By Debra Jacobs, president & CEO, The Patterson Foundation
Our dynamic world calls for equally dynamic philanthropic leadership to help people, organizations, and communities chart their paths toward a stronger future.
As students of the first school dedicated solely to the study and teaching of philanthropy, graduates of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI are uniquely poised to provide this guidance to the mission-focused organizations and charitable foundations they will one day helm, along with the people and communities served through their vital efforts.
That’s why The Patterson Foundation has invested in their continued evolution through the Fellows Program, which is open to graduates of its Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies degree program. Since 2018, The Patterson Foundation has had the privilege of employing several of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s best and brightest for a year-long experience where they have worked within a diverse range of initiatives that drive tangible, sustainable change within our home region of southwest Florida and beyond.
Throughout the Program, The Patterson Foundation provides Fellows with experiences and connections stemming from more than a decade of work in philanthropy—giving them the spark for fulfilling and meaningful careers as powerful changemakers. Whether at the dawn of their post-graduate lives or following years dedicated to putting their learnings into practice, each Fellow has access to opportunities that are crucial to their growth as leaders.
Inaugural TPF Fellow Hannah Saeger Karnei, TPF Fellow 2020/21 Abby Rolland, and TPF Fellow 2020/21 John Ferguson share a glimpse into how the Fellows Program helped them evolve.
While the TPF Fellows are a tremendous asset to The Patterson Foundation during their time engaged with us, they remain assets to each other long after they have launched—each bound by a shared understanding of effective approaches to philanthropy, regardless of where the work takes place or the issue at its core.
Through our TPF Beyond network, current, past, and incoming Fellows remain connected to one another in their commitment to uplifting one another and the philanthropic sector as a whole.
Members of each cohort of Lilly Family School of Philanthropy M.A. graduates in the Fellows Program commit their passions, skill sets, and wisdom toward strengthening The Patterson Foundation’s diverse efforts while building their own capacity to generate good in our world.
As we look toward the year ahead with an eye for new opportunities to help people, organizations, and communities create a stronger future, The Patterson Foundation is searching for the next cohort of gifted leaders for the 2022-2023 Fellows Program.
If this sounds like the next stage in your evolution as a dynamic leader in philanthropy, The Patterson Foundation is eager to connect with you. It all starts with completing your application and sharing more about your goals and hopes for creating a better world—one we aspire to build together.
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