Tomorrow Talks | The Future of Philanthropy: Making the Case for Giving

As we prepare for the 15th Annual Tom Tom Festival, April 21–25, 2027, and its theme NEXTGEN, we’re asking what the next generation of philanthropy should look like. Leslie Lynn Smith did not take a traditional path into philanthropy. Before becoming President and CEO of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, she led organizations focused on entrepreneurship, economic development, technology, and civic innovation in cities across the country. Her career has centered on a recurring question: how do communities build stronger systems, expand opportunity, and direct resources toward the places they can have the greatest impact? Now she brings that perspective to one of Charlottesville’s central philanthropic institutions. What happens when we think about philanthropy not simply as charity, but as community investment? How should donors evaluate impact? How should nonprofits make the case for their value? Who gets to decide which needs matter most? And what does good stewardship look like when communities are facing increasingly complex challenges?