Mission: To support and promote philanthropy.

The Donors Forum is a professional membership association of grantmakers advancing philanthropy through membership, professional development, networking, collaboration and leadership.

Providing services in:

Advocacy (The Donors Forum conducts regular meetings with elected and government officials to educate them on private philanthropy and encourage a two-way dialogue between private funders and public officials. The Forum also hosts meetings in Washington, D.C., and Madison for grantmakers.)

Finance (The Donors Forum offers quarterly programs on tax and investment issues of interest to foundations, corporate giving programs and individuals of wealth.)

Fundraising (The Donors Forum offers periodic workshops for grantseekers on the Common Grant Application and successful proposal writing, developing and maintaining relationships with grantors, and finding and using effective research tools. The Forum also hosts a philanthropic database tracking grant activity statewide.)

Human Resources (In conjunction with the Council on Foundations, the Donors Forum conducts surveys on salaries and foundation management practices to establish industry benchmarks for foundations and corporate giving programs.)

Information Technology (The Donors Forum offers briefings and workshops on the latest trends in technology as it impacts on philanthropists. The Forum staffs a listserv for members using MicroEdge software.)

Leadership Development (The Donors Forum hosts periodic meetings where members and their constituents discuss issues of leadership in the field of philanthropy.)

Legal (The Donors Forum offers quarterly programs on legal updates affecting foundations, corporate giving programs and individuals of wealth.)

Trends & Research (The Donors Forum conducts monthly metings for members and their guests on the state of nonprofit activity in greater Milwaukee, the State and the region. The Forum hosts specific topic roundtables, which are member-generated. It also conducts research on Wisconsin's Charitable Giving and hosts a statewide conference on philanthropy. The Forum plays a key role in connecting Wisconsin to regional and national philanthropic initiatives.)