The nonprofit sector is growing dramatically, not only in size but also in complexity and visibility. In 2002, Americans alone gave almost $241 billion in charitable contributions. The expansion of the sector and the explosion in giving are two examples of why the need for professionally trained, formally educated professionals is greater than ever.

The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, established in 1987, is the largest and most comprehensive academic center focused on philanthropy and nonprofit management. The Center pioneered the field of Philanthropic Studies and its unique approach to the study of philanthropy through the liberal arts and other academic and professional disciplines. This pioneering has continued with the establishment of the first traditional format Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies in the fall of 2004.

Unique resources unparalleled elsewhere in the world are clustered on the urban campus of Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, just minutes from downtown Indianapolis. The Philanthropic Studies collection, including 25,000 volumes in the Joseph and Matthew Payton Philanthropic Studies Library and the Philanthropic Studies manuscript collections, represents a concentrated and growing resource for the study of philanthropy.

More than 200 students are enrolled each year in our advanced degree programs. They come from throughout the United States and around the world to take advantage of an exceptional faculty and outstanding resources. They seek to learn more about philanthropy - what it is, what motivates it, what impact it has, and how to improve its practice. If you want to learn more about philanthropy, then consider the Center on Philanthropy programs at Indiana University on the Indianapolis and Bloomington campuses.

Meet Our Donors

P.A. Mack, Jr.

"The Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University trains individuals who have passion – a passion to help others, a passion to learn more about the field of philanthropy and teach those concepts to others."

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