The Philanthropy Roundtable traces its origins to the late 1970s, when it began as a small, informal network of grantmakers committed to fostering a greater respect for donor intent and encouraging private, voluntary solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. Directed by Leslie Lenkowsky, this network originally operated under the auspices of the Institute for Educational Affairs. In 1987, IEA formally constituted the Philanthropic Roundtable and began publishing Philanthropy, a quarterly newsletter circulated among grantmakers interested in issues of donor intent and private, charitable initiative. Then as now, members of the Roundtable were dedicated to the principle and practice of effective charitable giving.
In 1991, the Roundtable became an independent, free-standing nonprofit corporation. Headquartered in Indianapolis, the Roundtable acquired its own board of directors, staff, and mission. Kim Dennis agreed to serve as the Roundtable’s first executive director, a position she held until 1996. Today, she is executive director of the Searle Freedom Trust and a board member of the Roundtable.
Ms. Dennis was responsible for launching one of the Roundtable’s signature initiatives: the Annual Meeting. In 1992, about 90 donors attended the first Annual Meeting at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Ever since then, the Roundtable has been recognized for the intellectual quality of its conferences. In addition to the Annual Meeting, the Roundtable also hosts a series of regional meetings on topics of specific interest to donors.
In 1997, under the leadership of John Walters, the Roundtable relocated to Washington, D.C. That same year, the newsletter became a regular, sector-specific magazine. Today, Philanthropy is the leading periodical for donors committed to cultivating freedom, opportunity, and responsibility through their giving. In addition to the magazine, Mr. Walters continued to produce a series of guidebooks and monographs intended to connect donors with the best topic-specific information on the practice of principled giving. The Roundtable maintains a library of past publications and provides copies, free of charge, to qualified donors.
Adam Meyerson became president of the Roundtable in 2001, after Mr. Walters joined the cabinet of President George W. Bush as Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. In 2003, Mr. Meyerson led the Roundtable on a new strategy designed to provide donors with more in-depth service and greater opportunities for strategic collaboration. The Roundtable launched a series of sector-specific Breakthrough Groups, which convene their own conferences and provide customized programs for networks of interested donors. The Roundtable currently has Breakthrough Groups in K–12 Education, National Security, Conservation, Higher Education, and Economic Opportunity.
In 2005, the Roundtable engaged the realm of public policy through the creation of its Alliance for Charitable Reform (ACR). 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.
The William E. Simon Foundation invited the Roundtable to administer its William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership in 2007. The prize is intended to honor living philanthropists who have shown exemplary leadership through their own charitable giving, either directly or through foundations they have created. It honors the ideals and principles which guided Simon’s many philanthropic initiatives, including personal responsibility, resourcefulness, volunteerism, scholarship, individual freedom, faith in God, and helping people to help themselves. It carries a $250,000 award, payable to the charity of the recipient’s choice. William E. Simon Sr., the late financier, philanthropist, and Secretary of the Treasury, was a co-founder of IEA in the 1970s, and the Roundtable, which grew out of his work, is honored to present the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership at its Annual Meeting.
The Philanthropy Roundtable currently has an annual budget of nearly $5 million, a staff of 20, and a membership of more than 550 philanthropic organizations, families, and individuals.
