A blog post by Robin Mockenhaupt, VFN’s Director, Policy & Advocacy
Foundations on The Hill (FOTH) was held in Washington, DC in February 2025 and brought together over 365 total participants from 44 states. After a day and a half of educational programming and featured speakers, more than 200 congressional meetings were completed by organizations across the US. The main focus this year was the opportunity for philanthropic staff to meet with their elected officials and share stories of what grantees and partners are experiencing in their communities. In addition, members and staff were asked to co-sponsor the bipartisan Charitable Act (H.R. 801/S. 317), which allows all tax filers to take advantage of the charitable deduction, thus supporting more charitable giving.
In Virginia, we had the largest delegation of funders to participate in FOTH since VFN began – eight of our members participated in the event, either through attending the educational programming and/or visiting Capitol Hill. We visited with staff from both Senator Kaine and Senator Warner’s offices, and with staff at 7 Representative’s offices. In one visit we met and developed a relationship with the new Member of Congress, Rep. Subramanyam (VA-10), who replaced Rep. Wexton.
One of the things I particularly liked this year was the opportunity to learn more about the work of VFN members though their stories in Capitol Hill offices, and learn what they are hearing back home about community needs and issues. This opportunity to form and build new relationships and connections with our VFN members and with staff from the House and Senate was a highlight of my February. The best way to know what happened at FOTH 2025 is to hear reflections from three of our Virginia FOTH attendees.
Reflections from Lotus Perkins, Finance & Operations Officer, Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond – Richmond, VA
“This was my first time attending Foundations on the Hill and it was such a wonderful experience! I was able to meet and collaborate with others in my field, advocate for our sector and meet with government officials on incredibly important topics. FOTH taught me so much and I can’t wait to attend the next one!”
Reflections from David Clubb, Executive Director, Cranwell Family Foundation – Blacksburg, VA
John Dewey, an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer, said it best: “We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.” The experience provides the raw material for learning, but it is through reflection that true understanding and growth are achieved.
As I reflect on my experience as a first-time participant at the 22nd Annual Foundations on the Hill (FOTH25), February 23-26, 2025, it was an invaluable opportunity to connect and network with peers from across the country, especially with those in the Virginia delegation, as we collectively engaged with federal legislators and their staffs to advocate for the value of the philanthropic sector. These interactions fostered the exchange of ideas and strategies, enlarging our elected officials’ perspectives and enriching our collective approach to philanthropy in Virginia and across the nation. It was an honor and privilege to be part of this effort to unite the philanthropic sector and bring our message to Capitol Hill.
But my experience at FOTH25 was also much more than all of that. It was an opportunity to step away from the day-to-day “what” of my work at the Cranwell Family Foundation, based in Blacksburg, Virginia, and to step into the “why” at a deeper level, as I was inspired by colleagues from across the country and the impact of their foundations locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. FOTH25 did nothing to dispel the difficulties we are facing as a sector. These are, indeed, challenging times. And the daily work can make us feel weary and worn down, as the need is so great. But my time at FOTH25 did not drive me to despair; it called me to more carefully consider the broader context and the bigger picture. I was reminded of the story of the three bricklayers:
One day a man happened upon three bricklayers who were busy at work.
He asked the first bricklayer, “What are you doing?”
The first man answered gruffly, “I’m laying bricks.”
The man asked the second bricklayer the same question.
“I’m putting up a wall” was the reply.
The passerby then posed the question to the third bricklayer.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
With enthusiasm and pride, the third man responded,
“I’m building a magnificent cathedral.”
I came away from FOTH25 with a renewed vision for the “cathedral” the Cranwell Family Foundation is building and for the collective “cathedral” the entire philanthropic sector is building through our amazing work in diverse ways and diverse contexts. I came away seeing myself and others not merely as bricklayers, but as cathedral-builders. Let’s keep building our “magnificent cathedrals!”
Reflections from Margy Thomas, Program Officer, PATH Foundation – Warrenton, VA
Capitol Hill is 50 miles east of Warrenton. Most of the time, it seems a world away from our rolling hills and gravel roads. FOTH was an opportunity to bridge the two through meetings with our representatives highlighting the incredible work of our nonprofit community, and its pressing importance amidst the many changes impacting our sector.
Beyond requesting support for the bipartisan Charitable Act, our Virginia contingent was able to share data and stories with lawmakers that impact their district and the Commonwealth at large. In a meeting with Rep. Subramanyam (VA-10), we talked about the impact of federal funding freezes and cuts to PATH Foundation’s food systems partners. 4P Foods, a food hub in Vint Hill, is working to rebuild a regenerative and equitable food system that supports growers and producers with fair pay and access to new markets (4P Foods was also quoted in this March 13 New York Times article). Fauquier FISH, a food pantry serving our neighbors with immediate, sympathetic help receives no federal funding – but sources half of their food from a Feeding America distributor. I offered my perspective not only as a program officer, but as a weekly vendor at the Warrenton Farmers Market selling pastured poultry, pork, and beef raised by my cousins on their fourth-generation family farm.
Moreover, FOTH provided an opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the sector – not just those from Virginia, but friends and peers from across the southeast and beyond. These relationships remind us why we do what we do – for the love of humanity.
