Contemplating potential future Philanthropy Roundtable leadership
Adam Meyerson announced last month that he will be stepping down as the longtime, respected president of the Philanthropy Roundtable. Founded in 1987 as an alternative to the establishment Council on Foundations, the Roundtable is “America’s leading network of charitable donors working to strengthen our free society, uphold donor intent, and protect the freedom to give,” as it describes itself.
Meyerson joined the Roundtable in 2001, following Kim Dennis and John Walters as its head. Under Meyerson’s leadership, its membership of individual philanthropists, families, and private foundations continued to increase and its annual budget grew from $1.8 million to $9 million.
As the Roundtable contemplates is future leadership, philanthropy itself is becoming subject to higher levels of scrutiny. Some commentators, in fact, are quite harshly critiquing its very formation, structure, and practices.
Erring on the side of overinclusion, below is a quickly compiled (merely alphabetical) list of potential candidates to next play this important role, during what may be a crucial upcoming period for philanthropy.
Andy Smarick, director, civil society, education, and work, R Street Institute
