Givers, Doers, & Thinkers Webinars
The Givers, Doers, & Thinkers webinar series explores various public policy issues, often with an emphasis on how those issues relate to philanthropy and civil society. Jack Fowler engages leading scholars, experts, and donors on a panoply of thought-provoking topics.
The Conference
Givers, Doers, & Thinkers Podcast
The GDT podcast introduces listeners to the fascinating people and important ideas at the heart of American civil society. We speak with philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, nonprofit executives, historians, philosophers, journalists, and anyone else who will help us understand contemporary civil society’s achievements and failures.
America at 250
In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, the Center for Civil Society launched a special project through 2025–2026: America at 250. Our America at 250 programming highlights the unique contributions these organizations have played throughout American history and explores how civil society can continue to allow our nation to flourish.
This project includes thematic podcast seasons, insightful webinars with leading thinkers, article series in Philanthropy Daily, and our capstone Givers, Doers, and Thinkers Conference in Philadelphia. Through these and other media, we explore:
- the impact of American charities and voluntary associations in forming our national ethos,
- the challenges these organizations face today, and
- their vital role in our country’s future.
Our America at 250 program celebrates the spirit of our nation and its charitable legacy. For 250 years, nonprofits and voluntary associations have served as a vital force in America’s story—a story defined by freedom, community, and resilience.
While some initiatives focus on America’s flaws and history through a lens of oppression, we believe that the nation’s legacy is one of a net good that empowered countless people to live flourishing lives and inspired the spread of economic and political freedom worldwide. Furthermore, through their work American nonprofits and civic organizations have advanced essential causes, united communities, and championed values that the government alone cannot address. This extraordinary charitable legacy, unique to our Republic, has helped build a nation founded on the principles of opportunity and responsibility for the common good.