MISSION
The Center on Philanthropy
increases the understanding of philanthropy and improves its practice
worldwide.
Philanthropy encompasses
formal and informal voluntary association, voluntary giving, and voluntary
action and thus is a powerful force in shaping all societies. The Center on Philanthropy is committed to
knowledge creation, dissemination and education for engaged community volunteers,
donors, nonprofit leaders, fundraising executives, policy makers, students and
scholars.
The Center’s programs support the
development of professionally trained practitioners and scholars, resulting in
more efficiently and effectively operated nonprofits and nongovernmental
organizations, more engaged volunteers and donors, and increased and effective
philanthropy in the United States and globally.
VISION
The
Center on Philanthropy at
Indiana
University will be recognized
as the world’s leader in studying, teaching, and training about philanthropy.
GOALS
In achieving its mission to increase the
understanding of philanthropy and to improve its practice, the Center will
focus on these goals:
1. Developing new
knowledge through research to increase the understanding of the philanthropic
process of associating, giving, volunteering, and fundraising;
2. Disseminating knowledge through
public affairs and education programs, media relations, seminars, and other
programs on issues related to philanthropy and philanthropic traditions;
3. Providing educational programs in
philanthropic studies, to teach theory and further best practices related to
the philanthropic process and nonprofit structures for graduate and
undergraduate students, ranging from undergraduate programs to those in the
Master of Public Affairs and the Master of Arts and Ph.D. in Philanthropic
Studies degree programs;
4. Offering public service and
continuing education training based on the Center’s knowledge creation to
citizen volunteers, fundraisers, and executives in the nonprofit sector through
The Fund Raising School (TFRS), the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving (LI),
and a range of professional development programs, seminars, and conferences
offered in person, through media, and around the world;
5. Providing philanthropic services
to donors, donor advisors, wealth managers, and funders through the
Philanthropy Incubator (PI), the Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI), and the
Lake Institute on Faith & Giving;
6. Ensuring that a global
perspective and an awareness of both the transnational and comparative
dimensions of philanthropy are incorporated into all aspects of understanding
philanthropy and improving its practice by developing strategic international
partnerships, which will sustain the Center’s position as a world leader in the
field.
VALUES
The Center on Philanthropy is
guided by the following values including adherence to independent sector’s Obedience to the Unenforceable:
· Commitment
beyond self, beyond the law, and to the public good
· Obedience
to the laws
· Integrity,
openness and honesty in everything we do
· Respect
for the intrinsic worth of individuals and their ideas, including staff,
faculty, scholars, students, practitioners, volunteers, and donors in the
U.S.
and abroad
· Commitment
to racial, cultural, demographic, gender, sexual orientation, religious,
ethnic, international, and intellectual
diversity in our policies, personnel, and programs
· Leadership
in institutional development, field building, and impact on society
· Excellence
in scholarship, research, teaching, training, and collaboration
· Accountability
and service to each other, our sector, and our community
· Prudent
application of knowledge and resources
THE PLACE OF THE CENTER
Context
Much of civil society depends on
the activity of the nonprofit or nongovernmental sector. It encompasses diverse
organizations: hospitals and nursing
homes; charity and faith-based organizations; education and research institutions;
arts and cultural; environmental; international relief and mediation, and civic
improvement. Through philanthropy, we reduce human suffering and enhance human
potential, provide equity and justice, build community and provide human
fulfillment, support experimentation and change, and foster pluralism at home
and abroad.
Brief History
The value of the Center is its
deep experience and knowledge of the sector and involvement in every facet from
practice to research. Established in 1987, the Center on Philanthropy at
Indiana University is the nation's most comprehensive university-based program
dedicated to serving philanthropic and nonprofit clients and preparing the next
generation of community volunteers, donors, nonprofit leaders, fundraising
executives, policy makers, and scholars. There are excellent scholars in
philanthropic studies and nonprofit management throughout the world, but no
institution can convene among its own faculty the breadth and depth of the
Philanthropic Studies Faculty as the Center on Philanthropy at
Indiana
University.
The Center promotes both the
practice and the study of
philanthropy, putting a priority on understanding its role in society and
contributing to the knowledge of the field internationally. Methodologies of
the humanities, the social sciences, and professional disciplines are applied
to understanding the processes of voluntary association, voluntary giving, and
voluntary action. The knowledge base developed within the university informs
the practices of fundraising, grantmaking, nonprofit organization management,
and volunteer involvement primarily through TFRS, Lake Institute, and WPI, as
well as other public service programs that the Center administers.
The Center supports the only traditional
Ph.D. program in Philanthropic Studies as well as a Master of Arts in
Philanthropic Studies both in the
School
of
Liberal Arts at IUPUI.
It also supports a concentration in nonprofit management within the Master of
Public Affairs degree program offered through the
School of
Public
and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI and IU Bloomington. Support is also provided
to other doctoral and undergraduate programs that include philanthropic studies
and nonprofit management.
Key Strengths and Assets
The
Center has significant knowledge of the sector, developed from years of
experience highlighted by the following key strengths and assets.
· University Base: Academic and research excellence
with an outstanding reputation forms a foundation for all the Center does.
· Multi-Disciplinary Philanthropic Studies Faculty: Faculty spanning several disciplines, schools, and campuses
are committed to the development of philanthropic studies.
· Five Endowed Chairs: Including the Binford Chair in Corporate Citizenship, Efroymson Chair in
Philanthropy, Hartsook Chair in Fundraising, Baker-Ort Chair in International
Healthcare Philanthropy, and
Lake
Chair on Faith& Giving.
· Executive
Committee: Key
university administrators committed to the Center’s work help set policy for
the Center and secure its place in the university.
· Board of Visitors: Skilled individuals experienced
in, and representing, all aspects of contemporary philanthropy help guide the
Center, extend its reach nationally and internationally, and assist it in
securing resources.
· High Quality Research Base: Leadership and excellence in research is at the heart of
the organization’s competencies.
· Reflective Practitioner Faculty: Knowledgeable TFRS, LI, and WPI faculty and speakers
experienced in relevant aspects of practice teach practitioners and volunteers beyond
the scope of university degree programs.
· Comprehensive, Integrative Approach: The Center has a model program through successful
integration of its research, academic programs, governance, administration, and
practitioner training into impact on professional practice and on university
curricula and discovery, with research informing practice and practice
informing research.
· The Center on
Philanthropy Panel Study (COPPS): Providing the only longitudinal study of giving and
volunteering with potential major impact for practitioners, policy makers, and wealth
advisors.
· Superior Philanthropic Education Programs: Distinction in its M.A. in Philanthropic Studies program
has a unique emphasis on the role of the liberal arts in philanthropic studies
and provides a foundation for multi-disciplinary research in the new Ph.D.
degree in Philanthropic Studies.
· Payton
Philanthropic Studies
Library and
Philanthropy Archives: Unequalled information resources support the Center’s work.
· Staff and
Students: Staff and students with diverse
and extensive knowledge, experience, and commitment are dedicated to
understanding and improving the sector.
· Public Affairs: Nationally recognized expertise, insightful thought
leadership and extensive media and other relationships make the Center a
trusted leading national public voice on philanthropy and nonprofit issues and
a first stop for journalists and policy makers seeking a more objective understanding
of the role of philanthropy in our society.
· Power to Convene
National and International Leaders: The Center leverages its
extensive network and partnerships to convene nonprofit leaders, fundraising
executives, experts, and scholars to learn and share perspectives, grapple with
contemporary and future challenges in the nonprofit sector and help find
solutions.
· Alumni Network: Alumni
of both academic and training programs serve with distinction in le
adership positions locally, nationally, and
internationally, strengthening the Center’s le
adership
role.
· International Scope: The
Center is committed to understanding philanthropy and improving its practice
internationally and has gained international experience through collaboration
and partnerships throughout the world
· Commitment to
Diversity: The
Center has extensive experience working with organizations and individuals that
represent diverse cultures, ethnicity, religions, gender, and age.
· Endowment: Current and pledged endowment of
$68 million supports the Center’s work.
Expectations
These are extraordinary
times in the philanthropic and nonprofit sector. They call for extraordinary
efforts by the Center to understand the traditional roles that the sector has
played and the dynamics of the changes taking place. These are also times to develop
and test theories on giving, asking, volunteering, managing, and evaluating.
The demands for professional-level approaches call for specialized
undergraduate, graduate, and life-long learning opportunities. The Center’s
programs impact directly students in the university, leaders, and fundraisers in
nonprofit organizations, donors and funders, and, ultimately, the lives of
individuals served by philanthropy and the nonprofit sector throughout the
state, across the nation, and around the world.
PROGRAM GOALS AND STRATEGIES
RESEARCH
Goal
Maintain position as
the premier resource for research about
U.S.
philanthropy and the nonprofit
sector and increase research about international
philanthropy
· Build capacity of
Center staff and Philanthropic Studies Faculty to conduct cutting-edge research
related to philanthropy, nonprofit management, and fundraising.
· Develop awareness of COPPS as the premier source
of data on giving and volunteering in the
U.S.
by utilizing the data to
showcase its features (e.g. volunteering, panel/time-series data, etc.).
· Enhance public access and understanding of
Center research through easy to access information and in a format that is easy
for practitioners and the public to understand.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Goal
Impact
public understanding and public policy through the Center’s “thought
leadership” in the field.
Strategies
- Maintain the Center’s
position as “thought leader” in the field among major national media.
- Disseminate findings
to policy makers and practitioners to inform policy and best practice.
- Implement and expand best
uses of technology to make information available.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Goal
Maintain national and international leadership of the Center’s academic
programs.
Strategies
- Provide comprehensive education on philanthropy and nonprofit
organizations through undergraduate and graduate degree programs utilizing
traditional and distance-learning delivery options.
- Support a multidisciplinary faculty to provide
interdisciplinary approaches to philanthropic and nonprofit education
within a global context.
- Collaborate with others in various communities to meet the
needs and opportunities of a civil society.
Millennium Goals and Strategies
Goal
Build democracy
and equity in leadership for the philanthropic sector.
Strategies
- Elevate the visibility
and participation of individuals and organizations from communities of color,
women, and youth.
- Integrate learning
about leadership development-- particularly as it relates to communities of
color, women, and youth-- into the literature and practices of the larger field
as well as locally.
- Create better
understanding of leadership issues through research.
PUBLIC SERVICE AND THE FUND RAISING
SCHOOL
Goal
Strengthen
and expand The Fund Raising School’s (TFRS) reputation and capacity as the
leading provider in delivering comprehensive fundraising training and increase
the penetration into broader NPO/NGO field through other public service
offerings in the U.S. and abroad.
Strategies
- Continuously evaluate and
improve TFRS.
- Engage new constituent
markets in training.
- Implement and expand best
uses of technology in course development and delivery.
PHILANTHROPIC SERVICES
Goal
To become
the first source for research-based information for those seeking to enhance
participation in philanthropy.
Strategies
- To provide research
informed services to assist donor advisors, wealth managers, institutional
executives and donors in enhancing their philanthropy.
- Integrate the Philanthropy Incubator (PI) and the Women’s
Philanthropy Institute (WPI) into the Center’s work, with emphasis on
developing a viable, sustainable and revenue-generating model for
Philanthropic Services programs and contracts.
- Seek partnerships to develop donor advisor and wealth manager
education.
- Develop workshops, consulting, and web-based services for a
variety of constituents to enhance and expand philanthropy.
Women's Philanthropy Institute (WPI)
Goal
To become
a leading voice in issues related to women’s philanthropy.
Strategies
- Develop
a better understanding of women’s philanthropy through research.
- To
provide research-based services to inform donors and fundraisers about
women’s philanthropy.
- Promote
WPI as the resource for women’s philanthropy trends, best practices, and
information.
LAKE
INSTITUTE ON FAITH & GIVING
Goal
To
establish the Lake Institute as a national and international program center for
the exploration of the relationship between faith and giving among the world’s
religions.
Strategies
- Develop
cutting-edge research on questions about religion and philanthropy, faith,
and giving.
- Establish
the topic of faith and giving as central in the Academy.
- Equip religious
communities and their leaders as well as individuals of wealth with the
opportunities and resources to explore the topic of faith, money, and giving in
all its robust diversity.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Goal
To be
recognized as the world’s leading Center for philanthropic studies.
Strategies
- Develop a framework and procedure for establishing strategic
international partnerships and establish a small and select number of
formal relationships with universities abroad for joint programs including
joint degrees and courses via the Internet.
- Collaborate with other Centers in the
U.S.
for
the delivery of programs and dissemination of research internationally.
- Seek endowed programs from international foundations to
support student study, library holdings (including electronic data bases
and electronic distribution), and at least one signature research program
developed in collaboration with one or more institutions abroad.
SUPPORT FUNCTION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
ADMINISTRATION
Goal
Ensure that the Center is recognized as a distinctive leader in the field
by strengthening the leadership position of the Center as a “thought leader”
among key constituents - funders, clients, university, faculty, students, and
alumni.
Strategies
- Implement model nonprofit management, leadership, and
administrative best practices to Center operations.
- Build and utilize key partnerships inside the university and
with external constituents and collaborators.
FINANCE
Goal
Develop
model budget management system for continuous development of the Center.
Strategies
- Enable directors and department budget managers to critically
review and analyze their budget and account reports and make adjustments.
- Develop financial forecasts and cash flow projections for
best use of endowment funds.
DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS
Goal
Develop
and implement ongoing and comprehensive model development and communications
program for the Center on Philanthropy to engage potential supporters in the
work of the Center and ensure its continued development.
Strategies
- Build a broad base of support as an intermediary
organization while identifying and engaging major gift donors at the level of
$100,000 and greater.
-
Implement a comprehensive fundraising program
modeling TFRS best practices and also helping inform the Center's own training
programs.
- Engage prospective major gift donors through an
intentional endowment building initiative to secure the remaining $32 million
of the Center’s $100 million goal.
- Develop and implement strategic communications
with prospective major gift donors.
TECHNOLOGY
Goal
To have
the Center achieve leadership status in use of technology to enhance its operations
and deliver its programs.
Strategies
- Implement and expand best
uses of technology for information dissemination, workshops, and courses to
meet constituent needs.
- Utilize latest
technology for internal communication and knowledge management.
- Develop sophisticated
database analysis for effective communication with Center constituents and for
fundraising.
