Spear’s Review

Morag Gillespie is head of philanthropy at Stewardship, where she provides a bespoke service for individuals who are looking to establish a charitable fund with £500,000 or more.

While some of her clients have already set up a charitable trust and want to simplify towards a donor advised fund structure, others are just beginning their conversations about philanthropy and impact. ‘There are some families where their circumstances are particularly bespoke or complex; that frequently correlates with the size of their wealth, but not always. That’s the space we sit in,’ Gillespie tells Spear’s. 

Gillespie’s team – lawyers, financing specialists and many other experts – helps clients to build a robust giving strategy that fulfils their personal motivations, but which also benefits charities. ‘We want to see every single act of generosity stewarded to its fullest potential, and so that means for the giver that their generosity becomes joyful, becomes meaningful and becomes transformational,’ she says.

Note: Gillespie is currently on leave and this profile will be updated on her return.

Adviser Profile

Morag is Stewardship’s head of philanthropy, offering a highly bespoke service to those establishing a charitable fund of £500,000-plus. In 2025, Morag oversaw strong growth, with gifts in rising from £19 million to £56 million, including a £32 million gift. Grants out to charities also grew by 48 per cent to £35 million. Unique to Stewardship’s offering is the Donor Advisory Board, which provides grant-making support without the burden of trusteeship. Her team has previously won in the Wealth For Good and STEP’s Private Client Awards.

Morag joined Stewardship in 2023 with a background in private family philanthropy advice and charity consultancy. She is a member of Philanthropy Impact and holds a certificate in the psychology of philanthropy.