Award-winning scholar to conduct research, collaborate with The Fund Raising School, prepare professionals and students to lead effective fundraising programs
Genevieve G. Shaker, Ph.D., has been named the inaugural Donald A. Campbell Chair in Fundraising Leadership at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IU Indianapolis.
A leading national fundraising expert and researcher who is also an experienced professional fundraiser, Shaker is associate professor of philanthropic studies at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She also is adjunct professor of liberal arts and of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at the IU School of Liberal Arts at IU Indianapolis.
Shaker served as a university advancement officer for 20 years. She most recently was associate dean for development and external affairs for the School of Liberal Arts, where she facilitated communications and marketing, alumni programming, and public events in addition to fundraising.
“As both an accomplished fundraising leader and a recognized scholar whose research regularly contributes valuable ideas and insights to the practice of fundraising, Dr. Shaker is the ideal first Campbell Chair,” said Amir Pasic, Ph.D., the Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “Her excellent research and her noted skill in helping fundraisers incorporate research-based insights to strengthen their fundraising success will help both the fundraising profession and our school achieve new heights.”
The endowed chair was created by a 2019 gift from Donald A. Campbell, Jr., CFRE, founder of Campbell & Company, a leading fundraising, marketing and executive search firm that he guided to national prominence. During his more than 45 years of campaign and development experience, Campbell has personally been associated with campaigns and programs that have generated more than $3 billion in philanthropy.
As the Campbell Chair, Shaker will advance the knowledge and skills needed for fundraising and philanthropy professionals, executives and students to successfully bring resources to the civic sector. She will conduct original research on fundraising and fundraisers, interacting closely with fundraising and nonprofit professionals to share research findings and incorporate issues arising from the field into academic research, especially related to fundraising best practices and professional development.
Shaker will collaborate with The Fund Raising School at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, advising on the integration of academic research into The Fund Raising School’s programs, translating research for practice and dissemination and extending the school’s reputation for leading with a research-based curriculum.
Shaker’s research focuses on the fundraising profession, major donor fundraising, workplace philanthropy, philanthropy education, and higher education advancement. She is particularly interested in bringing attention to issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice in fundraising research, practice and education. She teaches frequently for The Fund Raising School and often writes and speaks for nonprofit professional and public audiences. She has advised several universities, including the University of Illinois, University of Michigan, Berea College, Seattle University and Indiana University.
“The creation of the Donald A. Campbell Chair in Fundraising Leadership recognizes the central role that fundraising plays in the ability of nonprofit organizations to deliver their missions in our communities. I am honored to be named the inaugural Campbell Chair and grateful for the opportunity to help build the field and the next generation of leaders,” Shaker said. “There is no better time to do this work as organizations are continuously striving to improve their fundraising programs and seeking skilled fundraisers with research-driven knowledge and skills. There is no better place to do this work than at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, with its long legacy of fundraising education, leadership and service. Don Campbell’s visionary gift will enable us to take these efforts to the next level.”
Shaker is beginning two new grant-funded collaborative research projects in 2023. The first is an exploration of fundraising approaches for seeking donor-advised fund gifts supported by the Wilson C. “Bill” Levis Research Grant Award from the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy. The second, funded by a grant from the TIAA Institute, is an examination of the flow of philanthropic funds for student financial aid to U.S. colleges and universities and how these funds affect institutions’ efforts to meet students’ needs.
The lead editor of the fifth edition of Achieving Excellence in Fundraising (Wiley, 2022), Shaker also recently co-authored Fundraising Principles for Faculty and Academic Leaders (Palgrave, 2021). She is associate editor of the journal Philanthropy & Education and edited Faculty Work and the Public Good: Philanthropy, Engagement, and Academic Professionalism (Columbia University Teacher’s College Press, 2015).
Shaker was named the national Association of Fundraising Professionals’ 2015 Emerging Scholar for her work influencing fundraising practices. She is a Fellow of the TIAA Institute. She received the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s distinguished alumni award for significant achievement in philanthropic research, practice and academic study and the IU Alumni Association’s Maynard K. Hine Award, IU Indianapolis’s highest recognition for alumni service.
Frequently recognized for her teaching and mentorship, Shaker teaches courses including “Giving and Volunteering in America” and “Celebrity Philanthropy”. She has taught “Learning by Giving,” in which students grant funds to the local community, and regularly teaches academic courses on fundraising.
Shaker earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Indiana University (Bloomington), a M.A. in Philanthropic Studies from the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (IU Indianapolis) and a B.A., summa cum laude, in history from Minnesota State University—Moorhead. She is an active volunteer for the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis, serving as its current board chair and leading the governance committee.
“Fundraisers must be leaders within their organizations, and fundraising leadership requires dedication to continuous learning, including seeking out and applying new information and insights from the best-quality research,” Campbell said. “Dr. Genevieve Shaker represents the highest standards in research and in the fundraising profession. I am delighted that she will be the first Campbell Chair.”
Campbell served as the organizing chair of the Board of Governors for the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, the predecessor of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. A board member for much of the organization’s history, he is a valued, long-standing advisor. The center presented him with its highest honor, the Henry A. Rosso Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Ethical Fund Raising and recognized him with IU Indianapolis’s Spirit of Philanthropy award. A former two-term chairman of the national Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Campbell was honored with its Founder’s Medallion for his many contributions to the association and the profession. AFP previously recognized him as its Outstanding Fund Raising Executive of the Year.
“Don Campbell is one of the pre-eminent leaders of the fundraising profession. His expertise and his commitment to advancing research, education and professional practice are reflected in our aspiration that the Campbell Chair will teach leadership, guided by rigorous research, that can deliver results,” Pasic said. “We thank Don for his long-time support and for this meaningful position, which will help equip students and practitioners to lead fundraising programs to success.”
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 Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram and “Like” us on Facebook.