Ep 41. Anna Josse, Founder & CEO Prism the Gift Fund: The Joy of Giving, without the hassle of admin!

05/01/23 • 40 min

“Gift Aid, yes people know about it (but) they still dont understand it... there is about £750m unclaimed in Gift Aid every year, split between smaller charities unable to claim or dont have the skills to do it and higher rate tax-payers not really understanding ... how they could be claiming an additional 25% on the gross (donation) in their tax returns.”
Our guest today is Anna Josse, Founder and CEO of Prism the Gift Fund.
Prism is a UK-based charity that is changing the face of philanthropy. Prism’s mission is to increase the flow of funds into the charitable sector, through creating efficiencies in the process of giving.
Prism offers a unique and straight-forward alternative to setting up a charitable foundation, enabling donors to give tax-efficiently without the administrative hassle. Since its inception in 2005, Prism has facilitated over £550m in donations to thousands of charities across the world.
In this episode, we dive into the different services offered by Prism, including Donor Advised Funds and Collective Funds. We explore how their innovative approach is revolutionising mid to high level giving in the UK, and also discuss the rise of the Philanthropy Paradox.
Anna shares her insights on how the UK charity sector can learn from the American approach to philanthropy, as well as her vision for making philanthropy accessible to all.
Recorded February 2023.
Guest Biography
Anna Josse is the Founder and CEO of Prism the Gift Fund (Prism). Prism’s aim is to increase the flow of funds into the charity sector.
Previously, she worked in the high-tech industry and set up the Yazam EU office as Director of Investor Relations and set up and ran the British arm of a USA based charity, the New Israel Fund. Anna also acts as a trustee and advisor for several charities. She is the director and shareholder of the financial services company Regent Capital that specialises in investment products and services to UK-based HNW investors
Links
https://prismthegiftfund.co.uk/
This episode is sponsored by Society https://www.society-search.com/

Previous Episode

Ep 40. Ella Gudwin, CEO VisionSpring: Enabling a billion people to see

“Creating One VisionSpring is anchored in what we do, so our mission and our social enterprise models, and its anchored in how we do it, and that is in the values that are at the heart of our teamwork... I cant emphasise enough how much values are critical to our success.”
There are over a billion people in the world who don’t have the eye-glasses they need.
VisionSpring is a non-profit that provides affordable eyeglasses to people in need. The organisation aims to improve the lives of people, particularly in low income settings, by increasing access to eyeglasses.
With partnerships in over 43 countries they are on a mission to make the wonder of clear vision possible for everyone.
My guest today is Ella Gudwin, CEO of VisionSpring. Under Ella’s leadership, VisionSpring has tripled its impact, selling over 10 million affordable eyeglasses in emerging and frontier markets.
Ella talks about how eyeglasses improve daily functioning, productivity and earning potential, creating a greater likelihood of a pathway out of poverty. We discuss hybrid business models, Board dynamics, mentoring and developing organisational values. Ella shares her insights on taking over from a Founder and what it means to have received a transformational $15m gift from Mackenzie Scott.
Recorded February 2022.
Guest Biography
Ella Gudwin is CEO of the social enterprise VisionSpring, which accelerates the uptake of eyeglasses among people who live on less than $4 a day. Under Ella's leadership, VisionSpring will correct the vision of 10 million low-income adults and children, unlocking $2.16 billion in income earning potential at the household level.
Ella is a global health strategist with more than 20 years of experience. Her passions for social justice and economic development took root while living and working in Indonesia during the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the ensuing people power revolution.
Prior to joining VisionSpring, Ella served as senior vice president of strategy and programme development at the global health and emergency response organization, AmeriCares. Ella has also led humanitarian operations as vice president of emergency response, and managed access to medicine and other health interventions in ten countries as director of Asia and Eurasia partnerships. Previously, Ella served as the head of foreign government and board relations at the Population Council, focused on reproductive health, youth, and poverty.
Ella regularly speaks about hybrid business models that blend earned revenue with philanthropy; growing a purpose-driven business; and measuring social impact. She has shared views with audiences of NPR/PRI, Forbes, The Guardian, Fortune, Skoll World Forum, SoCap, Duke, MIT, Stanford, Princeton and Yale universities, and the Clinton Global Initiative among others.
Ella earned a Masters degree in Emerging Market Economics and Southeast Asia studies from SAIS, Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelors from Vassar College. Ella is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Ella and her daughter enjoy getting out of the city for walks in the woods.
Links
https://visionspring.org/
https://www.unlockherpotential.com
https://www.thegirlsnetwork.org.uk/

Next Episode

Ep 42. Areeba Hamid and Will McCallum co-Executive Directors, Greenpeace UK: Co-leading for Change

“We have won the war on climate denial... (but) we cannot underestimate what an enormous fight this is... the climate movement being mainstream doesn’t mean we have the power to make change happen yet.”
In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with not one, but two impressive non-profit leaders: Areeba Hamid and Will McCallum, co-Executive Directors of Greenpeace UK.
What's unique about Areeba and Will is that together they have shattered several barriers in their leadership roles. Areeba is the first woman and person of colour to lead Greenpeace UK, and, they are the first duo to assume this position.
We dive into the essential role that Greenpeace continues to play in today's world, where the climate movement has become mainstream, and how their work continues to influence policy and drive social change.
We explore the co-leadership model that Areeba and Will have adopted, discovering what makes it work and how they navigate conflicts. They also share valuable advice for other charity leaders and organisations who may be contemplating this approach. Recorded April 2023.
Guest Biographies
Areeba Hamid is co-Executive Director of Greenpeace UK. Areeba has worked at senior levels in Greenpeace offices around the world from 2006-2020, campaigning on issues like marine conservation, coal expansion in India, rainforest destruction in Indonesia, and tar sands in Canada and North America. Areeba re-joined Greenpeace UK from The Sunrise Project, where she led their global finance program. She is also a board member of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants. Born in India, she will be the first woman and first person of colour to lead Greenpeace in the UK.
Will McCallum is co-Executive Director of Greenpeace UK. Prior to this, he was Head of Oceans at Greenpeace UK from 2015-22. Will led campaigns on sustainable fisheries, including working alongside low impact fishing communities. He founded and led the international 30x30 campaign geared to create ocean sanctuaries in international and national waters. Before that, he oversaw the launch of Greenpeace UK’s first campaigns on plastic, helping reshape the global conversation about plastic waste away from litter to being one about reducing production. He is the author of the book, How to Give Up Plastic, which has been translated into 12 languages.
Links
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/