Reflections on Lake Institute's 2024 Thought Leaders Convening: This brief report summarizes what we heard about what leaders can do on the shifting ground of faith and giving, and what kinds of help is needed to lead well.

Dr. Mona Siddiqui explored how art and human imagination compel us to seek different worlds and justices and how religious faith makes demands of us to give in multiple ways – giving may have its limits just like hospitality but our moral life is relational and only by being generous with our idea of community, do we cultivate a sense of civic life for everyone.

At its core, philanthropy is about relationships, but in our increasingly polarized and disconnected world, how do we form these relationships and develop a generosity of spirit? Our religious traditions have often demonstrated the essential nature of relationship between one another, within communities, as well as between the human and divine. As a renowned scholar of Jewish studies and a present-day leading voice for modeling dialogue across difference, Dr. Susannah Heschel will discuss the ways in which religion broadly and Jewish tradition specifically can help us better practice philanthropy as the love of humanity.

In this exploratory report by Rev. Jennifer Watley Maxell, she identifies some keys to mapping the landscape of philanthropy and the Black Church.

To make the best use of the Faithful Generosity Story Shelf, we provide both a brief, one-page discussion guide and a comprehensive tool for congregational discussion.

Based on the responses of nearly 3,000 faith leaders and people of faith, this report uncovers key insights into the motivations and community needs driving religious giving and an outlook on future giving.

This video provides a short overview of “Four Traditions of Philanthropy,” a framework for reflecting on the good we seek through giving and serving. Use this video with groups to spark conversation about the “why” of philanthropy—and to make room for a range of hopes and values.

This short video highlights one AME congregation’s creative partnership with philanthropy and nonprofits to address environmental injustice, by easing the heat for communities of color and low-income neighborhoods through a “smart surfaces" coalition.

In this introductory video, you'll learn about the purpose and uses of Lake Institute's Faithful Generosity Story Shelf.