To those of you who are signed up for our March Meeting in Las Vegas, taking place next Thursday and Friday, I look forward to seeing you there.Our committees and boards have a lot to discuss, including our voting board members, who have an important decision to make regarding the bylaws for member firm acceptance. I am also excited that our (formerly named) White House Commission on Philanthropy Committee will have an update to share with the Board on the work of the group since our November Board meetings and a proposed plan to initiate a National Commission on Philanthropy. I trust that the conversations and resolutions will be productive and effective.

Amidst the meetings, we’ll hear from talented professionals on noteworthy topics in our industry right now. Russ Goldstein, Jeanette Schneider, and Matthew Laufman will start on Thursday morning with, “Findings from the US Trust High Net Worth Study,” offering us insight into what recent giving and volunteering trends can tell us about what to expect in the future. On Thursday afternoon, Brian Mohr will lead a session on, “Talent as a Business Strategy.” 

On Friday morning, our “Philanthropy and Aging Services Panel,” led by John Feather and Tom Hofmann and moderated by Laura MacDonald, Jeffrey Byrne, and Cedric Richner, will also be available to all who are interested as a live online broadcast. The panelists will discuss the soon-to-be-released Giving USA Special Report, Giving and the Golden Years: The Role of Private Giving in Aging Services Organizations, and how its findings can help your organization properly serve aging populations. This online broadcast is open to all at no cost, so please, invite your staff and clients to participate in this informative session. The special report will be released shortly after the broadcast. 

During the meeting, on March 2, registration will open for the Summer Symposium, “Re-Imagining Philanthropy.” Taking place in vibrant and evolving Detroit, the Institute has big plans in the works for you. To get into the spirit of things, be sure to read, “Back from the Brink: Hundreds of giant makers are looking to lessons in how foundations were able to breathe new life into Detroit,” published in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, September 2016.

As always, thank you for your continued support and participation in this great organization, and I look forward to seeing many of you soon.

Jeffrey D. Byrne
President + CEO, Jeffrey Byrne + Associates, Inc.
Chair, The Giving Institute