A new Glenn Family Chair in Philanthropy is being established at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Founding Dean Gene Tempel announced today.
Dwight F. Burlingame, Ph.D., a pioneer of philanthropy as a field of study, will be the first professor to hold the chair, which is being created through the generosity of The Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation.
Burlingame will teach philanthropic studies courses, engage in service opportunities and conduct cutting-edge research at the school to educate future philanthropy and nonprofit leaders and to increase the understanding and impact of philanthropy and the causes it supports. The Glenn Family Chair in Philanthropy will help the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy attract and retain world-class faculty members such as Burlingame to advance its goal of improving philanthropy to improve the world.
"Our family and the foundation are deeply committed to the importance and value of education in philanthropy, and we are pleased that the foundation's support will advance the work of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, which is the world's leader in philanthropy education, research and practice," said Thomas K. Glenn, II, president of The Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation. "Having served on the Board of Visitors of the Center on Philanthropy and of the school, I have developed considerable admiration and respect for Dwight. I can think of no one more appropriate to serve in this position."
Glenn is a trustee emeritus and alumnus of the Westminster Schools in Atlanta where his family established the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Institute for Philanthropy and Service Learning. The institute, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2013, helps educate young people about the principles and practice of philanthropy, supports community service programs and promotes the value of service learning. The Glenn Institute collaborates with other schools to encourage philanthropy education and service learning throughout the nation's independent school community.
"We are delighted that The Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation has agreed to allow us to create the new chair with its previous gift, in recognition of the foundation's tremendous support for the Center on Philanthropy and now the school," said Charles R. Bantz, chancellor of IU Indianapolis. "The Glenn family and their foundation exemplify the best of thoughtful philanthropy that makes an enduring, meaningful difference. We are thankful for their support, as well as for Tom's many years of service and wise counsel as a member of the board.
"Dwight is one of the great scholars of philanthropy, and he is a dynamic force in shaping and growing this field of study," Tempel said. "His leadership through the Glenn Family Chair in Philanthropy will push the frontiers of knowledge, open new horizons for our students and mentor future leaders of philanthropy.
Burlingame, who is director of M.A. programs and professor of philanthropic studies at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, has been at the vanguard of philanthropy education from its beginning. He played a key role in establishing the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and created the first-ever master's, Ph.D. and bachelor's degree programs in Philanthropic Studies. His leadership has been crucial to creating the hundreds of university courses and programs on nonprofits and philanthropy that exist now, and he helped write the curricular standards for the field.
"It is a special honor for me to be named to a chair that carries the name of the Tom Glenn family," Burlingame said. "It has been a privilege to be part of the creation of first the Center on Philanthropy and now the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. I look forward to continuing to work with our students and the many constituents of the school to further enhance philanthropy to indeed improve the world."
An active member of the Association of Fundraising Professional Research Council, the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations (ARNOVA) and the International Society for Third-sector Research, Burlingame also has authored and co-authored 10 books. He is the editor of Philanthropy in America: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopaedia. He serves as co-editor of the Philanthropic and Nonprofit Studies book series for the Indiana University Press and a former editor of the Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, the official journal of ARNOVA.
Burlingame is active in the nonprofit community as a board member and volunteer, a frequent speaker, consultant, and author on topics relating to philanthropy, corporate citizenship, nonprofit organizations, libraries, and development. He holds degrees from Moorhead State University, the University of Illinois and Florida State University and received the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential in 1989.
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The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its academic, research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, and the Women's Philanthropy Institute. Follow IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy on Twitter or "Like" us on Facebook.