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 stewardship with a commitment to measurable results.”
—John M. Templeton Jr., chairman and president, John Templeton Foundation
We currently provide five principal services:
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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 20th Annual Meeting of The Philanthropy Roundtable brought together some of our nation’s brightest minds and most inspiring leaders. Together we explored how your private independent giving can—and does—solve America’s greatest challenges.
- 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 Philanthropy Roundtable hosts what may be the most intellectually stimulating meetings in the field of philanthropy.”
—Paul Brest, president, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
- 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 top experts and practitioners in fields like K-12 education, economic opportunity, 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.
“Both the quality and the content of Philanthropy are excellent.”
—Vartan Gregorian, president, Carnegie Corporation of New York
- 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 Howard Husock’s Government and “Scaling” Nonprofits: The Implications of an Expanded Federal Role, Stephanie Saroki and Christopher Levenick’s Saving America's Urban Catholic Schools: A Guide for Donors, Evelyn Brody and John Tyler’s How Public is Private Philanthropy? Separating Reality from Myth.
- Alliance for Charitable Reform: The Alliance for Charitable Reform (ACR) works to advance the principles and to preserve the rights of private giving. A project of The Philanthropy Roundtable, ACR educates legislators and policymakers about the central role of charitable giving in American life and the crucial importance of protecting philanthropic freedom—the ability of individuals and private organizations to determine how and where to direct their charitable assets. Active in Washington, D.C., and in the states, ACR seeks to prevent policies that would diminish charitable giving, limit the diversity of charitable causes Americans support, or place undue government regulations on philanthropic organizations. ACR encourages thought, discussion, and debate on issues of charity and public policy because of its core belief that our nation’s capacity for private initiative to address problems must not be burdened with costly or crippling constraints.
Read about the history of The Philanthropy Roundtable here.
