Hello fellow Giving Institute members,

As we begin our 2026–27 Giving Institute year, I’m still energized by the incredible few days we shared together in Kansas City for our Summer Symposium. With more than 100 members and guests joining us once again – our sixth consecutive Summer Symposium with attendance above the 100 mark! – the energy throughout the week was unmistakable. From the moment we gathered on Monday evening through our final generosity roundtable conversations on Thursday morning, there was a wonderful sense of curiosity, engagement and optimism. The Symposium once again reminded me what makes the Giving Institute such a remarkable community: our willingness to learn from one another, challenge one another, and generously share ideas in pursuit of a stronger philanthropic sector.

Our Symposium theme – Show Me Generosity: Inspiring, Sustaining, and Renewing a Culture of Giving – could not have been more fitting. Across three days of Confront, Explore, and Commit, we challenged ourselves to examine the changing landscape of philanthropy from many different perspectives. We explored the future of donor participation and generosity, leadership, governance, technology, family philanthropy, and the strategic questions shaping our own firms. The conversations were thoughtful, practical and, at times, intentionally provocative…exactly as they should have been. And, as always, some of the most meaningful learning happened between sessions: over coffee, around the dinner tables at the spectacular National WWI Museum, and in the countless conversations that make Giving Institute gatherings so special.

A heartfelt thank you to our Summer Symposium Co-Chairs, Janell Johnson and Erik Tomalis, whose leadership shaped such an outstanding experience. My thanks as well to Jim Bush, Leya Simmons, Tammy Weinman, Terry Gibson, the Program & Education Committee, our many presenters, facilitators and volunteers, and the MCI team. A tremendous amount of talent, creativity and effort went into making the Symposium such a success, and we are all grateful.

Kansas City also marked another important milestone for our organization. After many months of thoughtful discussion, member engagement and hard work, our Board approved the Giving Institute and Giving USA Foundation’s 2026–2031 Strategic Plan. The plan provides a clear direction for the years ahead, focusing on four priorities: putting Giving Institute and Giving USA to work in concert to create real change in the field of generosity; strengthening how we engage, onboard and develop our members and leaders; delivering standout programming and convening experiences; and future-proofing our organization for long-term sustainability.

A very special thank you to Lee Ernst for her outstanding leadership of this process, to the Strategic Planning Committee for the extraordinary care and thoughtfulness they brought to the work, and to the many members who contributed their ideas through surveys, interviews and discussions over the past year. This truly was a collaborative effort, and our plan is stronger because of it.

As we begin this new chapter, I also want to recognize an important leadership transition at the Giving USA Foundation. A heartfelt thank you to Wendy McGrady for her leadership as GUSA Chair over the past two years, and congratulations to the incoming GUSA Executive: Gabe Cooper as Chair, Don Souhrada as Vice Chair, Carrie Dahlquist as Secretary/Treasurer, and Wendy as Immediate Past Chair. I look forward to working closely with Gabe and the full GUSA Executive as our two organizations begin implementing our shared strategic plan.

Last August, I wrote about our theme for the year: Momentum. Together. Looking back, those two words captured our journey remarkably well. In Kansas City, momentum became commitment. Now comes implementation as we begin the exciting work of bringing our shared vision to life for our members and the broader philanthropic sector.

As we begin implementing our new strategic plan together, I also hope you’re already looking forward to gathering again in Atlanta this November, Fort Worth next March, and Washington, DC for our 2027 Summer Symposium. The future of the Giving Institute has never been brighter, and I could not be more excited about what lies ahead. Let’s do this!

Regards,

PK