The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IU Indianapolis recently awarded its 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award to Caroline Altman Smith, a 2004 graduate who earned her Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies degree from the school.
Altman Smith is deputy director of The Kresge Foundation’s Education Program. She supports the team’s domestic grantmaking, which funds higher educational institutions and national nonprofit organizations that work to help more underserved students enter and succeed in postsecondary education.
“Caroline has been dedicated to strengthening and expanding philanthropy and education since the earliest days of her career. She is committed to helping other philanthropy professionals and to continuously improving philanthropy,” said Amir Pasic, Ph.D., the Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “We are grateful that Caroline is an enthusiastic and dedicated supporter of our school and our students. She exemplifies many of the goals and dreams we have for our students and alumni.”
Before joining The Kresge Foundation in 2008, Altman Smith served for five years as a program officer at the Lumina Foundation in Indianapolis, where she worked to create opportunities for low-income, minority and first-generation students to enter college and complete their undergraduate degrees.
“I am grateful that my time at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy allowed me the space and support to explore different career paths in the nonprofit sector,” Altman Smith said. “I was lucky to have benefited from a generous scholarship, terrific professors, meaningful internships and the chance to learn alongside fellow students who became lifelong friends. Being a part of the alumni community has helped open doors and keep me connected to cutting-edge research and practice in the field of philanthropy.”
Actively engaged in strengthening education and philanthropy across the United States, Altman Smith previously chaired the boards of Grantmakers for Education and Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP). She currently serves on the boards of the Council of Michigan Foundations, the National College Attainment Network and the National Council of Nonprofits. Altman Smith is an instructor for The Grantmaking School at Grand Valley State University. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia and earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Indiana University O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
“Caroline has been a longtime advocate for the school and the sector. From her early involvement with EPIP to her current board service with National Council of Nonprofits, she has always found a way to support the field and emerging leaders while developing in her own career,” said Tony Bowen, a member of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Alumni Association board of directors and vice president of the Trustees’ Philanthropy Fund at Fidelity Charitable.
The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes significant achievement in the fields of philanthropic research, practice and academic study.
About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IU Indianapolis 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 undergraduate, graduate, certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, or Instagram and “Like” us on Facebook.