What is The Philanthropy Workshop (TPW)?
TPW is a global peer community of more than 450 philanthropists and social investors who share a deep commitment to excellence, continuous learning, collective action, and applying entrepreneurial approaches to the world’s most urgent issues. We — together with our members — believe that unprecedented social problems can be solved with humble leaders and partners who are eager to learn, collaborate and invest together.
Who are your members and how are they selected?
The TPW community is made up of diverse age, demography, ethnicity, and geography. Currently, TPW has 454 members representing 26 different countries. Our members come to TPW because they share a commitment to learning, a willingness to openly share challenges as well as best practices, a dedication to effect long term social impact, and a deep sense of humility that guides their work. In order to join the private community, potential members must be recommended by a TPW member, peer, or partner organization, meet TPW’s entry criteria, agree to our collective values, and be active participants in upholding our culture.
As diverse individuals, we vary in the issues and geographies that we devote our time and resources to, but as a collective, all TPW members agree on the urgency to act and are united by the relentless drive to make a substantive, positive difference. TPW members are strategic leaders who work together to share innovative ideas, failures, resources, and successes. We are committed to ultimately not be distracted by what’s wrong, but instead to demonstrate and celebrate what works.
Are there any criteria for becoming part of the community? How can I join?
Prospective members are typically recommended by a current TPW member, family member, or partner organization. A member referral can be submitted on our website here or in person with TPW staff. TPW members must be at least 18 years of age to both maximize learnings and be active contributors with experience and knowledge to share within the peer community.
Once a recommendation has been received, a TPW staff member will contact you for an initial discussion, unless you are already in touch with our team. Upon meeting all of the criteria, you will be invited to join the community. Members are welcome to join at any point during the year, though we often recommend onboarding in January in order to take full advantage of programs ahead.
After committing to join TPW, incoming members sign a Member Agreement that articulates TPW’s shared culture and values, code of conduct, and collective commitment to advance impact globally.
What are the benefits to joining the TPW community?
By joining TPW, members gain full access to TPW’s signature learning programs, our global community of peers, and commit to mobilizing and leveraging resources for greater social impact. Our team then partners with each individual member to track their progress over time and curate an experience to help them maximize learning opportunities, connections and impact. We view members as active partners in our impact model which covers three core areas:
APPLIED KNOWLEDGE
Members participate in TPW global programs to learn proven approaches, data driven solutions, and the best practical tools and frameworks that when applied, can accelerate impact.
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP
Members immediately gain a global, diverse community of peers offering intimate, local as well as global spaces to address challenging issues. Members can utilize our Digital Member Community to share best practices, challenges and learnings to gain new insights.
COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION
TPW staff proactively architect connections between our members, global experts and aligned organizations to promote effective collaboration, share high impact opportunities, and if applicable, encourage co-funding and co-investing to more effectively leverage and unlock additional resources.
Members not only learn from programs and peers but build a trusted community of experts and fellow leaders that will continue to inform and direct their work as it evolves over time.
What sets TPW apart from other communities?
PROGRAMS
TPW is the only peer learning group of its kind with a keen focus on impact that offers highly curated, expert-led programs that go beyond traditional philanthropy and look holistically at the social impact ecosystem. By joining TPW, members deeply explore personal and family values and the drivers of their giving and investing in order to achieve the highest impact and maximize their resources.
CULTURE
Our members share a deep commitment of continuous learning and action. We offer a confidential space for philanthropists and social investors to learn, ask questions, and have challenging discussions that are often difficult to have elsewhere. Our members are humble practitioners who believe in partnership at all levels in order to achieve sustainable social change.
COMMUNITY
TPW cultivates a local and global community of peer leaders, and mobilizes greater resources to ultimately accelerate individual and collective impact. Members have exclusive, year-round access to each other and to TPW partners and global experts selectively curated for the community.
DEDICATED RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
Our members receive continuous support from TPW staff who provide customized recommendations for programs and global connections that align with members’ goals to ensure they get the learning, support and expert connections they need to achieve their impact milestones.
IMPACT
TPW’s long-term performance promise to every member is to accelerate their social impact. We exist to ensure that no philanthropic or social investment is ever wasted. Starting with a customized Member Profile, we partner with each member to architect a strategic path with measurable milestones for their social investments. Twice a year, we review progress and conduct an impact assessment to discuss overall progress, specific results, and inform next steps.
What commitment do individuals make in becoming a member?
Our goal is to attract strategic leaders who are serious about social impact. The first step is a meeting to discuss member goals and align on a customized path for the first year. New members must attend TPW’s Impact Accelerator or Advanced Impact Accelerator (our 2 ½ day signature strategic course) within their first 12 months of joining the community. The Impact Accelerator is important to establish a shared framework for impact and learning, a common language and foundation for future programs, and anchors the member experience itself. This core program is offered in a variety of locations four times per year. You can find more about the Impact Accelerator and the broader offering programs here (link).
Members are free to join additional programs throughout the year based on their own learning objectives and availability.
What is the annual recommended contribution for members?
TPW’s impact is made possible through the support of our members’ voluntary annual contributions. In order to continue to pursue our mission of accelerating social impact around the globe, we recommend that members make an annual contribution of at least £9,000 / $12,000 for an individual or £15,000 / $20,000 for a pair. If you would like to bring your family or a larger group into the TPW community, our staff will be happy to work with you to determine a meaningful level of financial support. TPW also works with members who are interested in making a larger investment in our organization for either general operating or project-related support.
For more information on how to make a contribution to TPW, visit our Contributions page.
Is my contribution to TPW tax deductible?
Yes, in the United States, your annual contribution is 100% tax-deductible. We also accept grant disbursements from foundations and DAFs.
TPW is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the United States under EIN 98-0592591. TPW is also a registered charity in the United Kingdom through its subsidiary, Institute for Philanthropy, under charity number 1093927. Currently, TPW is not a registered charitable organization in Canada.
For more information on how to make a contribution to TPW, visit our Contributions page.
How can I recommend others to join TPW?
Our members are our greatest advocates; we trust your recommendations for future members above all else as you understand, value, and make TPW’s culture what it is.
Should you have individuals, couples, or families to recommend, please share their names with any staff or fill out the Member Referral form.
