Raj and Anna Asava have been partnering with CFT on their charitable giving for nearly a decade through the fund they created, the Asava Foundation Fund.
“When we first walked through the doors of Communities Foundation of Texas, it felt like we were home,” said Raj Asava. “A donor-advised fund we could open anywhere. But anywhere else we would be an account number. Here, it feels like home.”
The couple, both first-generation immigrants from India, left their corporate careers in 2009 and 2010 with a clear intention: to devote their “time, talent and treasure” to the betterment of the next generation. Guided by their life philosophy of “learning, earning, and returning,” they turned to CFT to help make their giving more intentional.
Raj and Anna focus their philanthropy on three core areas: hunger, children’s education, and children’s advocacy. CFT helps them identify organizations within those priorities, including nonprofits they noted they might never have discovered on their own.
They partnered with the North Texas Food Bank and the Feeding America network in launching a movement called HungerMitao to increase hunger awareness and mobilize community support. HungerMitao has since enabled more than 25 million meals across North Texas, and 80 million across the country.
During the pandemic, as they witnessed long lines of families waiting for food, the couple decided the time had come to make a larger commitment.
Through their donor-advised fund at CFT, they made a multi-year, seven-figure pledge to Feeding America, with CFT helping structure and steward the gift over time.
Their partnership with CFT has also shaped their legacy planning. Rather than creating a private foundation, they chose to work with CFT, joining CFT’s legacy society, the Live Oak Society, and structuring long-term giving that will continue beyond their lifetimes.
“We thought to ourselves, why would we want our giving to end when we do?” Anna said. “We wanted a way to engage our kids in continued philanthropy.”
With CFT’s help, they designed a plan so that, after their passing, funds at CFT will be divided into new accounts for their children, who will continue to support causes aligned with their family’s values.
“We go to sleep comfortably knowing our intent will carry on,” Raj said. “CFT took the time to understand what mattered to us and built a structure around it. That gives us peace of mind — and it gives our family a way to keep giving back for generations to come.”
Learn more about charitable funds at CFT here.
This story was originally featured in our 2025 annual report. For additional details and content, click here.
