Leadership Roundtable (formerly known as the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management) is a lay-led group born in the midst of the Catholic clergy's sex abuse scandal and dedicated to bringing better administrative practices to dioceses and parishes nationwide.
Mission
In partnership with lay, ordained, and religious leaders and organizations across all sectors of the Catholic community in the United States and Rome, Leadership Roundtable seeks to elevate and implement best practices in management and leadership to establish a culture of co-responsible, servant leadership for a healthy, thriving Church in the U.S.
Leadership Roundtable is an organization of laity, religious, and clergy working together to promote best practices and accountability in the management, finances, communications, and human resource development of the Catholic Church in the U.S., including greater incorporation of the expertise of the laity.
Leadership Roundtable is a Catholic 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that brings together leaders from the worlds of business, finance, academia, philanthropy, nonprofit organizations, and the Church, to serve the Catholic Church.
Leadership Roundtable serves the Church through its programs, collection of best practices, and consultancy services, which have assisted archdioceses, dioceses, and religious communities across the country.
Early years and formation
In 2002, Geoff Boisi, Rev. J. Donald Monan, S.J., and others consulted with Catholic leaders across the country to make a positive contribution to a Church embroiled in crisis. This led to "The Church in America" convening in 2004, where leaders from business, finance, academia, philanthropy, and the Church came together to discuss and learn.
National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management in incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2005.
National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management formally became Leadership Roundtable in 2016.
Convenings
In June 2009, Leadership Roundtable partners met at the Wharton School of Business and drew a dozen bishops. Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and recent Catholic convert Tony Blair addressed them, according to a 2009 report.
In 2010, Catholic leaders convened at "From Aspirations to Action: Solutions for America's Catholic Schools" at Georgetown University.
In 2011, the first Regional Roundtable on Church Management, Finances, and Human Resources convened in San Francisco, CA.
In 2015, in conjunction with FADICA, Mexican American Catholic College, and the University of the Incarnate Word, Leadership Roundtable convened the National Symposium on Hispanic Leadership and Philanthropy for a 21st Century Church.
Leadership Roundtable convened and incubated the Drexel Fund to seed new school models in 2015.
In 2018, Leadership Roundtable convened top Church leaders in wake of the PA grand jury report. This convening brought co-responsibility, accountability, and transparency into the global conversation around Church leadership.
In 2019, Leadership Roundtable convened its first annual Catholic Partnership Summit. Leadership Roundtable created the Catholic Partnership Summit to convene Catholic leaders to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the Church. This first Summit addressed the twin crises of abuse and leadership failures in response to abuse. More than 200 leaders gathered in Washington, D.C. for the inaugural Summit to directly address the twin crises, and together identified best practices in accountability and co-responsibility as well as best practices for responding to sexual abuse. At this convening, Leadership Roundtable also awarded the first J. Donald Monan, SJ Distinguished Catholic Philanthropy Medal.
The 2020 Catholic Partnership Summit centered around the theme of "We are the Body of Christ: Creating a Culture of Co-responsible Leadership."
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Leadership Roundtable convened leaders online in response to the pandemic.
The 2021 Catholic Partnership Summit was hosted virtually, with a special group gathering in Rome for this convening.
In 2022, Leadership Roundtable began convening leaders of 40+ organizations in regular Catholic Leaders Circle gatherings. This group continues to come together to discuss and learn about synodal leadership.
The 2022 Catholic Partnership Summit was hosted in September in Washington, D.C., its first in-person Summit since the pandemic.
The 2024 Catholic Partnership Summit will be the fifth Catholic Partnership Summit and will center around the theme of young adult leadership.