Raj and Nital Patel, a married couple who live near Homewood, care deeply about making a positive impact on our area.
“Being from Birmingham, my goal is to give back to the community I’m from,” says Raj, a Mohs micrographic surgeon and dermatologist and the founder of True Dermatology.
“Our giving pillars are education and accessibility,” says Nital, a PharmD MBA who worked in biotechnology before retiring in 2022 to focus on their children and philanthropy.
In 2025, the Patels found the perfect vehicle to help the community, setting up a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham.
A DAF allows donors to draw on the expertise and local knowledge of foundation staff while targeting their contributions to specific causes they care about. The Foundation works with the donor to honor their intent and philanthropic interest.
The DAF “allows us flexibility on grants to recommend over time, all the while allowing growth in the invested funds,” Raj says.
The participatory nature of the fund helps the Patels “foster a culture of philanthropy with our two sons,” Nital says.
After starting their fund, the Patels created two new endowments. The Nital and Raj Patel Faculty Endowment Fund empowers faculty to help shape the youth at Advent Episcopal School. A second endowment supports the Technical School at the Steam Plant Project with Kulture City.
“In the pipeline is a partnership with local foundations to increase accessibility for all in certain sports,” Raj says.
DAFs are easy to open, requiring little paperwork. The Community Foundation staff “quickly put our concepts onto paper and brought the DAF and endowments live in very short order,” the couple says.
The staff are “great at listening, providing constructive feedback and sharing perspectives from their vast experience,” the Patels say.
Before being introduced to the Community Foundation by friend Sanjay Singh, the couple made donations without having a sense of their impact.
“We’re thrilled to partner with a foundation that has the experience to execute and protect our intentions and long-term vision,” the couple says.
While partnering with the Community Foundation, the Patels have discovered other great Birmingham-area organizations.
“We look forward to identifying and supporting even more organizations that fit our philanthropic strategy in Birmingham,” Nital says.
Founded in 1959, the Community Foundation pools contributions from individuals, families and businesses to support nonprofits and improve the quality of life in Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby and Walker counties.
For more information, call 205-327-3800 or go to cfbham.org.
To learn more about setting up a Donor Advised Fund through the foundation, contact Liz Edwards, VP of Philanthropy, at ledwards@cfbham.org.
