do the right thing by our clients and our communities every time, even when no one is watching. We recognize that hiring a philanthropic advisor requires trust. We will honor your philanthropic mission and intent through our work.
Work in CollaborationWe work collaboratively with our clients and community partners to design the philanthropic and community impact our clients hope to achieve.
Embracing a Growth MindsetWe see every experience as a chance to learn and grow. By embracing a growth mindset, our team stays curious, open, and adaptable. We encourage our clients to ask good questions, take smart risks, and view challenges as opportunities for growth.
We believe that the world is at its best with thoughtful philanthropy. Our mission is to create and seek out values-driven, strategic and effective philanthropic opportunities on behalf of our clients. We look forward to working with you.
Interested to learn more? Please join our mailing list for regular updates about opportunities and happenings in philanthropy, and special events for friends of Grant Philanthropic Advisors.
