Trusts and Philanthropy: The Case for Trustee-Led Giving in the Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands trustees sit at the centre of one of the world's largest concentrations of managed private wealth — yet the jurisdiction's own charitable sector remains reliant on a narrow, predominantly local, donor base. This session, presented by Impact Link Consulting and IMG Trust, explores the current state of Cayman's non-profit landscape, client expectations of advisors in regards to philanthropy, and a proposal for how Cayman's trustees can lead a collective, practical standard for local giving.
About The Speakers
Emma Gladstone
Emma Gladstone advises HNWIs, families and businesses on designing custom giving strategies with measurable impact. Her work is focused on bridging the gap between intention and action, supporting both donors and non-profit organizations in creating meaningful change locally and globally. Prior to founding Impact Link Consulting, Emma had over 15 years experience leading corporate sustainability and social impact projects. She specialized in designing frameworks to improve community resiliency in the Global South, including grantmaking processes and tools for measuring impact. With partner CARE International, she created the McCormick Women's Empowerment Framework, an industry-leading tool designed to measure and track women's empowerment and identify opportunities to address gender imbalances in farming communities. Emma holds an MBA in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, specializing in Human Rights Due Diligence, and professional certificates in Corporate Sustainability and Innovation (Harvard Extension School) and Philanthropy for Family Offices (LSBA).
Peter Goddard
Peter Goddard is a former barrister and highly experienced professional trustee with more than 30 years’ experience in the international private client and trust sector.
As a founder of IMG Trust, Peter has helped build a distinctly lawyer-led trust company. IMG combines the legal insight and judgement of an experienced private client team with the practical responsibility and long-term perspective of a professional trustee.
Peter advises international families and their advisers on the establishment, administration and stewardship of complex trust structures. His experience encompasses trusts holding substantial businesses and international assets, philanthropic structures, family governance and succession, as well as trusts facing disputes, distress or significant change.
He is known for his independent judgement, responsiveness and ability to understand both the technical complexities of a structure and the wider family, commercial and personal considerations behind it.
Event Details
📅 Date: Thursday, 17 Sep 2026
⏰ Time: Arrivals from 5:30pm
📍 Venue: George Town Yacht Club, 612B North Sound Road, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
💼 Cost: CI$35.00 – STEP Members | CI$50.00 – Non-Members
📩 To register: email info@stepcayman.com
Please feel free to share this with colleagues and professionals who may benefit from attending.
We look forward to seeing you there.