Based in Washington, D.C., it is aimed at charity leaders, foundation executives, fund raisers, and other people involved in philanthropy.

[3] It was initially owned by The Chronicle of Higher Education Inc., which also publishes The Chronicle of Higher Education, a weekly newspaper covering colleges and universities.

On May 4, 2022, The Chronicle of Philanthropy announced plans to spin off and become an independent, nonprofit organization,[4] As of February 2023, with approval from the Internal Revenue Service, that transition took effect.

[5][6] The Chronicle of Philanthropy is involved in research projects such as The Philanthropy 400, which annually ranks the nation's largest nonprofit groups based on the amount of money they raise,[7] and The Philanthropy 50, which ranks the individuals who give the most money to nonprofit groups each year.

[12] The chair of its board of directors is Trabian Shorters, CEO of BMe.