Sophie Pelka is Co-Founder of the Give It Forward Trust, a key donor for the Lotus Flower and one of our most loyal supporters. GIFT works by encouraging individuals to make meaningful funding commitments that sustainably transform the lives of the disadvantaged. Here, we chat to Sophie to find out about her vision of more effective philanthropy, and why she so firmly believes in our work…
Firstly Sophie, what’s your career background?
“I worked in London for 10 years in investment banking, leverage finance and private equity. I really enjoyed my job, and learned about successful business models, in depth analysis of private companies, due diligence processes, and complex transactions. I was able to acquire a broad range of competences that are serving me today in making our philanthropy more impactful.”
How did you move into philanthropy?
“We live in a small town in the Swiss mountains and while focusing on motherhood, I got involved with volunteering at the school and the local ski club. I started giving back, and it felt good. Travel was also a big thing for our family, and though I’d planned to return to finance, something changed during a round-the-world trip we took. I realised I didn’t get to where I was because of always making great decisions, but because I’d been lucky from day one. That realisation made me want to do more in philanthropy – but do it better.”
So that’s how GIFT came to be?
“Yes. I began taking online philanthropy courses, and saw it was exactly the job I was doing before, but in an industry that spoke to me more. So my husband, myself and a friend created GIFT in 2020. The idea was twofold: to make philanthropy more impactful and strategic, and to try and convince other lucky individuals to join the journey. We knew we needed more people alongside us to have more leverage. Launching during the pandemic gave us a sense of urgency and purpose, and it was a time where I thought, ‘It's now that people really need help. Let's go’.”
Sophie with our Founder and CEO Taban
What makes GIFT different?
“The main thing is that we believe in two principles: long-term and unrestricted funding. Unrestricted funding sets us apart, because so many donors only offer project-linked funding. We don't want to intervene with the decisions an organisation is making because they know how to help people, not us. So once we've done our due diligence, we trust the organisation to get on with it. When people question unrestricted funding, I always say that we’d never expect a company like Apple to run without admin, strategy or marketing, so how can we expect to attract good people if those things aren’t supported?”
What do you look for in those you support?
“We want relationships that are based on trust and transparency. Those principles are close to my heart. Finding an organisation is easy, but choosing one and doing the due diligence is different. We apply the same criteria that we would in any private deal, so we focus on operations and ask: is the organisation efficient, is it achieving its goals and is it sustainable? We also look at governance, and whether it’s led by a capable and ethical management team. And we look at impact. The Lotus Flower ticks all those boxes.”
You often use the word ‘lucky.’ What do you mean by that?
“I tell people that lots of us are very lucky and it's quite easy to give back. It won't change your own life if you give 10% of your income, but it will be life-changing for those who are disadvantaged. We want to create more awareness of that and give those who were not born in the right time or place a chance. We should all be equal.”
“The Lotus Flower has shown it can collaborate with major organisations”
How many organisations are you supporting?
“We've got a portfolio of five, and are on-boarding a sixth. I'm keen for us to stay fairly small because it's nice to help organisations like the Lotus Flower who are at a critical stage of development, and it means we can take time to get to know them. Money is one aspect of philanthropy, but so is capacity-building and help with fundraising. There are many things we can bring to the table, but to do that requires time and focusing on a select number of high quality organisations.”
What attracts you to the Lotus Flower?
“We are a perfect match, because a big focus for us is women and girls, and our pillars are very similar too. We also look for organisations where beneficiaries are at the centre, and where solutions are locally led and implemented. The Lotus Flower is doing that in an incredible way. Taban (Shoresh) is also a strong leader who has gone through similar experiences and knows how to help people. The ability to collaborate is important when faced with so many complex problems too, and the Lotus Flower has shown it can collaborate with major organisations – such as UNHCR and CARE.”
You mentioned the importance of impact…
“Yes, people who give money want to feel good about what they give, and one of the ways we do that is to focus on impact. But we try not to impose ourselves on that, as impact measurement should not be achieved just to please a donor. It needs to be developed by the organisation to enable them to grow and improve their programs. Beneficiary feedback is a key component of that process. Women in the community know exactly how to help themselves. They have a voice, they just need to be empowered to use it and we need to listen. And once they’ve been helped, they want to give back too – that’s the ‘give it forward’ magic.”
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