Alumni Frequently Asked Questions

Membership of the TPW Alumni Network Association requires a $5,000 or $7,500 (for two or three family members who are TPW alumni) contribution each year.

This contribution gives you numerous benefits. With membership you may attend Alumni Reunions in New York (May) and London (October) for free, versus $2,500 for all other TPW alumni, and may join webinars for free (instead of paying the $75 fee). You receive a third off the fee for Deep Dive Skills Days and Philanthropy Plus Learning Days and also a $2,000 reduction in the fee for the Developing World Module we run each year.

The yearly membership fee is an important part of our sustainable model for building and developing the TPW alumni network. The Institute arranges a number of activities for alumni throughout the year, for which the membership fees as well as pay-as-you-go fees for alumni who do not wish to be members, underwrite the costs. It is because of this annual income we can continue to provide the services and events to help TPW alumni develop their philanthropy.

For alumni paying through a US based foundation:
We must ask for you to please consult your tax advisor to confirm the status of your fees which will vary from country to country. The contribution may be a qualifying distribution under Internal Revenue Code section 4942, and as such may be counted as part of the 5% minimum distribution required of foundations.

For all other alumni:
We must ask for you to please consult your tax advisor as to the status of your contribution which will vary from country to country.

You very generously supported us with a leadership grant as part of our launch from The Rockefeller Foundation to our new home at the Institute for Philanthropy. In so doing, you were part of a group of alumni who together gave us an astounding $1 million which made it possible for us to continue TPW.

Since then, we have instituted a system of membership fees for TPW (see first question). In the years that you donated to us, we considered you a member of the Alumni Network Association and did not request fees, giving you the benefits of having paid them, including free attendance to certain modules and events, and discounts on others. As a member you also got priority invitation to speaker evenings and could attend skills seminars and issue area learning groups free of charge.

There are costs to us for each activity we offer and the system of annual membership fees and pay as you go fees allow us to underwrite those costs and be sustainable. It has been a good system, allowing those who may not take full advantage of our offerings to opt in on a pay as you go basis.

We understand the importance of family philanthropy and so provide discounts on specific activities to encourage family members to participate in our events.

If two members of a family have participated in TPW they may make a joint contribution of $7,500 per year to the Association instead of the normal $5,000 per person per year. Three family members who are all TPW alumni may also contribute a total of $7,500 per year for membership to the TPW Alumni Network Association.

Family (providing they are aged over 21 and are co-decision makers in philanthropic giving) of members of the TPW Alumni Network Association are invited to Developing World Modules for the discounted Alumni Association rate. Family members of TPW alumni who are not members of the TPW Alumni Network Association are still invited to Developing World Modules, but at the full rate.

Other activities to which family of members of the TPW Alumni Network Association are invited (full details of which are below) are charged at the full rate.

Although we love to invite family members and Next Generation Philanthropy alumni to certain events, a few of our offerings are only available to alumni of The Philanthropy Workshop to maintain affinity among participants and the unique atmosphere that is created in these peer gatherings. Many of the events build on the teaching and skills of The Philanthropy Workshop and therefore are not appropriate for non-TPW donors.

TPW only events include: Alumni Reunions, Deep Dive Skills Days, and Developing World Modules. [TPW family members and co-decision makers in philanthropy are also welcome to the Developing World Modules].

Events where both TPW and a broader constituency are invited include: Philanthropy Plus Learning Days, Speaker Evenings, Think Philanthropy Seminars and Webinars.

If there is a particular session or event during a TPW alumni-only event that is of interest to you or your family members we may be able to provide a private session at our per diem consulting rate. Alternatively, if we get enough interest from family members and other donors in our network, or if you are willing to rally a group yourself, we could arrange to put on the session for a broader group for a per person fee (a minimum number of participants would be needed). If we take a transcript of the talk, we would be more than happy to share it with you.

Please contact us on tpw@instituteforphilanthropy.org to find out more about any of these options.

We regret to say that in the case of a donor-only event  we are unable to accommodate staff members as substitute attendees for philanthropists themselves. Although we wish to support  donors in whatever way we can, including engaging with their staff, it is important for us to maintain a peer environment for philanthropists.

Philanthropist only events include: Alumni Reunions, Deep Dive Skills Days, Philanthropy Plus Learning Days and Developing World Modules.

Events where a broader constituency is invited include: Think Philanthropy Seminars and Webinars.

For many events, if we take a transcript or video of the talk, we would be more than happy to share it with you. Also, if we get similar interest from other parties, or if you would like to gather a group together, we could arrange to put on this session again for a per person cost (a minimum number of participants would be needed).

If this is of interest to you or you would like more information please contact us at tpw@instituteforphilanthropy.org.