PSI Vistas: Every season is the giving season at PSI ??| December 2024
Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation @ Aspen Institute
We bring together the changemakers who have the power to solve society’s shared problems and strengthen our democracy.
Welcome to the Winter 2024 edition of Vistas, the Program on Philanthropy & Social Innovation (PSI) quarterly newsletter. We end the year with a review of our summer and fall events that brought us together in community with our colleagues across the nonprofit and philanthropic world. Let the connections and conversations we had in 2024 continue in 2025.
New Report Alert: Everyday Actions, Extraordinary Potential
The Generosity Commission , co-chaired by PSI Executive Director Jane Wales , released its capstone report, Everyday Actions, Extraordinary Potential: The Power of Giving and Volunteering, in mid-September. The event, held at The Aspen Institute 's Washington, D.C., offices, saw attendance from leaders throughout the sector.
The report analyzes current trends and offers nine actionable recommendations for nonprofit leaders, funders, researchers, policymakers, and business leaders to support and encourage everyday giving and volunteering.
Big Dreams and New Ideas for Community Foundations
This past October saw the second gathering of community foundation leaders and national funders through PSI's Community Foundation Leaders Initiative.
Convening inside the Cleveland Foundation's new Midtown headquarters, leaders worked to reimagine?the community foundation of the future and design a business model to support its expansive role in rebuilding the civic infrastructure across the country.
PSI was on hand to support attendees and document the big dreams and new ideas put forward. Stay tuned: the program will release a report summarizing this work in early 2025.
A big shoutout to Associate Director Sarina Beges-Thysen and PSI Program Manager Emily Imhoff for their tireless efforts over the past two years!
Welcoming New Members to Aspen Philanthropy Group
PSI welcomed new participants at this year’s gathering of the Aspen Philanthropy Group, including Open Society Foundations , Surdna Foundation , and Builders Initiative . They joined their peers in Aspen, Colorado, to discuss topics such as philanthropy’s role in the aftermath of the U.S. election, the impact of generative AI on the American workforce, and how to safeguard civil society organizations against the closing civic space.
Taking the Pulse of Mid-America
?This year's Seminar for Mid-America Foundation CEOs engaged in wide-ranging discussions. Participants touched on topics like funding democracy-strengthening initiatives at the local level, upholding commitments to racial equity amidst challenges to affirmative action and race-based programs and grantmaking, and navigating leadership transitions as well as preparing the rising generation of nonprofit and philanthropic leaders. The strategy group welcomed the new CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation , DeAngela B. .
PSI is grateful for the support of the Kauffman Foundation and the Priddy Foundation, which made the 2024 seminar possible.
PSI in the News
On GivingTuesday , CNBC 's Sharon Epperson highlighted strategies that Americans can use to heighten their impact on the causes they care about this holiday season. The segment featured PSI's Jane Wales speaking on the decline in the number of everyday givers over time.
Jane also spoke about the power and worth of volunteering on Vox 's "Today, Explained" podcast. The episode explored how one Vox reporter, Rachel Cohen , came to see volunteering as a way to make a difference. The episode ended with an interview with Robert Putnam. author of Bowling Alone.
A Fond "See You Later" to Emily Imhoff
For five years, Emily Imhoff has cheerfully and expertly worked alongside colleagues and constituents to deliver the best programming PSI has to offer. Through APG, Mid-America, the Artist-Endowed Foundations Initiative, the Community Foundation Leaders Initiative, and much more, she's strengthened relationships and brought strategic insights to the table. It's with a mix of sadness and pride that we say "see you later!" to Emily as she transitions to serve as Program & Operations Manager of Aspen Institute's new Social Trust Initiative, housed within Aspen Digital.
The entire PSI team wishes Emily the best in her new role! And we're so glad we'll still see her around the Washington, D.C., office!