We are a philanthropy fund devoted to empowering girls and women worldwide by investing in innovations in education, healthcare and entrepreneurship. The ella fund is a donor-advised philanthropy fund sheltered by the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation. We are not experienced philanthropists or big charity benefactors – we’re just regular women who were lucky enough to have been born in circumstances providing us with the opportunity to live to our potential without having to think about it. Our fund is governed by a Steering Committee consisting of founder and CEO Erin Gainer-Grigaliūnė and family members Kelly Gainer Zegger and Shauna Dorsey Parente. The matriarch in our family – Kelly’s and Erin’s mother and Shauna’s grandmother, Bridget – always emphasised that whatever we do, we must be financially independent, and instilled into us an incredible work ethic. To this day, we work hard to succeed and to generate positive change whether at home, at school, in our careers or in our communities. We are thrilled to have begun project investments in late 2017 and to have had the opportunity to take part in 18 projects so far.