Independence Day is a time to reflect on the enduring American values of liberty, opportunity and personal responsibility, principles that remain as vital today as they were at our nation’s founding 249 years ago. Philanthropy Roundtable has proudly shared exceptional organizations and individuals that have contributed to civil society and human flourishing. These impactful stories highlight the patriotic duty of shaping civic life and nurturing the common good.
Honoring American Heroes
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
As a leading national military service organization, TAPS provides comfort, care and support to families and friends who are grieving the death of a military loved one. The program offers a wide range of services, including grief and peer support, casework assistance, online resources, a survivor helpline and connections to community-based programming. Since 1994, TAPS has held the National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp over Memorial Day weekend, which has proven a powerful catalyst for healing and community for youth participants and adults. Since its founding, TAPS has provided care and support to more than 120,000 bereaved military survivors. In 2024 alone, 8,911 newly bereaved military and veteran survivors connected to TAPS for care and services.
Bernie Marcus and Gary Sinise: A Veteran Partnership with Purpose
A partnership between two renowned philanthropists, Gary Sinise and Bernie Marcus, brings hope to veterans and first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. When Sinise and Marcus met in 2008, they became fast friends, and both invested heavily together in the Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network that mirrored the Marcus Institute for Brain Health’s TBI treatment protocols and the Boulder Crest Foundation’s Warrior PATHH program to treat PTSD. As more organizations and philanthropists join this effort, both foundations view this network as fulfilling a promise their founders made long ago to help our heroes heal.
Preserving Our American Legacy
Ken Griffin pays $18.1 million for Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, 13th Amendment
Catalytic philanthropist and business leader Ken Griffin recently added rare, handwritten copies of the 13th Amendment and the Emancipation Proclamation, both signed by President Abraham Lincoln, to his growing collection of historical documents. As one of the most prominent collectors of American history, Griffin often shares our nation’s foundational documents with citizens to study and appreciate. The founder and chief executive of Citadel has already lent a copy of the rare 1789 printing of the Bill of Rights to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and plans to do the same with his recent purchases.
The winner of our 2022 Simon-DeVos Prize, he focuses on advancing the American Dream and strengthening communities. He has contributed to expanding access to high-quality education, advancing medical research, reducing violent crime and enhancing public spaces that support our country’s world-renowned cultural institutions.
The Charitable Legacies of Presidents Washington, Adams and Jefferson
Dedicated to civic leadership, President George Washington set the tone of philanthropic giving for a young nation. Coming from no formal education, but understanding its importance, the founding father supported academic institutions and organizations that matched his values of individual growth and opportunity.
However, Washington was not the only former president to understand the value of giving. As a political philosopher, President John Adams often explored the relationship between law and liberty and the moral character necessary for a republic to thrive. For the second president of the United States, charity was not about financial giving, but a moral duty to help others and contribute to the common good.
Desiring to create a society of educated, informed citizens, President Thomas Jefferson was frequently involved in charitable giving to education and the development of public institutions. Charitable areas of interest for Jefferson also included disaster and fire relief, missions, hospitals, churches and educational institutions.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Since 2008, The Steamboat Institute has been a leader in bringing civilized discourse back to college campuses. The institution promotes America’s first principles and inspires active involvement in the defense of liberty. Their programs equip young leaders, college students, citizens and young journalists to educate and defend American values. The Steamboat Institute’s Campus Liberty Tour debates bring high-profile speakers to engage in robust but civil debate on hot-button topics.
