Widely seen as a conservative force, the Philanthropy Roundtable has increasingly given voice to perspectives which differ from the sector’s liberal establishment. In this exclusive interview, president and CEO, Elise Westhoff tells Charles Keidan why she is concerned about the current direction of US philanthropy.

Elise Westhoff

Charles Keidan: What was your vision for the Philanthropy Roundtable when you took up the post two years ago?

Elise Westhoff: The Philanthropy Roundtable is a network of donors – foundations, individual philanthropists, those who give through donor-advised funds – who share values of liberty, opportunity and personal responsibility. And they want to advance those values through effective charitable giving. Our vision is to build a philanthropic movement that strengthens our free society. Since I started, we have taken a bold stance in advocating for the ways that our values improve lives. We’ve been very outspoken about our beliefs and that’s because our community of philanthropists and the organisations that we work with closely have asked us to do that.