Grant from Lake Institute on Faith + Giving supports dissertation research for “True Philanthropy”: A Religion History of the Modern Non-Profit Foundation
The Lake Institute on Faith + Giving, a part of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy has awarded its 2017-2018 Lake Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship in the amount of $22,000 to Andrew Jungclaus, a Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University.
Jungclaus’ research offers a new approach to understanding ongoing discussions regarding the relationship between private wealth and public power. His dissertation, “True Philanthropy”: A Religion History of the Modern Non-Profit Foundation examines the role of religious belief in shaping early twentieth-century American market structures and conceptions of the public good.
In the dissertation, data from three case-study foundations (the Pew Charitable Trusts, Lilly Endowment Inc., and the Henry R. Luce Foundation) emphasize the role of religious belief in the distribution of capital and power and the role of the state in securing the welfare of its citizens. Initially met with dramatic skepticism, these foundations initially quickly became accepted as legitimate across American society.
Jungclaus insists on the relevance of religion as a critical lens in understanding both secular philanthropy and market rationalities to reveal insights into the nature of policy formation, the evolution of market structures, and the power of dissent within various religious and global contexts. His previous work explored the concept of theodicy within American civil rights struggles at Harvard University’s Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research.
“Andrew Jungclaus is a promising young scholar working at the intersections of a vibrant field of scholarship engaging both religious and economic history. His research has the potential to illuminate the institutional development of faith-based philanthropy that has been underexplored,” said David King, the Karen Lake Buttrey Director of the Lake Institute on Faith + Giving. “We are delighted to support Andrew’s project and look forward to learning from his research as Lake Institute continues to foster our growing understanding of the way faith inspires and informs giving.”
The Lake Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship is a one-year grant given annually. It provides a stipend to a scholar whose primary research focus is in the area of religion and philanthropy or faith and giving. It is intended to support the final year of dissertation writing. The first fellowship was awarded in 2008.
Biographies of prior Lake Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship recipients and their research abstracts or completed dissertations are available free of charge.
About the Lake Institute on Faith + Giving
The Lake Institute on Faith + Giving exists to serve the public good by exploring the multiple connections between philanthropy and faith within the major religious traditions. Its mission is to foster greater understanding of the ways in which faith inspires and informs giving. Lake Institute is a program of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
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 or “Like” us on Facebook.