Hello fellow Giving Institute members,

It was wonderful to be together in Charlotte last month for our Spring meeting…and an early and very welcome start to the Spring season! As always, the opportunity for networking and to spend meaningful time together was terrific (Trust walks for the win!). A sincere thank you once again to Co-Chairs Kate Kramer and Gail Perry for shaping an engaging day and a half.

I was especially energized by the level of engagement in our inquiry session focused on shaping our next five-year strategic plan. Thank you to Lee Ernst and Susannah Darrow for leading such a thoughtful and well-facilitated discussion. As many of you experienced firsthand, the session helped sharpen our thinking across five core areas of inquiry that will guide the development of our plan:

1. Purpose Clarity – Clarifying how the Giving Institute and Giving USA operate as distinct but closely coordinated entities. Next up: How we align roles, decision-making, and shared visibility to present a coherent platform for the field.
2. Research to Action – Ensuring research consistently translates into practical application. Next up: The tools, formats, and pathways that move insight into action for members and the broader sector.
3. Advocacy & Voice – Defining our role as a convener and voice for the sector. Next up: What this looks like in practice: when and how we convene, communicate, and engage to strengthen shared understanding.
4. Trust & Credibility – Strengthening Giving Institute’s visibility while maintaining the credibility that underpins our work. Next up: How we grow recognition for Giving Institute alongside Giving USA while safeguarding trust.
5. Member ROI – Delivering value grounded in learning, connection, and shared insight. Next up: How we define and measure a distinctive, high-impact member experience.

While these are of course not the plan’s final strategic pillars themselves, they represent the key areas we will continue to explore and refine as the plan takes shape. This was exactly the kind of thoughtful, forward-looking dialogue that will ensure our next strategic plan is both grounded and ambitious; thanks to all for your terrific input!

We are also very much looking ahead to our 2026 Summer Symposium in Kansas City this July, and excitement is continuing to build. Under the leadership of Co-Chairs Janell Johnson and Erik Tomalis and rooted in Missouri’s “Show Me” spirit, the program is beginning to take shape around a compelling theme: Show Me Generosity – Inspiring, Sustaining, and Renewing a Culture of Giving. The program will unfold over three days – Confront, Explore, and Commit – guiding us from a clear-eyed understanding of today’s landscape to deeper exploration of what makes generosity possible, and ultimately to the actions we are prepared to take moving forward.

A call for presenters has recently been shared, and I strongly encourage members to consider contributing. As always, the strength of our Symposium lies in the willingness of our members to share openly, challenge each other, and collectively move our thinking forward. Can’t wait…!

Finally, I am very pleased to share that A.M. Crawford has officially joined the Giving Institute since our March meeting. Many of you will already know Valerie Mojeiko, who has joined us for the past couple of meetings, and we are thrilled to now welcome Valerie and the full A.M. Crawford team to the GI community. The Giving Institute is stronger with you as members…welcome!

Our momentum continues! I look forward to our continued work together in the months ahead.

Regards,

PK

P.S. And also…a joyful update from our GI community: Kate Hughes (The Angeletti Group) welcomed a new arrival! Cailey Jane Hughes made her debut on March 3rd at 8:35am. Congratulations to Kate and her family…and we’ll start keeping an eye out for Cailey’s Summer Symposium keynote slot in 2060. 😉