Philanthropy Roundtable

The Philanthropy Roundtable is a national association of individual donors, corporate giving officers, and foundation trustees and staff. The Roundtable attracts philanthropists who benefit from being part of an organization dedicated to helping them achieve their charitable objectives. In addition to offering expert advice and counsel, the Roundtable puts donors in touch with peers who share similar concerns and interests. Members of the Roundtable gain access to a donor community interested in philanthropic strategies and programs that actually work.

“The Roundtable is the leading voice in philanthropy for objectivity, integrity, open-mindedness, and a spirit of stewardship with a commitment to measurable results.”
—John M. Templeton Jr., M.D., president, John Templeton Foundation

We currently provide six principal services:

Annual Meeting: The Annual Meeting is The Philanthropy Roundtable's flagship event. Donors from across the country meet to share ideas, strategies, and best practices, and hear from America’s leading experts in private innovation and forward-thinking policy.

The Philanthropy Roundtable is greatly honored to have been asked by the William E. Simon Foundation to administer the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership. The prize is awarded during a special session at the Annual Meeting.

The Philanthropy Roundtable will host its 2010 Annual Meeting on October 14-16, at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, Florida.

The Philanthropy Roundtable hosted its 2009 Annual Meeting, Peak Performance in Philanthropy, on October 1-3, at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Keynote speakers included Philip and Nancy Anschutz, recipients of the 2009 William E. Simon Prize; Jeb Bush, founder, chairman, and president, Foundation for Excellence in Education; Jim Collins, author of Good to Great and How the Mighty Fall; Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, United Negro College Fund (UNCF); Dan Pallotta, author of Uncharitable; Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command; and Thomas J. Tierney, chairman of the Bridgespan Group.
Regional Meetings: Held across the country throughout the year, our regional meetings assemble grantmakers to develop strategies, programmatic solutions, and effective innovations for local, state, and national giving. Donors hear from experts in K-12 education, conservation, higher education, national security, and other noteworthy topics and learn how to apply sound policy to their philanthropy.
Philanthropy: The Roundtable’s quarterly magazine is “must reading” among donors committed to promoting freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility. Each issue offers donors insights on topics of significance in the philanthropic world, focuses on broad strategic questions in line with our principles, and provides real guidance and clear examples of effective philanthropy. Recent cover stories include an in-depth examination of philanthropic efforts to combat gang violence, an exclusive interview with William E. Simon Prize winners Philip and Nancy Anschutz, and an overview of six philanthropic strategies to catalyze medical discoveries.
Guidebooks: The Roundtable’s guidebooks are in-depth examinations of the principled and practical aspects of charitable giving. Our guidebooks connect donors with the best information available for achieving philanthropic excellence. The Roundtable publishes new guidebooks every year and maintains a library of past publications for members to access. Recent titles include Stephanie Saroki and Christopher Levenick's Saving America's Urban Catholic Schools: A Guide for Donors, Nick Schulz's A Stimulus That Works: Philanthropic Strategies for Boosting Entrepreneurship, Evelyn Brody and John Tyler's How Public is Private Philanthropy? Separating Reality from Myth, Public Impact's Investing in Charter Schools: A Guide for Donors, and Naomi Schaefer Riley's American Philanthropic Diversity: What It Means, Why It Matters.
Alliance for Charitable Reform: Through ACR, the Roundtable works in support of philanthropic freedom with legislators, policymakers, and interest groups. ACR is dedicated to educating the public about the contributions of American private philanthropy, its longstanding tradition and the role it plays in the nation’s communities. It also works to help members communicate their message effectively, and to encourage thought, discussion, and debate on issues related to charity and public policy. To date, ACR has played a leading role in protecting grantmaking foundations from unnecessary and sometimes harmful legislation.
Breakthrough Groups: The Roundtable’s five Breakthrough Groups focus on K-12 education, conservation, national security, higher education, and helping people to help themselves—all subjects where we think philanthropy can achieve dramatic breakthroughs over the next decade.