2025 Annual Member Gathering
The 2025 Annual Member Gathering is sold out! We look forward to seeing you all in Howard County. If you are interested in attending, please add your name to the waitlist, and we will contact you if space opens up.
Maryland Philanthropy Network’s Annual Member Gathering is an opportunity for members to connect, rejuvenate, and celebrate as a philanthropic community. In response to the enthusiastic request from our members, we are excited to offer additional in-person networking opportunities during this year’s all-member convening.
Members of Maryland Philanthropy Network, along with guests, will come together for
- an update from Danista E. Hunte, MPN President & CEO, on the current state of our Network,
- a panel on leading with courage with philanthropic leaders from member organizations moderated by Sheryl Goldstein, Founder and CEO of Pluck Consulting,
- a keynote address by Phil Buchanan, President of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, on courageous philanthropy,
- and conclude with a networking luncheon designed to foster connections and collaboration.
This year, our gathering is focused on the theme of "Courageous Philanthropy: Powering Possibility." The phrase "courageous philanthropy" emphasizes the boldness needed to tackle urgent social issues while remaining aligned with a funder's values. The phrase "powering possibility" emphasizes the potential that arises when resources, ideas, and passions are mobilized for a greater cause. MPN is excited to host Phil Buchanan, President of the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP), as this year’s keynote speaker. Phil will share insights from CEP research about the state of the sector and funder behavior in light of calls for courageous grantmaking.
Recognizing that courage takes many forms, we honor and celebrate the variety of ways funders can and do act courageously in alignment with their values and mission. During our gathering, we will highlight a variety of ways those in our network are navigating complexity, acting courageously, and advancing their missions. We invite participants to reflect on their personal motivations for giving and encourage them to engage in transformative efforts that resonate deeply with their values. Attendees will leave with deeper connections, an inspired spirit, and practical insights for impactful philanthropy in today’s changing landscape.
Agenda
| 9:30 – 10:00 AM | Registration and Networking Continental Breakfast |
| 10:00 – 10:30 AM | Welcome and State of the Network |
| 10:30 – 11:15 AM | Leading with Courage – An MPN Member Panel |
| 11:15 – 11:30 AM | Networking Break |
| 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM | Keynote Address with Q & A |
| 12:15 – 1:30 PM | Luncheon |
Tickets
$100 per person
Our Annual Gathering is open for all members of Maryland Philanthropy Network. Select non-member guests will be invited by MPN. Please register by September 10, 2025.
We are offering a 10% discount for reservations of entire tables (8 seats). You have the option to reserve a table to sit together. Contact Megan to process this request.
Member Panel
Leading with Courage – A Philanthropic Leaders Panel with MPN Members
In an era of increasing federal scrutiny and uncertain contexts, leaders in philanthropy must act with courage and disrupt the status quo. This special conversation moderated by Sheryl Goldstein, Founder and CEO of Pluck Consulting, features leaders of a diverse set of MPN member organizations to illuminate how those in our network are navigating complexity, acting courageously, and advancing their missions.
Panelists:
- Melissa Curtin, President & Chief Executive Officer, Community Foundation of Howard County
- David Daniels, Chief Executive Officer, Bainum Family Foundation
- Joshua L. Michael, Ph.D., Executive Director, Sherman Family Foundation
Keynote Speaker
Phil Buchanan, president of Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP), is a passionate advocate for the importance of effective philanthropy and a strong nonprofit sector. Hired in 2001 as the organization’s first chief executive, Phil has led the growth of CEP into the leading provider of data and insight on philanthropic effectiveness.
Phil is author of Giving Done Right: Effective Philanthropy and Making Every Dollar Count, published by PublicAffairs and named the “Best Philanthropy Book of the Year” by Inside Philanthropy in 2019. He is co-host of a podcast, also called Giving Done Right, with CEP’s Grace Nicolette. Phil is a frequent blogger for the CEP Blog, author of op eds that have appeared in a variety of publications, including The New York Times and Financial Times, speaker on issues of effective philanthropy at conferences and events around the world, and a frequent commentator on philanthropy in the media.
Phil is co-founder of YouthTruth, an initiative of CEP’s designed to harness student perceptions to help educators and funders accelerate improvements in K–12 schools and classrooms. In 2016, he was named the Nonprofit Times “Influencer of the Year” and he has been named more than a dozen times to that publication’s “Power and Influence Top 50” list. Phil has served on multiple boards of nonprofit organizations and is currently the chair of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Nonprofit Practice.
Born in Toronto, Canada, Phil grew up in Portland, Oregon before attending Wesleyan University, where he majored in Government and was awarded the Butterfield Prize awarded for character, leadership, intellectual commitment, and concern for the Wesleyan community. He also earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Venue, Parking, & Accessibility
This year’s event will be hosted at The Meeting House in Columbia, MD. The Meeting House has over 250 free parking spaces to accommodate your parking needs. The entire facility, including the entrance and restrooms, is on one level and accessible. Please let us know if we can assist you with any additional accommodations in order to fully participate in this event.
Sponsors
Join us as an Event Sponsor!
As our network advances on our mission to build and activate a diverse, informed, and effective network of philanthropists to inspire transformational impact throughout Maryland, we invite you to consider sponsoring Maryland Philanthropy Network’s 2025 Annual Member Gathering. Your sponsorship will contribute to the honorarium for our keynote speaker, provide complimentary tickets for selected partners in the social sector, and support other vital event costs.
Click here for more information about Sponsorship.
Planning Committee
Thank you to the members serving on our Annual Member Gathering Planning Committee. This group of members is partnering with us to ensure our annual convening is substantive, relevant, and inclusive.
- Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, Women's Giving Circle of Howard County
- Dan Flynn, Community Foundation of Howard County
- Kenitra Kengne Fokwa, Horizon Foundation
- Martina Martin, United Way of Central Maryland