2025 Symposium on Philanthropy and the Black Church
This two-day symposium will provide an opportunity for leaders in organized philanthropy and Black faith organizations to build bridges of collaboration for expanded work in communities.
Date: April 10-11, 2025
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Participants: Leaders in Black faith organizations + leaders in philanthropy, both locally and from across the country, are warmly encouraged to attend.
Registration: Free and open to the public! We kindly ask that you register by March 17.
The Symposium on Philanthropy and the Black Church is presented by the Center for the Church and the Black Experience at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Together, we aim to foster meaningful connections between congregational leaders and philanthropic organizations, enabling all groups to gain a deeper understanding of the Black Church experience and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships that can drive impactful change in communities. Our first Symposium on Philanthropy and the Black Church was hosted in April 2023 and brought together 70 key leaders in philanthropy and faith to start a conversation about this “necessary collaborative.”
Let’s keep this conversation going!
Additional Event Details
Abbreviated Agenda (more details available in March)
Thursday, April 10, 2025
3:00 PM Opening session
6:30 PM Dinner
Friday, April 11, 2025
9:00 AM Symposium continued
12:00 PM Lunch and afternoon session
2:30 PM Meet for shuttle bus
3:00 PM Refreshments at Witherspoon Presbyterian Church
4:00 PM Lake Lecture at Witherspoon Presbyterian Church
6:15 PM Meet for shuttle bus back to hotel (departs at 6:30 PM)
7:00 PM Dinner program at hotel
Lake Lecture
The symposium will culminate in the 2025 Lake Lecture with Dr. Willie Jennings. The title of Dr. Jennings’s talk is “Remaking the Commons: Forming a Moral Imagination for Possession and Philanthropy in Place” on Friday, April 11 at 4 pm. Following the lecture, we invite symposium participants back to the hotel for a dinner and continued conversation. Symposium registrants will be automatically registered for the Lake Lecture. Learn more about the Lake Lecture
Setting the Stage
This symposium hopes to continue the conversation on philanthropy and the Black Church. Here are some helpful resources to provide a glimpse of what has been discussed.