Remarkably independent… for the way you give

Every good business idea begins with a problem. Ours was simple: Donor advised funds were frustratingly inflexible.

The solution, however, wasn’t quite as simple: Create a donor advised fund platform that’s both flexible and free of unnecessary restrictions and potential conflicts of interest.

It’s from that simple problem that the idea for iGiftFund was born.

In 1986, while spearheading one of the earliest donor advised account programs at The Cleveland Foundation, Phil Tobin began noticing a familiar pattern. For many of his clients, a limited menu of pooled investments was not what the donors wanted. Prospective donors often came with their trusted financial advisor, only to discover that there was no flexibility to tailor investments.

There were other limitations as well, such as contribution inflexibility (only certain asset types could be contributed); grant-making restrictions (regional focus and only 6% could be granted annually); programmatic limitations (grant-making limitations); succession limitations (often limited to one generation); and more.

Then there was the option of product-focused, commercial charitable fund accounts, which are equally challenging in that they offer a limited menu of proprietary, pooled investments.

The recurring question was:

“Why does this have to be so difficult?”

We saw an opportunity to reimagine donor advised funds with a more flexible, transparent, and donor-focused approach, complemented by a personal, familiar service experience.

The iGiftFund Difference

At iGiftFund, we’re working to transform the traditionally limited and inflexible world of donor advised funds into one that’s truly independent. This independence allows us to focus on and act in your best interests, while offering a uniquely personalized experience you won’t find anywhere else.

We believe philanthropy should be simple, straightforward, and enjoyable—without hidden agendas. It should leave you feeling confident and supported, not frustrated. Just as important, we believe in providing a level of service that feels personal and familiar, where you can easily connect with a real person who understands your goals and is here to help every step of the way.

Whether you’re just getting started and want flexibility for the future, or you’re looking for an alternative to the limitations of traditional programs, we invite you to connect with us. We’re confident that once you experience the difference our model and our team can make, you’ll see a better way to approach charitable giving.

We look forward to working with you.

Speak with Our Team

Our Mission & Vision

Mission

We inspire and empower donors to create, preserve and distribute their philanthropic legacy through tax-smart donor fund solutions and to make a truly remarkable impact on the lives of others, including the donor.

Vision

We envision a better world where individuals and families use their wealth to create lasting legacies and find fulfillment in knowing their life's work has made a meaningful difference.

Meet the Team

William A. Payne, JD

President/Chief Executive Officer

Bill is an attorney with more than 30 years of legal experience, including estate planning, probate, and trust administration. As President/CEO, he oversees iGiftFund’s overall business strategy and leads the organization’s long-term direction and growth.

A graduate of John Carroll University, Bill earned his law degree from Ohio Northern University and is admitted to practice in Ohio and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Bill is a member of the Northern Ohio Charitable Gift Planners and the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland. He has also been actively involved with numerous community and charitable organizations, including End 68 Hours of Hunger, Cub Scouts, Single Volunteers of Lake County, Leave a Legacy, and Women’s West Housing Corporation, and has served on planned giving advisory committees for John Carroll University, Ursuline College, and St. Gabriel Church.

A longtime Mentor, Ohio resident, Bill enjoys spending time with his family and traveling. He has visited nearly every state and numerous countries, with adventures ranging from Europe and India to backpacking the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal.

Sheilah E. Villanueva

Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer

Sheilah oversees iGiftFund’s operations and plays a key role in shaping and executing the organization’s strategic direction. Her responsibilities span operational strategy, systems, team development, donor and advisor experience, and the processes that support iGiftFund’s continued growth. Working across all areas of the organization, she turns strategy into execution while continually identifying opportunities to strengthen how iGiftFund serves donors and financial advisors.

She has been with iGiftFund since its inception in 2017, working alongside its founder to help build and grow the organization. She brought extensive nonprofit and charitable giving experience, including overseeing more than $1 billion in grants to over 80,000 charities through the Benevity Workplace Giving Program. Earlier in her career, she spent nine years with Cleveland Christian Home, including four as Assistant Controller.

Outside of work, she enjoys family time, cooking and baking, being active in her church, binge-watching anime and K-dramas, and spending time with Miiko, her Shih Tzu and iGiftFund’s self-appointed pawfficer.

Sarah Sebrell

Director of Fiscal Operations

Sarah has been with iGiftFund since September 2024. Sarah started her career at iGiftFund as the Finance Assistant and in January of 2026 she moved into a new role as Director of Fiscal Operations, where she oversees the fiscal department and its day-to-day operations.

In her free time Sarah likes to spend time with her baking and reading.

Paul J. Clark, CRPSTM, DAFCPTM

Director of Advisor Development & Partnerships

Paul brings more than 20 years of financial services experience and a strong background in building trusted relationships with financial advisors, business owners, and families. As Director of Advisor Development & Partnerships, he focuses on expanding and strengthening iGiftFund’s relationships with financial advisors, wealth firms, and industry partners while helping advisors seamlessly incorporate charitable planning into their client relationships.

Throughout his career, Paul has worked across personal banking, investment management, and fiduciary planning. He joined iGiftFund drawn to its independence, donor-first approach, and commitment to helping advisors and their clients make a lasting charitable impact.

Glenda Oates

Operations Team Lead

Glenda has stepped into the role of operations Team Lead after 5 years in the Grants Team and assisting the Gifts and Fiscal teams in the early days of the organization.

When she is not spending time with her family and her two large dogs Coco (Great Pyrenees and Whiskey (Bernese Mountain Dog) you can catch Glenda quilting on her sewing machine.

Christine Perry

Gifts Administrator

Christine has been a dedicated member of the Gifts Department since 2022. From answering initial questions from prospective donors and financial advisors through the entire lifecycle of a fund, she performs a broad range of administrative functions related to fund setup and maintenance. Christine is always happy to answer questions about our company and processes, or to assist with technical troubleshooting, general inquiries, and fund-specific questions.

Outside of work, she enjoys life with her son, their 2 cats and 2 dogs. They live in a home built in 1854 that borders a national park and was once home to a canal boat operator.

Emily Korpita

Gifts Administrator

Emily is responsible for performing general administrative tasks related to opening new funds and the maintenance of those accounts. She also communicates with prospective/existing donors and financial advisors, answering questions and resolving issues related to new and existing funds.

Emily enjoys spending her free time hanging out with her husband, 2 boys and 3 dachshunds.

Lauren Hastings

Client Experience & Office Coordinator

Lauren is the Client Experience & Office Coordinator. She is the first person to answer the phone, assist Donors and Financial Advisors with log in issues, help them through on how to make a grant recommendation in iGiftFund's online portal, and help them navigate their account.

Outside of work, Lauren enjoys hanging out with her boyfriend, family, and dog!

Victoria Simon

Investment Compliance and Administrative Coordinator

Tori is our Investment Compliance and Administrative Coordinator. She assists Financial Advisors with account opening and processes incoming investment paperwork.

Her favorite pastime is reading, and she is always on a mission to find the best local coffee shops!

Jaylin Burris

Investment Compliance Administrator

Jaylin is a part of iGiftFund's Investment Compliance Team. She is passionate about making the investment account opening process as seamless as possible.

Some of Jaylin's hobbies include spending time outdoors, visiting local markets, and watching Fall football with friends and family.

Skyler Courtney

Grants Specialist

Skyler is a Grants Specialist and makes sure all the charities are in good standing, and that everything complies with the IRS rules and regulations. She is also our resident movie & trivia buff.

Outside of work, Skyler loves to find fun things to do in (or outside of) Cleveland-whether it’s finding a new restaurant, catching a game, attending a concert, going to the theater, or experiencing those things in a new and different city.

Amanda Florian

Grants Specialist

Amanda is a Grants Specialist at iGiftFund, where she reviews grant recommendations and helps ensure grants are processed accurately and in accordance with charitable giving requirements.

She enjoys the research and attention to detail that comes with her role. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys reading, history, true crime, and traveling (especially to New Orleans.)

Patrick Kristo

Grants Specialist

Patrick is a Grants Specialist at iGiftFund, supporting the grantmaking process from recommendation through distribution. He works closely with the team to help ensure grant requests are reviewed and processed accurately and efficiently.

In his free time, Patrick enjoys watching and playing hockey, as well as spending time with friends and family.

Mary Fleming

Finance Assistant

Mary has spent more than 20 years working in the world of data, and she's excited to have transitioned those skills into the finance world with iGiftFund.

Outside of work, her greatest role is being a mom to her 18-year-old son, who is in college, and to her 8-year-old daughter, who just started 3rd grade.

When Mary and her kids are not busy with school and work, you’ll often find them at concerts, making summer trips to Cedar Point, or hanging out with their German Shepherd mix, Zara.

Board Members

Phil T. Tobin

Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus of iGiftFund

Chairman Emeritus and Co-Founder of iGiftFund, Phil previously served as Chairman and President of the American Endowment Foundation, which he co-founded in 1992. Earlier in his career, he was Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of The Cleveland Foundation, America’s first community foundation. He was also a founding director of The Investment Fund for Foundations (TIFF) and co-founder of Hudson Community Foundation.

An early pioneer of donor advised funds, Phil is among the most experienced and longest-serving leaders in the donor advised fund industry in America.

Jane Howington

Board Chair

After a career managing local governments, Jane now has the privilege to chair the iGiftFund Board of Directors. This provides her with an opportunity to apply her education (advanced degrees in planning and public management) for the benefit of the philanthropy community and its beneficiaries. She is a founding member of the Hudson Senior Network and continue serving the needs of our senior citizen population.

Gardening has become a growing passion as she works on developing multiple mini- ecosystems. Her and her husband have spent the last 15 years rescuing old dogs who tend not to get adopted and giving them a loving home for what remaining time they have.

Chris Dudley

Founding Board member of iGiftFund

Chris is a North Division Accounting Manager of Airgas USA, LLC. He is a Founding Board member of iGiftFund.

Lawrence Spieth

Founding Board member of iGiftFund

Matthew Kadish

Matthew is a partner in the Cleveland law firm of Frantz Ward, where his practice focuses on tax and estate planning. In addition to his legal education (law degree and Masters in Taxation), he is a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®).

In Matthew's abundant free time, he helps lobby Congress for small businesses as the President of the Small Business Council of America.  He is in his 47th year actively involved with People International, Inc., a national peer mentoring performing arts group. Matthew can frequently be found on weekends playing guitar at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and likes saying nice things about his wife.

David Pratt

David enjoys serving on the iGiftFund Board of Directors, since he get to see first-hand the remarkable growth in community support made possible by independent donor advised funds. After beginning his career with Bain and Co., David worked for Progressive Insurance for 32 years in a variety of leadership roles. He served as the President of Progressive’s homeowners insurance companies for the last 6 years of his career.

Since David's retirement from Progressive, he and his wife have enjoyed lots of golf, bike riding and travel to stay connected with friends. They have three sons, three wonderful daughter-in-laws and now a happy, healthy new granddaughter!

Pat Myers

Patrick Scherer

Hours of Operation

Monday – Friday, 9 to 5pm ET
New Year's Day January 1
Good Friday April 3
Memorial Day May 25
Juneteenth June 19
Independence Day July 4
Labor Day September 7
Thanksgiving November 26
Day after Thanksgiving November 27
Christmas Eve December 24
Christmas December 25
New Year's Eve December 31, Noon-5pm ET

Hours of Operation

Monday – Friday, 9 to 5pm ET
New Year's Day January 1
Good Friday April 3
Memorial Day May 25
Juneteenth June 19
Independence Day July 4
Labor Day September 7
Thanksgiving November 26
Day after Thanksgiving November 27
Christmas Eve December 24
Christmas December 25
New Year's Eve December 31, Noon-5pm ET