Partner, Buchanan & Buchanan Philanthropic Counsel & Charitable Consultants

Phil is a partner in Buchanan & Buchanan Philanthropic Counsel / Charitable Consultants and has over 30 years of experience as an officer, senior manager and consultant for major universities, foundations and other charities. Phil has built highly successful gift planning / principal gift programs that consistently produce over $100 million in total planned gifts / year. He has hired, mentored and trained talented development professionals and led units through four comprehensive university campaigns (as well as multiple initiatives and "mini-campaigns"), most recently the Duke Forward Campaign that raised $3.85 billion ($3B goal). Phil served as Senior Philanthropic Counsel for Duke University from July 2016 — May, 2021, after serving as Assistant Vice President for Gift Planning since 2002. He also served as President of Duke University Philanthropies, Inc. from 2006-2021 and as Vice President from 2004-2006. Phil is an attorney and his primary focus is on helping donors and their professional advisors understand and consider charitable gifts that require some measure of tax, legal or financial planning. Phil's work typically includes charitable gift and tax issues related to estates, trusts, life income gifts (such as charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts), charitable lead trusts, real estate, closely held companies, partnerships, IRD assets and other complex gift arrangements.

Phil earned his undergraduate degree from the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech and thereafter worked in sales, finance and management positions with the Ralston-Purina Company of St. Louis, Missouri. In 1988, Phil graduated from Washington & Lee University's School of Law and practiced law with Willcox & Savage in Norfolk, Virginia and served as Associate General Counsel for the Norfolk & Portsmouth Beltline Railroad. He worked in development for Virginia Tech from 1992-2001 and served in several roles during that time, the last being Senior Director of Development. Phil is a member of the Virginia bar and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Virginia and lower state courts, Federal District Court, U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. During his years at Virginia Tech and Duke, Phil served as a guest lecturer in undergraduate and graduate level university courses, as well as presentations for boards, attorneys, CPAs and other professionals. He has spoken on legal, accounting, campaign, and financial topics related to charitable giving at state, regional, and national conferences and has been quoted in BusinessWeek, Kiplinger's, Inside Higher Education, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and other media.

Phil and his wife, Katharine "Kate" Buchanan, have three sons. The family enjoys travel, golf, skiing, fishing, all college sports (football, basketball, tennis and lacrosse in particular) and time with friends and family. Kate serves as Associate Dean for Development for Duke Law School and the Buchanans reside in Durham, North Carolina.