Giving Stories: Giving with Intention
Through her donor advised fund, Mya Honeywell designed a creative way to engage her real estate clients while giving back to her community.
By Chris Garner, Communications Specialist
Mya Honeywell, a Saint Paul-based realtor, decided to align her passion for helping others buy and sell homes with her growing desire to make a difference in her community. In 2019, she opened a donor advised fund with the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation called The HIVE Fund, a reference to the name of her business.
“From the first time I sat down with someone from the Foundation, it wasn’t just the dollars and cents discussion. It was ‘How I was going to see this impacting people? What is your goal? Let’s talk about that.’ It was a human connection, and that’s what made me feel so good.”
Through The HIVE Fund, Mya designed a creative way to engage her clients while giving back to her community.
How Mya's Donor Advised Fund Works
Mya chose to support causes she cares about — local nonprofits whose missions align with her personal values and focus on safe homes and nourishing food.
“The Foundation has strong relationships with some of these great charities and they can put you in touch with the person that makes the decision and that is so powerful to me,” said Mya. “I really wanted a human component to what I was doing. I didn’t want to be just a check writer, I wanted to have a story to tell.”
Now, with each purchase or sale of a home, Mya partners with her clients to make a grant from the donor advised fund to local organizations.
“That first step, setting up a fund, was the only step I needed to take," Mya said. "Once I made that commitment, they turned around and provided me with the tools to make the biggest impact possible.”
The Results
In only a few months since establishing the donor advised fund in March of 2020, The HIVE Fund had granted more than $17,000 into the community. And that was just the beginning. Four short years later, the HIVE Fund has contributed more than $85,000 in charitable gifts to local causes.
Mya and her team plan to continue volunteering with The Sanneh Foundation and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, as well as branching out to support other nonprofits.
“It’s a great privilege to work with local organizations and focus on helping neighbors feel safe and happy in their homes,” Mya said.
The needs in the Twin Cities are rapidly changing, and the flexibility of The HIVE Fund allows Mya to be nimble and respond quickly with her charitable planning. You can visit The HIVE's website to see them in action or reach out if your initiative could use their support.
"Mya is an excellent example of someone in our community who saw a need, had an ability to contribute, and through a partnership with us, came up with a unique way to execute her philanthropic vision,” said Associate Vice President of Philanthropic Services Mai-Anh Tran.
“There are thousands of ways to make a difference — and not one of them has to look alike," Mai-Anh said. "This is where we come in. We know the community, we know the work of nonprofits, and we know how to work with donors to bring their visions to life.”
This post was originally published on October 17, 2020, and updated on July 24, 2024.
The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. Please consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors regarding your individual situation before engaging in any transaction.
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