Building a Family Legacy with Fundbuilder: Gail’s Story

22nd September 2025

Gail Cunningham, ECF Trustee, and her family are passionate advocates for local philanthropy. Two years ago, Gail and her husband Manish Nandha  began building their Nandha Family Fund through our Fundbuilder programme. We sat down with Gail to explore what drew them to this approach to giving.

For Gail, Fundbuilder offered a more strategic approach to giving. “You can be a bit scattergun in your giving… but we wanted to be a little bit more strategic. We know ECF as an organisation really well and ECF are great at keeping you updated, so we really understand where our money is going.”

The scheme has also helped foster a deeper family connection to philanthropy. “It’s a great way to let the kids know about the local community needs… beyond volunteering and litter picking. It’s great for them to understand that we as a family think that’s important.”

Fundbuilder’s flexibility and long-term vision were also key factors in Gail’s decision to start with fundbuilder. “It gives you a chance to say, well I’ll just get started now… and then build that into your own fund at whatever point you want to” Gail adds, “It’s a really innovative solution, super easy in terms of the admin, but you know you’re building something bigger.”

The family was thrilled to see their contributions already making a difference. “The first grant went to 3food4u  and my husband got the chance to meet them at the summer party event. That was brilliant.”

Looking ahead, Gail sees Fundbuilder as a way to create a lasting legacy. “It’s nice to have that kind of living legacy… hopefully in the future our children can be making donations as well as building on the family fund.”

Her advice to others interested in philanthropy but waiting till they have the resources “Check out Fundbuilder and just get started.”

Want to find more out about Fundbuilder click here to learn more about the programme.

Still want to know more? Contact Perry Norton, Head of Fund Development, on 07495 548383 to discuss Fundbuilder further.