301 University Blvd.
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Biography
Genevieve G. Shaker, Ph.D., is professor of philanthropic studies and the Donald A. Campbell Chair in Fundraising Leadership at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She is also adjunct professor of liberal arts and of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at IU Indianapolis.
She was an advancement officer for 20 years, most recently as associate dean for development and external affairs for the School of Liberal Arts, where she facilitated communications and marketing, alumni programming, and public events as well as fundraising, overseeing the school’s $20 million-dollar contribution to an overall $3.9 billion university-wide campaign.
Professor Shaker’s research focuses on fundraising and fundraisers, workplace philanthropy, philanthropy education, and higher education advancement—including faculty work and the public good as well as philanthropic practices within higher education. In 2015 she edited Faculty Work and the Public Good: Philanthropy, Engagement, and Academic Professionalism (Columbia University Teacher’s College Press).
Her current projects include explorations of the fundraising profession, donor and fundraiser philanthropic relationships, donor advised fund fundraising, and examination of and the global common good. Emerging research interests include the roles and practices of fundraisers in other nations. She recently published Fundraising Principles for Faculty and Academic Leaders (Palgrave, 2021) with co-author Aaron Conley. She is the lead editor of the fifth edition of Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, published in 2022. She is associate editor of the journal Philanthropy & Education.
Much of her research is intended to contribute to practice and policy as well as to build scholarly understandings. She teaches frequently for The Fund Raising School and contributes workshops, podcasts, and articles for the general public. She was recognized nationally in 2015 as the emerging scholar of the year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals for her work influencing fundraising practices. In 2018, the TIAA Institute invited her to become a fellow, following publication of major policy papers examining faculty work and the public good.
Professor Shaker brings experiential learning strategies, active learning pedagogy, and innovative curricular design to her courses, including effective use of technology and remote learning best practices. She is the co-developer and lead instructor for “Celebrity Philanthropy,” leads the faculty learning community for “Giving and Volunteering in America,” offers the course on “Learning by Giving” in which students grant funds to the local community, and teaches on fundraising. She regularly mentors and advises students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She was selected by graduates of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy for the inaugural distinguished alumni award.
On various occasions, Professor Shaker has been recognized for teaching, mentorship, and research and as a practitioner and member of the university and broader community. She has served as an advisor to several universities, including the University of Illinois Foundation and the Indiana University Foundation. She is an active volunteer for the American Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, and St. Vincent DePaul.
Education
- Ph.D., Indiana University (Bloomington), Higher Education Administration
- M.A., Indiana University (IU Indianapolis), Philanthropic Studies
- B.A. summa cum laude, Minnesota State University—Moorhead, History
Courses Taught
- Giving and Volunteering in America
- Celebrity philanthropy
- Donor motivation and engagement I
- Readings in philanthropic studies
- Learning by giving
- Introduction to philanthropic fundraising
Publications
- Achieving Excellence in Fundraising (5th edition). Wiley.
- Turnover intention and job tenure of US fundraisers. Journal of Philanthropy & Marketing.
- A grounded theory study of major gift fundraising relationships in US higher education. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.
- Fundraising Principles for Faculty and Academic Leaders. London: Palgrave MacMillan.
- Analyzing three decades of philanthropic giving to U.S. higher education (1988-2018). Philanthropy & Education
- Professional identity and the determinants of fundraisers’ charitable behavior. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly
- Teaching philanthropy: Developing critical and compassionate approaches to giving and receiving. In Teaching Nonprofit Management.
- I gave at the office: A review of workplace giving research, theory, and practice. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing.
- Teaching about celebrity and philanthropy: A case study of backwards course design. Journal of Nonprofit Education & Leadership
- Understanding higher education fundraisers in the United States. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing
- Faculty Work and the Public Good: Philanthropy, Engagement, and Academic Professionalism. New York: Teachers College Press, Columbia University
- What works at work? Towards an integrative model examining workplace campaign strategies. Nonprofit Management and Leadership
- The public good, productivity and faculty work: Individual effort and social value. TIAA Institute Higher Education Series: Understanding Academic Productivity
- Higher education, community engagement, and the global public good. Special 5th anniversary issue of Higher Learning Research Communications
- Workplace giving in universities: A U.S. case study at Indiana University. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly
Research Interests
- Higher education advancement
- The fundraising profession
- Major gift fundraising
- Intersections of philanthropy, professionalism, and the public good
- Philanthropy education
Honors and Awards
- IU Indianapolis Outstanding Graduate and Professional Student Mentor (2022)
- Indiana University Trustees Teaching Award (2013, 2015, 2022)
- Maynard K. Hine Award, IU Indianapolis Office of Alumni Relations (2021)
- Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Undergraduate Teaching Award (2019)
- Society of Professors of Education Outstanding Book Honorable Mention (for Faculty Work and the Public Good) (2017)
- Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Distinguished Alumnus (2015)
- IU Indianapolis Outstanding Woman Leader Award—Newcomer Faculty (2015)
- Indianapolis Business Journal, Forty Under 40 (2015)
- Emerging Scholar, Association for Fundraising Professionals (2015)
- Charles F. Elton Best Paper Award, Association for Institutional Research (2013)
- Bobby Wright Dissertation of the Year, Association for the Study of Higher Education (2009)
Other Activities
- Fellow, TIAA Institute
- Research Fellow, Tzedakah Lab (Columbia University)
- TRIP Scholar, IU Indianapolis Center for Translating Research to Practice
- Participant, AAC&U/Aspen Institute Wye Faculty Seminar
- Member, Association of Fundraising Professionals Research Council
- Faculty, The Fund Raising School
- Chair, Board of Directors; Chair, Governance Committee; Red Cross of Greater Indianapolis