kula Ventures
(ku la) n - community of the heart. A group of people who come together freely,
with intention and a shared sense of purpose. (Sanskrit)
(ku la) n - community of the heart. A group of people who come together freely,
with intention and a shared sense of purpose. (Sanskrit)
is an independent philanthropic advisory firm based in Boulder, CO. We assist donors interested and working in a wide range of philanthropic issues – from underserved communities in your backyard, to education and inequality in the US, to health services in Africa.
Our Approach
Our hands-on style helps our clients better understand the complexities of the philanthropic landscape to make them more effective in their giving. We meet our clients exactly where they are and our tailored approach helps get them precisely where they want to be.
Extent of Engagements
While some of our engagements are brief and simply assist our donors getting started, others are far lengthier and continue for many years. In these relationships, we serve as the philanthropic gate-keeper to manage annual giving, review proposals, conduct follow-ups, and help to negotiate significant donations.
Shared Vision
Whether you are looking to translate a bold idea into action, or prefer a more subtle approach, we provide families and individuals with the customized tools to build a shared vision. We utilize their resources effectively to create values-driven impact.
Kula Ventures assists our donors in achieving their charitable goals with the following services:
We spend significant time helping our clients create evidence-based, grant-making strategies, with specific initiatives for values-based giving. This includes:
Vision and mission development
Focus issue(s) identification
Charitable giving plan formulation
With our experience in the non-profit sector and experts on the ground, we thoroughly survey the landscape of existing opportunities. We then vet the organizations that are working and share our expertise/knowledge to help you narrow the options and make informed choices.
We enable you to participate throughout the grant-making process with ease. We draft grant guidelines; source, review, and evaluate grant proposals; and perform appropriate due diligence.
We follow-up with all our grantees to assess impact. This creates accountability, reinforces (or reverses) decision-making, and establishes a base to work from. In addition, we plan and organize travel/site visits and other first-hand experiences to help enhance the donors understanding of the impact of their financial gifts.
Larissa Seligman Anstey has more than 20 years of experience in non-profit and development work. Her focus was primarily on reproductive and maternal health in the United States and abroad including over three years of living and working in Sub-Saharan Africa. She has completed international assignments with United Nations Foundation, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Amnesty International, The Global Health Foundation and The Level Market. Locally, she has worked for the Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy and Finance and the Colorado Coalition for the Medically Underserved. Larissa holds an MA in International Development with a certificate in Gender and Health from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at DU. She also has a BA from Duke University.