Headlining speakers and honorees included Tory Burch, Nate Burleson, Ciara, Lear de Bessonet, Sarah Jones, Gayle King, Aerin Lauder, Cynthia McFadden, Shauna Nep, Andrew Shue, Russell Wilson, and more.
NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Town & Country, which is celebrating its 180th anniversary this year, held its 13th annual Philanthropy Summit at Hearst Tower in New York City today. Philanthropy has been a focus of Town & Country for over a century. Established in 2014, the Philanthropy Summit showcases extraordinary acts of generosity and explores philanthropy’s impact and future. Each year Town & Country brings its annual Philanthropy issue to life, welcoming influential voices and changemakers to its stage for thoughtful conversations dedicated to the pillars of philanthropy.
This year’s Summit, “Thinking BIG: How to Make Your Philanthropy Truly Transformational,” was hosted by Town & Country Editor-in-Chief Stellene Volandes and featured a star-studded roster of speakers, including power couple Ciara and Russell Wilson; fashion design legend Tory Burch; and actor and activist Andrew Shue; all of whom are featured in this year’s November 2026 Philanthropy issue.
For the first time, Town & Country also presented the “Philanthropists of the Year Awards,” honoring individuals and institutions working to build a brighter future and serve the greater good. The “Philanthropists of the Year” honorees were:
Tory Burch
Ciara and Russell Wilson
Aerin Lauder and The Met Visionaries (the Lauder Family, Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang, and Jen Rubio and Stewart Butterfield)
Andrew Shue
Additional “Town & Country Philanthropy Awards” were presented to:
CityMeals on Wheels, accepted by CEO Beth Shapiro
FreeFrom, accepted by Founder and CEO Sonya Passi
The Dollywood Foundation, accepted by Vice Chair & President Jeff Conyers
Additional speakers and panelists included Dianne Chipps Bailey, Lear de Bessonet, Dr. Samantha Boardman, Nate Burleson, Jeff Conyers, Whitney W. Donhauser, Sarah Jones, Sheila Kelly, Gayle King, Aerin Lauder, Cynthia McFadden, Sharon Miller, Shauna Nep, Sonya Passi, Beth Shapiro, and Carrie St. James.
Courtesy of Getty Images for Town & Country
The 2026 Town & Country Philanthropy Summit coincides with the magazine’s 2026 November Philanthropy issue, available everywhere by November 3 and on townandcountrymag.com now. The issue features four different covers spotlighting this year’s distinguished group of entertainers, thought leaders, business visionaries, and activists helping shape the philanthropic landscape.
PHILANTHROPY ISSUE COVER ASSETS HERE
These images must be credited to the photographers below and may only be used in the context of these Town & Country cover stories:
Ciara and Russell Wilson Images: Dana Scruggs (Story Link)
Tory Burch Images: Stefan Ruiz (Story Link)
Andrew Shue Images: Stefan Ruiz (Story Link)
Oscar Tang and Agnes Hsu-Tang Images: Melanie Dunea (Story Link)
This year’s Summit brought together a dynamic group of trailblazing journalists, activists, authors, entertainers and business minds for high-level discourse around philanthropy.
PROGRAM
WELCOME REMARKS
Stellene Volandes, Editor-in-Chief, Town & Country
Philanthropist of the Year Award presented to Andrew Shue, Actor and Founder of The Forum
Presented by Stellene Volandes, Editor-in-Chief, Town & Country
RESTORING FAITH IN AMERICAN DEMOCRACY
Andrew Shue, Actor and Founder of The Forum
Sarah Jones, Tony-Award winning writer and performer of America, Who Hurt You? and Founder of Foment Productions
Philanthropists of the Year Award presented to Aerin Lauder, Founder and Creative Director, AERIN, and Director of Style, Luxury and Legacy, Estee Lauder, and The Met Visionaries (the Lauder Family, Agnes Hsu-Tang and Oscar Tang, and Jen Rubio and Stewart Butterfield)
Presented by Whitney W. Donhauser, Deputy Director and Chief Advancement Officer, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
TRANSFORMATIONAL GIVING: MATCHING VISION WITH EXECUTION
Moderator: Cynthia McFadden, Investigative Journalist
Dianne Chipps Bailey, National Philanthropic Strategy Executive, Bank of America Private Bank
Lear de Bessonet, Kewsong Lee Artistic Director, Lincoln Center Theater
Sheila Kelly, Senior VP, Chief Development Officer, NewYork-Presbyterian
Shauna Nep, Head of The Brighter Days Ahead Foundation
Philanthropist of the Year Award presented to Tory Burch, Founder of the Tory Burch Foundation and Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Tory Burch LLC
Presented by Sharon Miller, President, Business Banking, Bank of America
INVESTING IN THE BUSINESS OF OPPORTUNITY
Tory Burch, Founder of the Tory Burch Foundation and Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Tory Burch LLC
Gayle King, Co-Host of CBS Mornings and Editor-at-Large of Oprah Daily
Philanthropists of the Year Award presented to Ciara and Russell Wilson
Presented by Stellene Volandes, Editor-in-Chief, Town & Country
WHY NOT YOU?: INSPIRING A NEXT GENERATION OF CITIZENS
Moderator: Nate Burleson, Co-Host of CBS Mornings and Studio Analyst for The NFL Today
Ciara, Grammy-winning Multi-Platinum Global Icon, Philanthropist and Entrepreneur
Russell Wilson, Super Bowl Champion Quarterback, Studio Analyst for The NFL Today, Entrepreneur, Sports Owner and Philanthropist
Philanthropist of the Year Award presented to CityMeals on Wheels
Accepted by Beth Shapiro, CEO, CityMeals on Wheels
Presented by Dr. Samantha Boardman, Board Member, CityMeals on Wheels
Philanthropist of the Year Award presented to FreeFrom
Accepted by Sonya Passi, Founder and CEO, FreeFrom
Presented by Stellene Volandes, Editor-in-Chief, Town & Country, reading remarks from Olivia Rodrigo
Philanthropist of the Year Award presented to The Dollywood Foundation
Accepted by Jeff Conyers, Vice Chair and President, The Dollywood Foundation
Presented by Carrie St. James, Actress
Town & Country‘s 2026 Philanthropy Summit was presented by Bank of America Private Bank with support from NewYork-Presbyterian and 1 Hotels.
About Town & Country
Town & Country has chronicled American life since 1846, always putting an emphasis on people of style and accomplishment who give something back to the world, whether in service, philanthropy or creative endeavor. Combining the highest level of reporting with the very best photography, Town & Country is an acute observer of the broader social landscape, documenting notable weddings and parties, chronicling the pastimes and passions of leading figures and families everywhere, and casting an anthropological eye on the lives of the rich and powerful. For more than 180 years Town & Country has been a trusted source of privileged information, taste and unpretentious fun–in short, an irreplaceable guide to the very best that the world has to offer. Follow Town & Country on Instagram at @townandcountrymag and on X at @tandcmag.
About Bank of America Private Bank
Bank of America Private Bank’s award-winning Philanthropic Solutions team provides individuals, families, and foundations with expertise and tools to pursue their philanthropic missions with confidence. Our team combines Bank of America’s global insights, national resources, and local knowledge to deliver investment management and customized advisory solutions tailored to every philanthropic vision.
Visit: Bank of America
About NewYork-Presbyterian
NewYork-Presbyterian’s mission has always been to provide the highest-quality, most compassionate care to patients and their families while serving as a leader in clinical excellence, education, research, and community commitment. For Every Future: The Campaign for NewYork-Presbyterian has ushered in a new era of healthcare, boldly positioning us to meet this moment. Philanthropy powers everything we do, from driving the science that brings new treatments straight to patients, to ensuring that everyone we serve can access the best care in the world, regardless of their means. Join NewYork-Presbyterian in this campaign—for every person, for every physician, for every community, for every future.
Visit: https://www.nyp.org/giving
About 1 Hotels
As a mission-driven luxury lifestyle hotel brand inspired by nature, 1 Hotels cultivates the best of sustainable design and architecture, together with extraordinary comfort and an unrivaled level of service. 1 Hotels—with exclusive properties in Miami’s South Beach, Central Park in NYC, West Hollywood, Austin, Hanalei Bay in Kauai, London’s Mayfair, Seattle, Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Melbourne—is inspired by a simple idea: Those who travel the world should also care about it.
Visit: https://www.1hotels.com/
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