Conversations that Matter
The Johnson Center hosts a range of virtual and in-person programs. Whenever possible, we record our programs to make them available for the larger field.
Research in Focus
Dialogues & Big Ideas
Live Events
From The Foundation Review
Playlists Available on YouTube
Major Trends in Philanthropy
In this series, expert practitioners and researchers in philanthropy engage with the Johnson Center’s annual 11 Trends in Philanthropy report. These recorded webinars explore the key forces shaping the sector—offering analysis, real-world context, and actionable insights. Whether you’re tracking emerging developments or planning for the future, these conversations provide a deeper understanding of the trends influencing philanthropic practice today and how they interact with and shape one another.
Past, Present, and Future: 30th Anniversary Celebration Series
How has philanthropy changed in the past 30 years? How might it be different 30 years from now? This three-part series celebrating the Johnson Center’s 30th Anniversary in 2022-2023 explores the past, present, and possible future of our sector as we experience ebbs and flows, experiment with new models for achieving impact, and place our national sector in its global context.
The Foundation Review: 15th Anniversary Celebration
The Foundation Review celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024 with two special anniversary issues and a collection of author videos. Here from authors, editors, and journal champions to learn more about the journal’s impact, reach, and role in the philanthropic sector.
The Foundation Review: Webinars
The Foundation Review, the Johnson Center’s peer-reviewed journal of philanthropy, publishes three issues per year. Some issues are unthemed, while others focus on a specific topic such as Impact Investing, Community Leadership and the Sustainable Development Goals, or Global Philanthropy. Many issues are accompanied by webinars featuring authors and their partners, digging more deeply into the frameworks, case studies, and big ideas shared in each article. Catch each webinar and explore the full archive of The Foundation Review, all available via Digital Open Access.
The Foundation Review: Author Videos
Article authors and partners often record brief introductory videos to share more context, insights, and information for readers before they dive into the text. In this playlist, meet your favorite authors, find new peers to connect to, and discover the full range of topics and subject matter expertise available in the journal.
Evaluation and Impact Investing
Designed to engage evaluators and impact investors on the opportunities for using evaluative thinking in social finance and impact investing, this series focuses on the three program phases — planning, implementation, and recalibration — and how evaluators can use their skills in each phase. This series was cohosted by the Johnson Center with the American Evaluation Association, the Council of Michigan Foundations, and Mission Investors Exchange.
Summit Replay: Donor Journeys
From 2011-2019, the Johnson Center’s Frey Foundation Chair for Family Philanthropy hosted a biennial National Summit on Family Philanthropy. In 2019, the summit focused on the theme “Our Donor Journeys and Why They Matter.” The program featured three panel conversations: Partners on the Giving Journey, Journeys After Trauma, and Next Gen Social Justice Journeys. Each dialogue was recorded and is shared here in a four-part playlist, including an introduction from Founding Frey Chair Michael Moody, Ph.D.