Do #GivingTuesday and other special "giving days" increase philanthropy or just concentrate giving that would have occurred anyway? How will Millennials redefine and reshape philanthropy on their own terms? How can new insights into donor's religious values and women's philanthropy help to increase giving? What does all the new knowledge being generated today mean for effective fundraising, strategic giving and thoughtful stewardship?
The latest research-based answers and questions on these and other timely topics shaping the future of philanthropy and fundraising will be the focus of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy's 2015 annual symposium. Fundraisers, nonprofit leaders, foundation executives, board members and researchers will explore the ever-growing depth of knowledge about fundraising and giving and identify ways additional knowledge can improve both.
Among the issues to be explored:
- Young nonprofit professionals and philanthropists are entering a field that barely existed 25 years ago, and their expectations are far different from those of previous generations. Will they reinvent philanthropy in their own image?
- What does the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge say about donors' motivations? Is social media the answer for fundraising?
- If spiritual and religious values are a primary motivation for donors, and three-fourths of household giving goes to nonprofits with religious ties, why is religion still the ultimate taboo topic for fundraisers?
- What are the implications of the growth of formalized philanthropy around the globe and the effects of changing cultural traditions on giving and receiving?
- How is women's philanthropy influencing and changing giving, and why don't more nonprofits and donors understand the power and potential of women as donors?
"To succeed in changing the world, nonprofits and donors need the latest understanding of key aspects of philanthropy," said Amir Pasic, dean of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. "Just as important is to understand what we still need to know. Identifying both new insights and gaps in knowledge will help fundraisers and philanthropists alike view their challenges with greater clarity, and will help guide further research to generate the knowledge necessary to meet them."
Experts adding their voices to the conversation include:
- Beth Breeze, Director of the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent, United Kingdom
- Megan Buckley, Third Generation Chair, Tracy Family Foundation Next Generation Advisory Board
- David Daniels, Henry Winters Luce Professor of World Christianity at McCormick Theological Seminary
- Sloane Davidson, Founder, Farsight Media and The Causemopolitan
- Annie Hernandez, Executive Director, Frieda C. Fox Family Foundation
- Russell James, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in Charitable Financial Planning, Texas Tech University
- Kathleen Loehr, Principal, Kathleen Loehr & Associates
- Barbara Newhouse, President and CEO, the ALS Foundation
- Betsy Peterson, Director, Learning to Give
- Kerry Alys Robinson, Executive Director, National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management
- Fred Smith, President, The Gathering
- Lilya Wagner, Director, Philanthropic Service for Institutions
- Allison Winstel, Vice President of Finance, Indiana University Dance Marathon
The symposium is co-chaired by Dwight Burlingame, Glenn Family Chair in Philanthropy and Professor of Philanthropic Studies, and Tim Seiler, Director of The Fund Raising School, Rosso Fellow in Philanthropic Fundraising and Clinical Professor of Philanthropic Studies at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Burlingame is a world-renowned scholar of Philanthropic Studies. Under Seiler's extraordinary leadership, The Fund Raising School has trained over 40,000 professional and volunteer fundraisers around the world.
On Thursday, Oct. 29, the school will host its Rosso Medal awards dinner at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. The Henry A. Rosso Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Ethical Fundraising, the school's highest honor, will be presented to outstanding fundraising professionals. It is named in honor of Hank Rosso (1917 - 1999), a founder of the school's predecessor, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, and founding director of The Fund Raising School.
Participants and others can follow the conversation before, during and after the symposium by following @IUPhilanthropy on Twitter and using the hashtag #SYMP28.
About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
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 us on Twitter @IUPhilanthropy or "Like" us on Facebook.