Athan Lindsay

Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy

Athan has 25 years of experience working with individuals, collectives, and institutions to optimize their philanthropic impact where he has refined his process of:

EXPOSE EDUCATE ENGAGE.

He helps individuals, collectives and institutions use philanthropic tools to optimize their impact.

Athan has worked locally, regionally, and nationally with family foundations, community foundations, and health legacy foundations. He has also played a key leadership role in a national rural funders collaborative composed of national and regional grantmakers to leverage $100 million to support rural communities and families. He is the Architect and Visionary behind the BIG Equity Fund and helped to create and organize the Community Investment Network. Both initiatives engage donors of color as philanthropists to use collective philanthropy to fund the impact they want to see in their communities.

Athan is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy, a national accreditation that equips advisors to assist their clients and donors by using financial planning, estate planning, and gift planning to advance their personal financial goals for self and family, while also having a positive impact on their community.

In the field of philanthropy, Athan was recognized with the 2006 Emerging Leader Award by the Association of Black Foundation Executives and was chosen to be part of the 2023 Council on Foundation's Career Pathways Cohort.

Origins of Reasonable Service

I have this saying that I often used to encourage others in their philanthropy that comes from my grandmother’s wit and wisdom. My grandmother always reminded my cousins and I that whenever we were seeking to serve others we should always do that which is reasonable to the receiver and for the giver. When we see others in need we should take the appropriate action to meet their needs, without creating dependency or an extra load on ourselves. Too often in our efforts to do our reasonable service for others we don’t act in a manner that restores dignity and too often we neglect to take care of ourselves to prevent burn out. That is doing one’s reasonable service. Doing ones reasonable service is also a way for philanthropists to frame how they approach and engage in their community philanthropy. It offers an opportunity to be intentional and mindful of the existing power dynamics between the donor and recipient. It also fosters an approach that seeks to build understanding.

From the life lessons of Edith J. Lindsay, the Grandmother of Athan Lindsay.

Reasonable Service has been a theme throughout Athan's career and now he brings this lens to his new podcast. Look for episodes of "Reasonable Service" coming soon!