Finding purpose through philanthropy: A journey to meaningful impact

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Jennifer Donovan

“I reached a point in my career where I felt the need for something more, something that aligned with my values and desire to make a meaningful difference,” said Stephanie Green, B.A. ’24. “On a whim, I decided to go back to school, not entirely sure what I wanted to pursue, only that I was committed to earning my bachelor’s degree.”

After nearly two decades working as a medical biller, Green decided to enroll at Ivy Tech. Around the same time, her 8-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a learning disability. One of her class assignments was to write about something you’re passionate about; she chose to research special education requirements in public versus private schools. Her research led to the discovery of a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the gap in special education standards between school systems.

“That project lit a spark in me. That’s when I knew philanthropy was the path I wanted to follow,” said Green. “I started looking into degrees that aligned with that kind of work, and to my surprise, I discovered the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. I transferred in as a junior.”

In her final semester at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Green was hired by Brooke’s Place as operations manager. The organization’s mission is to provide a safe environment where children, teens, young adults, and their caregivers can process their grief and find connection, hope, and healing. Her role is multifaceted, allowing her to contribute meaningfully across several areas of the organization.

“I play a key role in ensuring our day-to-day operations run smoothly by combining direct service with behind-the-scenes planning,” said Green. “This includes managing financial processes and reporting, overseeing office operations, maintaining inventory, coordinating with office volunteers, and ensuring everything is functioning efficiently to support our staff, programs and the families we serve.”

Green credits the school’s study away and study abroad programs for expanding her perspective and deepening her appreciation of the many ways philanthropy can take shape. “The study away program with The Patterson Foundation was one of the most impactful parts of my academic journey,” said Green. “It ignited my interest in the consulting side of philanthropy—listening, analyzing, and helping communities identify solutions that work for them.”

Even more impactful for Green was studying abroad in Germany and the Netherlands. The experience showed her that philanthropy isn’t a one-size-fits-all concept. It was an eye-opening experience that allowed her to connect classroom knowledge with real-world application on a global scale. “The most beneficial part was gaining a global perspective on giving, service, and social change,” said Green. “I saw how different societies approach community care, and how their values shape their philanthropic models.”

Green says she is driven to be involved in the philanthropic sector because she has a desire to contribute to something greater than herself. “It’s incredibly motivating to know that the work we do can have a lasting, tangible impact on someone’s life,” said Green. “That’s what keeps me going every day.”

Journey to philanthropic studies influenced by life events

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Jennifer Donovan

Ryan Moriarty, a Master’s Degree in Philanthropic Studies student, has taken a unique journey in his education. A graduate of the Kelley School of Business at IU Indianapolis, where he earned a marketing degree in 2019, Moriarty is currently an account executive at Salesforce, where he has worked since 2022. His path to studying philanthropy is influenced by life events.

Moriarty was working professionally when he decided to pursue his graduate certificate in Philanthropic Studies. He was familiar with the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy but didn’t decide to pursue his certificate until he lost two close friends. “The reason that I got started with the program – I had a very close friend of mine in college that passed, and it was very traumatic and completely unexpected,” he said. “That woke me up and within a few months I lost another close friend. I quickly realized that mental health is a large societal issue. These stories may seem anecdotal but further research suggests otherwise,”

Following those tragic events, he wanted to do something that could truly make a difference in the community specifically for those struggling with their mental health. His perspective shifted even more after becoming a father. He says, “Once you have children, they become the center of your whole world and everything you do becomes a direct reflection of the world you want to create for them.”

Throughout his studies, he noticed a theme in his coursework that many of the problems in society such as mental health and food insecurity have underlying systemic issues. This inspired his pursuit of a Masters of Arts in Philanthropic Studies to further supplement his education.

It also inspired him to seek more volunteer opportunities putting his studies into practice. Fortunately, Salesforce provides many avenues to express his passions as part of Salesforce’s 1-1-1 model. It’s their commitment to give back 1% of employees time, 1% of their equity, and 1% of technology to their community.

Moriarty encourages others wanting to make an impact on society to pursue an education in philanthropy. He says, “You should never stop educating yourself.”

Lilly Family School of Philanthropy student named to Top 100, chosen to intern at Goldman Sachs

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Jennifer Donovan

Kimberly Hesterman

Indiana University Indianapolis Junior Kimberly Hestermann has been named to the Top 100 List. Each year, IU Indianapolis honors 100 outstanding undergraduate students who demonstrate excellence in three categories—academic excellence, campus leadership, and community engagement. Hestermann is a dual major studying Philanthropic Leadership at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and Finance at the Kelley School of Business.

For Hestermann, the combination of philanthropy and finance isn’t just an academic pursuit – it’s a combination of two passions. Discovering a love for volunteering during high school and an interest in finance, Hestermann found the perfect way to merge her passions as a dual major at Indiana University. “As I’ve explored both pathways and talked to a lot of people within both of the sectors, I really found a niche interest in social impact as well as corporate social responsibility, which is the intersection between business and philanthropy,” said Hestermann.

This summer, she is combining those passions with an internship at Goldman Sachs in New York City. The Goldman Sachs Summer Program has a highly competitive acceptance process and selects less than 1%of applicants. She will be serving as the 2025 summer analyst in the Office of Corporate Engagement, where she will be fully immersed in day-to-day activities. She will be the only intern in the office that works on the company’s community initiatives. “I’ll be able to do a lot of the impact metrics and tracking of those initiatives,” said Hestermann. “I’ll be able to work with the partners to make sure they’re hitting the metrics required or that they align with the mission.”

Her love for volunteering took root in her senior year of high school. “I really wanted to do something impactful my senior year, so I, along with a few friends, decided to run for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital,” she said. That experience drove her to fundraise and raise awareness for a cause close to her heart – the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. That pivotal experience ignited her dedication to philanthropy.

Hestermann is also a Thomasson Scholar at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Thomasson Scholarships cover the cost of four years of tuition and fees, room and board, books, and a semester of study abroad. She has studied in Germany, which allowed her to not only be exposed to a different culture, but also to take in the way philanthropy operates both the same, yet differently compared with the U.S., due in part to differing economic systems. She also participated in the school’s study away program in Florida with the Patterson Foundation.

Currently, Hestermann is interning with Active Minds, a mental health advocacy nonprofit in Washington, D.C. She works remotely with its corporate and foundation relations team. Hestermann has also completed two other internships. In 2023, she interned with Resilient Retreat and Strada Education Foundation.

Hestermann believes the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy perfectly aligns with making her passion her profession.

“You can advocate and be around fellow change makers, which I really appreciate.”

Two degrees combine to create ideal career

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Jennifer Donovan

“I can’t imagine my role or my career without both of those working together,” said Kelsey Harrington, B.A. ’19. Harrington graduated with dual degrees in philanthropy and business, which she says is a beneficial combination.

Harrington is the program impact officer at the George and Frances Ball Foundation – an 86-year-old private family foundation located in Muncie, Indiana. The foundation serves as the backbone organization for Cradle to Career, a collective impact initiative that aims to build equitable education pathways and fulfilling careers for all children in Muncie.

In this role, Harrington co-manages the foundation’s grant making portfolio, which is usually between 60 to 80 different organizations. She also works with their grantee partners and is responsible for several community data-related tasks. In this position, she is able to witness how organizations in her community are focusing on their causes each day. She finds it rewarding to be able to connect these organizations with not only financial resources, but with social capital.

Her path to a degree in philanthropy started at IU Bloomington while taking a nonprofit leadership class. Her instructor had just completed his master’s degree in Philanthropic Studies. During one of the classes, the instructor focused on the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and the spectrum of charity to philanthropy. This piqued her interest in the school’s programs.

Shortly after that class, Harrington visited the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. During the visit, she learned she could earn degrees in both philanthropic leadership and business, the latter with the IU Kelley School of Business. Soon after, she decided to transfer to IU Indianapolis to pursue the dual degrees.

My philanthropy degree helped me understand the why behind the work that we do. The business piece gave me the technical skills when it comes to helping an organization thrive and succeed.

Even though the thought of studying philanthropy was new to her, philanthropy wasn’t. Growing up, Harrington had been in involved in volunteerism and fundraising in her community. “I’m from a small rural community and I had a lot of opportunities to participate at a very young age in my church and different civic places.” She knew studying philanthropy would allow her to pair her passion with her business degree.

Harrington encourages others to attend IU Indianapolis because of the opportunities the location provides, such as volunteerism and internships. Harrington says she had experiences that don’t exist in most places. She was able to meet a number of national and international research leaders who came to the school as speakers. She even got to attend an event for Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. “If you want to engage the opportunities, there is a space for you to do that,” said Harrington.

Philanthropy Leadership degree leads to career as immigration attorney

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Jennifer Donovan

Kirat Goraya, B.A. ’16, J.D. ‘20 practices corporate immigration law as an associate attorney at the firm Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. She helps clients manage the challenges of an international workforce. That includes advising multinational companies on U.S. employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, working with clients to develop immigration strategies, and advocating on their behalf before the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Department of Labor.

Goraya was a double major in Philanthropic Leadership and Women’s and Gender Studies. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree, she continued her education at the IU McKinney School of Law, obtaining her Juris Doctor in 2020. “I knew I wanted to pursue a career that would allow me to help make the world a better place, and I knew I might want to pursue a law degree in graduate school, but I wasn’t quite sure exactly what major made sense for me at the undergraduate level,” said Goraya. “I came across philanthropic leadership and was immediately drawn in.”

Her love for immigration law was discovered as a student at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She was volunteering at The Julian Center, a domestic abuse shelter and treatment center, when she was introduced to several legal aid agencies that provide pro bono immigration services. While in college she also took a training to learn how to draft protective orders and began meeting with center residents to help draft their protective order petitions.

My B.A. degree from the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy helps me appreciate the importance of pro bono work, and the role it plays in building well-rounded communities.

As an attorney, she provides pro bono legal counsel to clients, most often to immigrants and asylum applicants seeking safety and stability.

Goraya says philanthropy has always been a part of her life. “I grew up in the Sikh faith, and sewa (which translates to “selfless service”) is a core principle of Sikhism; it’s the practice of doing voluntary service for the benefit of humanity, without expectation of recognition or reward,” said Goraya. “Over the years, the ways in which I perform sewa have evolved as my professional skills have developed into what they are today.”

Goraya recommends IU School of Philanthropy to students because of the opportunities it offers. “There are so many great experiential learning opportunities in downtown Indianapolis so it’s easy to do an internship while maintaining a full course load on campus too,” said Goraya. “The faculty and alumni networks are also vast, which really helps you to get and stay connected to a broad professional circle.”