Institutional Investment Management Comes to Creative Philanthropy Through Active Cause and Raffa Partnership
By Active Cause Editorial Team
New York – August 15, 2025
Active Cause has partnered with Raffa Investment Advisers to provide institutional grade investment management services to its members—athletes, artists, entertainers, and entrepreneurs building long-term philanthropic impact. The partnership brings five decades of combined investment experience to a new generation of philanthropists leading in culture, sport, and creative industries.
Raffa Investment Advisers, a Washington, D.C.-based firm managing $2 billion in assets under advisement across 200+ clients, specializes in serving the fiduciary and philanthropic needs of individuals, families, and nonprofit organizations. The firm’s 20 years of experience managing charitable capital positions Active Cause members to grow their donor-advised funds strategically while maintaining flexibility and privacy.
“Active Cause is building a powerful platform for a new generation of philanthropists: leaders in culture, sport, and the creative industries,” said Ryan Frydenlund, CIMA®, CIPM, Director of Operations at Raffa Investment Advisers. “We’re proud to bring our decades of investment experience and philanthropic expertise to help their members grow charitable capital.”
Why This Partnership Matters
Donor-advised funds allow contributors to take an immediate tax deduction while maintaining assets in an investment account that can grow over time. The challenge: managing those investments strategically to maximize long-term impact while navigating the income volatility that defines creative industries.
“Athletes, creatives, and entertainers deserve the same caliber of investment guidance as any major institution,” said Yonis Hassan, Co-Founder of Active Cause. “This partnership ensures our members have access to professional investment management that understands both fiduciary responsibility and the unique financial patterns of our community.”
What Raffa Provides
As a registered investment adviser operating under fiduciary duty, Raffa brings specific expertise in managing charitable assets. The firm’s five investment advisers provide customized portfolio design, active management aligned with grantmaking timelines, transparent reporting, and coordination between investment strategy and philanthropic goals.
The service is particularly valuable for members who contribute appreciated assets, stock, cryptocurrency, royalty streams, and need strategic management of those holdings within their DAF.
“We’re seeing members who want to build funds that outlast their careers,” said Hassan. “That requires treating charitable capital as seriously as any other long-term investment.”
About Active Cause
Active Cause is a private philanthropy membership app exclusively for athletes, creatives, and entertainers. The platform provides donor-advised fund infrastructure, charity discovery tools, fundraising campaign management, philanthropic insights, and community through Active Gatherings.
Learn more at activecause.co.
About Raffa Investment Advisers
Raffa Investment Advisers is a Washington, D.C.-based registered investment adviser providing investment management and consulting services to individuals, families, nonprofit organizations, and retirement plans. With over $2 billion in assets under advisement and 20 years serving the philanthropic sector, Raffa specializes in fiduciary investment management for charitable capital. Learn more at raffaadvisers.com.
Disclosures
All data as of 12/31/2024. As of that date, Raffa provided investment management and consulting services to $1,981,966,078 for 222 individual, high-net-worth, charitable/organizational, and retirement plan clients. Visit raffaadvisers.com to learn more about Raffa’s principals and professional staff. For more information, please reference Raffa’s Form ADV Part 2A at https://raffaadvisers.com/resources/disclosures/.
info@activecause.co