Prolific research leader will advance understanding of the gender gap in nonprofit organizations’ leadership and ways to overcome it
Noted scholar Young-joo Lee, Ph.D., has been named the Eileen Lamb O’Gara Chair in Women’s Philanthropy and Professor of Philanthropic Studies at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Lee’s research examines women’s leadership in the nonprofit sector, including what factors are behind the gender gap in nonprofit leadership, the consequences of that gap, and how it can be closed. To answer those questions, Lee looks at how different dimensions of gender disparity in leadership are inter-related, such as how underrepresentation of women on large nonprofit organizations’ boards contributes to underrepresentation of women in their executive leadership and in turn to the gender pay gap.
In her work Lee studies both the underrepresentation of women as leaders at large nonprofit organizations and the overrepresentation of women in the philanthropic sector overall, as well as the representation of women in higher education. Her latest research examines the implications of intersectionality and marginalization for philanthropy and why it is important to take intersectionality into account when studying gender and philanthropy.
A prolific organizational theory and behavior scholar whose research centers on nonprofit governance and management, volunteerism, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, Lee’s research interests include volunteering in diverse contexts, U.S. and international volunteer patterns and student volunteering. Her work also encompasses issues such as comparing the job motivations of public-sector and nonprofit managers, job satisfaction in the nonprofit sector, and the implications of social media visibility on financial performance. Prior to joining the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Lee was Professor and Nonprofit Management Director in the School of Public Administration at the University of Central Florida.
“Professor Lee is an esteemed scholar who has produced a remarkable breadth of highly recognized and influential research published in leading journals across many key issues affecting the philanthropic sector, while also directing the nonprofit management program at our nation’s second largest university,” said Amir Pasic, Ph.D., the Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the school. “Her leadership and expertise will significantly enhance understanding of women, gender and philanthropy, as well as the complex and interrelated issues affecting these aspects of generosity today, for both our students and our field.”
In her role as the Eileen Lamb O’Gara Chair in Women’s Philanthropy, Lee will conduct new research that will advance understanding of women’s leadership and differences in the way women and men think about and practice philanthropy. She also will teach philanthropic studies courses at the school, including a class on women and philanthropy.
“The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is a microcosm of the nonprofit sector, as the school has experts in various fields of the study of nonprofit organizations and philanthropy. I am so excited to work surrounded by these world-renowned scholars who study the nonprofit sector from diverse perspectives, including economics, psychology, sociology, and other perspectives,” Lee said. “As the Eileen Lamb O’Gara Chair, I will work closely with the school’s Women’s Philanthropy Institute. I believe that my research on gender diversity, equity and inclusion in nonprofit management and leadership will contribute to the existing strengths of WPI. I hope to collaborate with the WPI team to help further expand its focus and impacts by studying implications of diversity and intersectionality for philanthropy.”
“I am also very excited to work with the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and Lake Institute on Faith & Giving,” Lee added. “We have overlapping research interests, and I believe we can create synergy though research collaboration.”
Lee’s research has been widely cited globally and she is an active contributor to the nonprofit research community. She is an associate editor of Nonprofit Management and Leadership and Public Administration Review and serves on the editorial board of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly and International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing. She also has a strong commitment to mentoring junior scholars. She has mentored a number of doctoral students and currently serves on the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) Doctoral Fellows Seminar Committee.
About the Indiana University 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 undergraduate, graduate, certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs, and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy, Women’s Philanthropy Institute, and the Muslim Philanthropy Initiative. Follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, or Instagram and “Like” us on Facebook.