Community Foundation of Greater Memphis – 2026 Annual Meeting

Insight, Impact, and What Comes Next: 2026 Annual Meeting

Philanthropy is navigating a moment of change. Public sentiment, policy conversations, and evolving expectations are reshaping the role of charitable organizations—and the way impact happens.

Join the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis to reflect on the past year of community investment and consider what this moment means for our community.

You’ll hear from Phil Buchanan, president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, who will share new national research on the challenges nonprofits face today—and the role donors play in meeting them.

You’ll also hear from Community Foundation president Bob Fockler about our responsive investments and what we’re hearing directly from our donors as they shape our work and commitment to the Mid-South.

Together, we’ll celebrate the impact you helped make possible and explore the opportunities ahead.

About our speaker

Phil Buchanan, president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP), is a passionate advocate for the importance of effective philanthropy and a strong nonprofit sector. Hired in 2001 as the organization’s first chief executive, Phil has led the growth of CEP into the leading provider of data and insight on philanthropic effectiveness.

Perception reports

Stakeholders’ feedback and experiences are essential to how we at the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis evaluate and improve our work. We are grateful to the donors who, in fall 2025, participated in our third Donor Perception survey, facilitated by CEP, and the discretionary fund grantees who participated in our first-ever Grantee Perception survey. We will debut the findings from those surveys—condensed and compiled in the 2026 Donor Perception Report and Grantee Perception Report, at the Annual Meeting.