October Chair Letter

Dear Giving Institute Members,

In this moment as we reflect on the social, political, climate and other major societal shifts going on in the world, what privilege it is for our member firms to be in partnership with organizations near and far carrying out such critical work. As an association, the urgency of equipping our clients to be agents of change is more pressing than ever.

Sixty days into my position as Chair of The Giving Institute and wow, do we have a lot of great work underway.  I have been reaching out to members to have one-on-one conversations to learn more about how they would like to be engaged as partners in our work and how The Giving Institute may bring even more value to their firms. I am grateful and inspired by the on-going commitment of our members and their colleagues who raise their hands to advance the work of our association through their service. Here is a snapshot of some of the highlights of the impact work underway:

Drum roll please! I am excited to share that the dynamic duo - Sarah Clough, Marts& Lundy and Nikkii Kashub, Community Brands enthusiastically agreed to Chair Summer Symposium 2024 in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia.  Thank you, Sarah and Nikkii, for saying “Yes” to leading the planning and execution of our signature event as we continue to raise the bar.   Great things lie ahead with Sarah and Nikkii at the helm. Be on the lookout for dates as soon as hotel accommodations are secured.

We’ve launched! Tim Burcham, Burcham Solutions kicked off The Giving Institute’s inaugural Marketing Committee meeting. The Committee’s focus will begin with an assessment that includes organizational review and stakeholder engagement. The website will be evaluated as well. More to come as the Committee continues its work.

We are growing Membership under the leadership of Sarah Dave, GrantsPlus and Kate Roosevelt, Campbell & Company continues to flourish with 69 current member firms and four new firms in the pipeline. The Membership Committee created a new member (and refresher for existing members) orientation and will be offering quarterly sessions so member firms can learn more about the benefits of membership, as well as opportunities to get involved. Also, be on the lookout for an all-members survey later this Fall.

Systems and structure Deb Taft, Lindauer raised her hand to create stronger support for Committee Chairs with the development of a Chairs orientation, goal- setting guidelines and working with MCI to roll out a platform to make it easier and more accessible for members to sign up for various committees.

Tracking our successes Paul Koreen, KCI, the new keeper of the Strategic Plan Dashboard refreshed its look and now includes a new section of additional goals. Check it out, it looks really cool!

Thought Leadership Barbara O’Reilly, Windmill Hill Consulting, LLC, and Chair of the Research Committee is keeping the research tap flowing with the soon to be released report on Jewish Philanthropy in October and Emerging Donors in November.

Mark your Calendars The November 8th-9th meeting, which will be held in Chicago, is right around the corner with 68 people registered to date.  The Mentor Series, led by Jim Bush, Winkler Group and Sterrin Bird, Salesforce, is a not-to-miss opportunity for new consultants to sharpen their skills and take their career to the next level. 

Planning is well underway for the March 6th-8th, 2024, meeting in St. Petersburg FL.  Betsy Chapin Taylor, Accordant Philanthropy and Chad Paris, Parisleaf are planning a provocative program for us that promises to deepen The Giving Institute’s intentionality of creating a welcoming and inclusive environment.  Come to Florida in March to escape the cold and to be a part of Making Good Trouble!

Let me close by thanking each of you for your dedication and commitment to making The Giving Institute a better organization in so many ways.  This is a busy time for all of us and yet you carve out time to lead committees and task forces, prepare for and attend meetings, create work product, learn, provide thought leadership, and so much more.  I see you, appreciate all you’re doing and am grateful to work beside you. The best is yet to come!

Looking forward to welcoming you to Chicago in a few short weeks,

Brenda