HISTORY

Among these were the Buford, Morris, Day, Stewardship, Maclellan, and Fieldstead & Company foundations and organizations. At that time, one of the only resources available for new staff to learn the grantmaking business was the Council on Foundations. Although Council on Foundations succeeded in providing general knowledge of the industry, its perspective was almost entirely secular. Thus, members of these Christian foundations began meeting together, first in Atlanta and then in Washington, D.C., to learn from one another about grantmaking from a faith-based perspective.

There was no set agenda during those early days, but the discussions were rich and covered issues that many of the members were facing. After about three years, the group started inviting resource people to present on relevant topics.

In the mid-1980s, principals began to attend the meetings. This lead to the first “Gathering” in 1989 at Calloway Gardens with about 45 people in attendance. The Gathering became an official entity with corporate status, staff, and board in the mid-1990s.

Many foundation staff still felt the need to meet together in a setting specifically designed to address issues they encountered on a daily basis, especially as the industry began to experience explosive growth. In the mid-1990s they began to come together again informally, with foundations alternately taking turns hosting the annual meeting.

At this time this group was named “PIGS”—Professionals in Grantmaking Society— with a spirit of humor and humility about the role of grantmakers.

The Gathering provided administrative support to PIGS until 2016. At the annual meeting in Kansas City members voted unanimously to continue this organization, under a new name: Professionals in Christian Philanthropy. They also nominated an initial set of steering committee members. Over the course of the next year the committee evaluated what is the unique role of PCP in the ever-changing world of philanthropy. Today, the steering committee plans and executes the activities of this informal organization, very much in line with the impetus of its founding: to provide a venue for sharing wisdom, discussing challenges, finding peer support and encouragement, vetting and sharing due diligence and research, and for collaboration.