Casting a wide net.
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.
Lamar Alexander, retiring U.S. Senator from Tennessee; onetime chairman, National Commission on Philanthropy and Civic Renewal
Lawson Bader, president and chief executive officer, DonorsTrust
Jason Bertsch, executive vice president, American Enterprise Institute
Tarren Bragdon, president and chief executive officer, Foundation for Government Accountability
Paul Brest, former president, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; former dean, Stanford Law School
Arthur Brooks, former president, American Enterprise Institute
Campbell Brown, head of news partnerships, Facebook
Jeff Cain, chief executive officer, CrossFit; former partner, American Philanthropic
Dan Coats, former U.S. Director of National Intelligence; former U.S. Senator from Indiana; co-founder, Foundation for American Renewal
Jim Collins, author, consultant, and lecturer
Lindsay Craig, president, National Review Institute
Chris DeMuth, distinguished fellow, Hudson Institute
David DesRosiers, president, RealClear Foundation
Betsy DeVos, U.S. Secretary of Education
Claire Kittle Dixon, executive director, Talent Market
Ed Feulner, former president, The Heritage Foundation
Carly Fiorina, president, Carly Fiorina Enterprises
Ari Fleisher, president, Ari Fleischer Communications
Joanne Florino, vice president of philanthropic services, Philanthropy Roundtable
Bob Gates, former U.S. Secretary of Defense
Steve Hantler, director of policy initiatives, Marcus Family Office
Jay Hein, president, Sagamore Institute
Carl Helstrom, vice president for programs, The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
Mark Henrie, president, Arthur N. Rupe Foundation
Heather Higgins, chairman, Independent Women’s Forum
John Jackson, Hoplin Jackson Charitable Advisors
Craig Kennedy, senior fellow, Hudson Institute; former president, German Marshall Fund; former president, Joyce Foundation
Roger Kimball, editor and publisher, The New Criterion; publisher, Encounter Books
Joe Lehman, president, Mackinac Center
Leonard Leo, executive vice president, The Federalist Society
Carrie Lukas, president, Independent Women’s Forum
Bill McGurn, columnist, The Wall Street Journal
William McRaven, retired Admiral, U.S. Navy; former chancellor, University of Texas System
Vanessa Mendoza, executive vice president, Manhattan Institute
Rebekah Mercer, director, Mercer Family Foundation
Cleta Mitchell, partner, Foley & Lardner
Abby Spencer Moffat, chief executive officer, Diana Davis Spencer Foundation
Lisa Nelson, chief executive officer, American Legislative Exchange Council
Darcy Olsen, president, Generation Justice; former chief executive officer, Goldwater Institute
Colin Powell, retired General, U.S. Army; former U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice, professor, Stanford University; senior fellow, Hoover Institution; former U.S. Secretary of State
Naomi Schaefer Riley, resident fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Tom Riley, president, Connelly Foundation
Brooke Rollins, assistant to the President, Office of American Innovation, The White House; former president and chief executive officer, Texas Public Policy Foundation
Stephanie Saroki de García, managing director, Seton Education Partners
Dan Senor, author and commentator
Tracie Sharp, president, State Policy Network
Andy Smarick, director, civil society, education, and work, R Street Institute
Jeff Snell, chief executive officer, International Folk Art Alliance; former special adviser to the president, Marquette University; former chief operating officer, Argosy Foundation
Dan Stid, director, Madison Initiative, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Ryan Streeter, director of domestic policy studies, American Enterprise Institute
Sandra Swirski, executive director, Alliance for Charitable Reform, Philanthropy Roundtable
Jim Towey, president, Ave Maria University
Tevi Troy, vice president of public policy, JUUL Labs
John Tyler, general counsel, corporate secretary, and chief ethics officer, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Bridgett Wagner, vice president for policy promotion, Heritage Foundation
J.C. Watts, chairman, J.C. Watts Companies
Scott Walter, president, Capital Research Center
Meg Whitman, chief executive officer, Quibi
Karl Zinsmeister, vice president of publications, Philanthropy Roundtable
