GLADWYNE, PA — Funds4Charity will require members of a new donor group to commit $250,000 to charitable giving before its February 2027 gathering in Miami Beach, expanding a philanthropy model that generated more than $8.5 million in commitments during its inaugural year.
The Funds4Charity Donor Circle will connect participating philanthropists with vetted nonprofits through pre-scheduled meetings and other programming at the Miami Beach Convention Center Feb. 22 through Feb. 24. The event will run alongside iConnections Global Alts Miami.
Each member will commit $250,000 to the Funds4Charity 501(c)(3) before the event, with donors retaining control over which participating organizations ultimately receive their money.
The structure adapts the capital-introduction model used by iConnections in alternative investments. Funds4Charity begins with charitable capital already committed and then introduces donors to nonprofit founders and executives seeking funding.
“We bring together charitable capital that is already committed to giving with organizations ready to put it to work,” iConnections co-founder and CEO Ron Biscardi stated.
Donor Circle members will receive curated introductions and one-on-one meetings with nonprofit leaders, along with access to philanthropists, family offices, foundations and other principals. Members can also nominate nonprofits for consideration.
Funds4Charity will independently evaluate nominated organizations, and a donor will not be permitted to direct their own $250,000 Donor Circle commitment to an organization they nominated. Members will also receive invitations to two charity dinners during 2026 and 2027.
The organization is separately introducing Funds4Charity x Philos, a partnership intended to provide donors with ongoing information about organizations receiving their contributions. Philos will serve as an “emotional stewardship partner” and provide personalized portfolios containing photo and video updates on the use and impact of charitable commitments.
Funds4Charity debuted in 2026 alongside Global Alts Miami with about 80 vetted nonprofits and 100 philanthropists, as well as family offices and foundations. Donors directed more than $8.5 million in charitable commitments through the program.
Participating nonprofits included the Turn 2 Foundation, Big Green, All Hands and Hearts, the David Ortiz Children’s Fund, Teach For America, charity: water and To Write Love on Her Arms.
Funds4Charity President and Chair Lacey Abbott indicated the Donor Circle is intended to reduce the time nonprofits spend cultivating prospective donors without certainty that funding is available.
“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,” Abbott stated.
The new structure was partly inspired by entrepreneur and philanthropist Beck Bulat, who made a $1 million commitment during the inaugural gathering before determining how the money would be distributed among participating organizations.
iConnections provided venue resources, technology and logistical support for the inaugural event, allowing charitable resources to be directed toward participating nonprofits rather than those event costs.
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