Zac Kester

Zac Kester is the Managing Director of Advanta Management and the Manager of the Advanta Charitable Lending Fund LLC. This private credit facility offers customized charitable gift financing loans to individuals. He was promoted to this role within six months of joining the firm due to his expertise in complex charitable giving, personal tax planning, and pooled charitable investment funds. His expertise includes accredited private placement, charitable pooled investing, private credit lending, and private debt fund management.

The fund is organized and operated as a program-related investment, or PRI. This structure places charitable purpose ahead of financial returns while still preserving appropriate returns so capital can be recycled for future philanthropic efforts. Its mission focuses on helping reverse the nationwide decline in charitable giving by making complex charitable giving strategies more accessible.

Kester joined the fund in 2025 as Executive Vice President, working with accredited charitable institutional investors during their due diligence process. In his first year as an investment relations professional, he achieved $50 million in new investments. In the second year, he and the fund anticipate more than $100 million in new investments, more than $100 million in funded loans, and more than $100 million in new charitable gifts.

As Managing Director, Zachary Kester oversees the lending and investment teams and guides the organization’s broader operations. His role includes ensuring the fund continues to operate as a PRI while managing lending and investment risk. He helps align lending team incentives with proper loan documentation, long-term loan and collateral performance, and loan yields. He also supports careful borrower review, strict collateral valuation standards, and ongoing education for the team.

Kester brings sales, credit, and compliance teams together early in the process to evaluate potential deals and avoid loans that may not be suitable. He also works with charitable and mission-driven investors to show how the lending programs support charitable purposes and the fund’s mission. His work includes helping structure loans with specialized collateral strategies designed to protect investor capital.

Kester's responsibilities also include overseeing strategy, liquidity, financial stability, investor reporting, financial controls, audit preparation, collateral monitoring, stress testing, and risk management. He works with multiple teams to support disciplined operations and long-term sustainability.

He also serves as a Director of Advanta Philanthropic, a Director of a large charitable grantmaking organization, and is active in his local church. Zac Kester earned a Certificate in Fundraising Management and Philanthropic Studies in 2012, holds the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® designation, and is pursuing the Chartered Life Underwriter® and Chartered Financial Consultant® designations.