By Dana R.H. Doan Prior to starting the Ph.D. program at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy last fall, I recall feeling anxious about leaving Vietnam and the nonprofit sector to start my academic journey. One year later, and my first summer back in Vietnam was filled with a stimulating mix of readings, research, and… Read more »
Generosity for Life
Capacity building in the philanthropic sector
With a dual master’s degree in business administration and international agricultural economics and a professional background in nonprofit management, organizational effectiveness, human resources, and educational technology, Mickey Levitan has been marinating an idea to address major challenges facing promising nonprofits for the past 30 years. He first encountered these challenges as a country director for… Read more »
How does retirement affect charitable giving?
How does retirement affect charitable giving? Throughout their lives, the Baby Boomer generation has had an outsized impact on society – from culture to politics and from work to leisure. Much has been written about how the unprecedented number of Boomers turning 65 daily through 2030 is stressing Social Security and Medicare, and how Boomers… Read more »
‘Persistence pays off’: Research on congregations’ economic practices
“I’m impressed by your persistence!” Thus began a voicemail message I received from a congregation leader last week. I’m learning that persistence is an important piece of the NSCEP research project. The National Study of Congregations’ Economic Practices (NSCEP), conducted by Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, has been in the field since February,… Read more »
Fewer Americans are giving money to charity but total donations are at record levels anyway
By Una Osili and Sasha Zarins, IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Following years of steady growth that has tracked the performance of a generally healthy economy, U.S. charitable giving has reached an all-time high at a time when the share of Americans who make donations is falling. But as a lead researcher and an… Read more »