At Summer Symposium 2018, July 12-14 in Charleston, South Carolina, close to 100 Giving Institute members and philanthropy experts gathered together to navigate the future of philanthropy and discuss the ever-changing landscape of our field.

We met in the Charleston heat at the historic Mills House Hotel for informative governance meetings, captivating panel discussions, and social events around Charleston.

We explored pressing topics that influence our field such as, Artificial Intelligence and Cracking the Code of BIG DATA, and Future-Proofing Your Business for Tomorrow. Our expert panel discussions opened the door for conversation and preparation for what lies ahead for philanthropy professionals.

Beyond our educational sessions, we took the time to navigate the future of The Giving Institute and Giving USA Foundation during our governance meetings on Thursday, July 12. We also enjoyed local dine-arounds and a special Thursday night dinner at the Charleston Library Society, where attendees laughed, made connections, and had a great time experiencing the food and fun of Charleston.

At this year’s symposium we also had the privilege of welcoming some of our newest members, Analytical Ones, iWave, OneCause, WealthEngine, and ViTreo.

Additionally, we had the pleasure of meeting our Golden Ticket guests Tim Burcham, Paul Johnson, Ronald Schiller, Scott Provancher, and Charlie Cadigan. 

 “I enjoyed listening to local speakers, meeting new members, and having discussions with all of the other firms on business practices.” – Summer Symposium attendee.

“It was great to catch up with colleagues and the content of this year’s meeting was fabulous.” – Summer Symposium attendee. 

Thanks to the volunteers and staff who made the event such a great success, particularly Brenda Asare and June Bradham for serving as co-chairs on this year’s Summer Symposium Program Committee.

We’d also like to thank Ryan Woroniecki for producing our Summer Symposium 2018 photo highlight video.