Hello fellow Giving Institute members,
There is so much happening across the Giving Institute right now, and it’s exciting to see the energy and enthusiasm as we begin bringing our new strategic plan to life. As we look ahead to the fall, here are just a few highlights.
With our November meeting in Atlanta just around the corner, I hope you’re making plans to join us! We have an outstanding program taking shape, bringing together some of the most important conversations happening across philanthropy and our own firms. Meg George will facilitate a terrific panel on Women in Philanthropy: The Future of Giving is Female, featuring three Atlanta-based philanthropic leaders. Dave Smith will lead a fascinating discussion on charitable gift planning and the great intergenerational wealth transfer, challenging some widely cited projections while exploring the tremendous opportunities ahead. Gabe Cooper will explore the future of philanthropy and the role of AI, examining what emerging data tells us about changing patterns of generosity and how we can respond to the challenges and opportunities ahead. We’ll also explore the future of volunteerism and engaging the next generation in generosity, alongside opportunities for candid conversations about our own firms and continued exploration of the ideas that emerged from our Symposium in Kansas City. It’s shaping up to be a thought-provoking and energizing couple of days, with plenty of the peer connection that makes our Giving Institute gatherings so valuable. A big thank you to our meeting Co-Chairs, Susannah Darrow and Dave Smith, for their leadership in putting together such a compelling program!
I’m also excited about our newly named Practice Forum for Emerging Leaders, taking place November 17, immediately before our main meeting. Building on our former Mentor Series, this full-day experience will help early- and mid-career colleagues strengthen their strategic thinking, communication and professional judgment while building valuable relationships with peers across our member firms. Thank you to Summers Hammel for chairing this important initiative. I encourage you to consider sending members of your team, who can also attend the main Giving Institute meeting at a reduced registration rate.
If you haven’t registered for Atlanta yet, now’s the time! I hope you’ll join us for the November meeting and consider bringing along some of your emerging leaders for the Practice Forum. I look forward to seeing many of you there!
Looking further ahead, I’m delighted to announce that Meg George of George Philanthropy and Mallory Greer of Virtuous have agreed to serve as Co-Chairs of our July 2027 Giving Institute Generosity Symposium in Washington, DC! Congratulations and a big thank you to both Meg and Mallory for taking on this important leadership role. This is a terrific contribution to the Giving Institute and the broader philanthropic sector, and I know they’ll be fantastic.
As you know, we’re dreaming a little bigger for next summer. Building on one of the key priorities of our new strategic plan, we’re looking to expand the Symposium’s role as a convening of leaders and ideas, bringing together voices from within and beyond the Giving Institute to explore the future of generosity, challenge our thinking and inspire meaningful progress across the sector. That’s also why we’re calling it the Generosity Symposium, rather than our traditional Summer Symposium. It’s an exciting evolution of an event we already love, and I can’t wait to see what Meg and Mallory have in store for us!
Finally, a very warm welcome to our newest Giving Institute member firms: Aperio Philanthropy (Mike Stefanski), Philanthropy Innovators (Karen Cochran), KHow Consulting (Kathy Howigran), and Boyden Boston LLC (Wendy Wilsker)! We’re delighted to have these firms join our community and look forward to the perspectives, experiences and connections they’ll bring. I hope we’ll have the opportunity to welcome you in person in Atlanta!
Regards,
PK
PS – And! A shout-out to some accomplished Giving Institute authors on the recent release of their latest books: Gail Perry, Easy Fundraising and Friendmaking for Board Members; and Nathan Chappell and Gabe Cooper, N1 Philanthropy. Congratulations to all three! I know we’ll all look forward to digging in!