History of Professionals in Christian Philanthropy
In the early 1980s, several Christian foundations across the United States began increasing their staff numbers. 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 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 a 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 that year members voted unanimously to continue this organization, establish a volunteer leadership team, and take up a new name: Professionals in Christian Philanthropy. Over the next seven years PCP’s membership steadily grew, and its activities expanded to include an annual site visit at a host foundation and then to regular online events.
The discussions and learning continued to be rich, and in 2022 members expressed a desire to see this community grow in what it offers to its members and what it enables them to do together. After an extended season of prayer, listening, and strategic planning, in May 2023 PCP announced plans to incorporate as a nonprofit, hire full-time staff, and expand its programming.
Today PCP is a 501c3 public charity. Our 180+ members work for over 100 different foundations and grantmaking organizations. Although we have grown and formalized in the four-plus decades since our earliest beginnings, our activities are still very much in line with the impetus of our founding: to cultivate a network for sharing wisdom, discussing challenges, finding peer support and encouragement, vetting and sharing due diligence and research, and collaborating.