White House Plans Giving Conference

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is organizing a first-ever White House conference on philanthropy, scheduled for late October.

The meeting, tentatively titled “Gifts to the Future,” will focus on individual donors and will emphasize “the importance of innovative ways of passing on the tradition to future generations,” a spokeswoman for the First Lady said.

The White House Millennium Council is working with the First Lady’s office to plan the event. Part of the meeting will be devoted to honoring “heroes of all ages and backgrounds who have made extraordinary gifts,” according to the spokeswoman. The history of philanthropy and the ways it has changed in recent years are also expected to be highlighted.

The spokeswoman explained the conference by saying that it “really fits into the First Lady and President’s strong commitment to the non-profit sector and to promoting active citizenship.”

More details are expected to be announced in the next month or so.