As the CEO and Co-founder of Daylight, Dien Yuen is working to maximize philanthropy’s potential for transforming lives by advancing the sector’s training, research, professionalization, and diversity. She also serves as lead faculty for philanthropy at the Wealth Management Institute (WMI) in Singapore.
Previously, Dien founded the Center for Philanthropy and Social Impact at The American College of Financial Services, where she also developed and taught courses as the Blunt-Nickel Professor in Philanthropy for the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) designation. While at the College, Dien launched the Advisors of Color CAP® Study Group, a support group for BIPOC advisors pursuing their designations. That initiative tripled the number of CAP-trained BIPOC philanthropic professionals in the field in less than three years. In addition, she developed and launched Purpose School, an immersive, interactive learning experience to help leaders explore the intersections of purpose and social impact in their lives.
Dien has supported over a thousand advisors seeking greater competence, confidence, and cultural dexterity. She is an inductee of the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners (CGP) Hall of Fame and was recognized for her academic leadership with the Distinguished Faculty Award from WMI.
Earlier in her career, Dien worked for several wealth management firms and held executive positions in regional and global development organizations. Today, she serves on the boards of Myriad, Giving Compass, Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, and The 1990 Institute. She is an advisor to the Asia Society Northern California and Global SF.
Dien holds the Accredited Estate Planner® (AEP®) designation from NAEPC and the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) designation from The American College of Financial Services. She received her LL.M. in International Law at Golden Gate University, Juris Doctorate (JD) from the University of Toledo College of Law, and Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Adrian College.
About Daylight: The global home for learning, practice, and research: “Amidst an historic intergenerational transfer of wealth, rising needs, and interest in philanthropy, now is the time to reinvigorate and elevate the practice of impact advising,” says Dien Yuen, founder of Daylight. “We do that by helping advisors build their competence, confidence, and cultural dexterity.”
Our mission:
- Empower: Practitioners with contemporary, accessible learning opportunities, and launch the first accelerator for BIPOC philanthropic advisor-entrepreneurs.
- Connect: Advisors, and organize and elevate this segment of the profession.
- Understand: The sector better with new research on philanthropic influence.
- Boost: The capacity of social justice organizations, as well as advisors, with specialized expertise and services.
Advisors help activate the social impact of families and institutions – and there’s so much more we can do. Advisors bring the ideas and goals of families and institutions to life. Whether a specialist, wealth manager, accountant, attorney, gift planner, or life coach, advisors are essential for enabling many types of social impact and maximizing its value. Yet amidst the opportunity of today, and imperatives such as systemic racism and climate change, three shortages hold the sector back: we don’t have enough advisors fluent in philanthropy, they are not diverse enough, and we need modern, scalable knowledge and skills to drive sustainable, equitable change.
Become an Impact Philanthropy Advisor (IPA): Our certified Impact Philanthropy Advisor program is designed exclusively for wealth and philanthropic advisors, to help you meet this extraordinary opportunity to grow your business, client relationships and impact. Register for your class: daylightadvisors.com/impact-philanthropy-advisor.
In the column (left), you’ll find details about the women on the Daylight team.
Click here to listen to the Illuminate Philanthropy podcast.
Click here to learn more about Daylight: daylightadvisors.com