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Greetings from the Executive Director: March 2024

Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director

Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University

Well, I have discovered a new form of anxiety…having to follow Angela Logan’s newsletter articles.

I hope you are all having an excellent spring! It’s hard to believe spring classes are almost done here in College Station. My brain still thinks it’s recovering from winter break!

I have been pretty busy the past few months. The Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy at Texas A&M, where I dedicate the rest of my work time, hosted its first Nonprofit BRIDGE Conference. The conference was dedicated to fostering partnerships between nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions. I saw many familiar faces there, including several NACC members based in Texas. It was a great event and I’m looking forward to future conferences.

Now that I am done with that conference and can take a deep breath, it’s time to return to several NACC projects and initiatives. It’s time to send the updated curricular guidelines to an editor and printer. We need to continue welcoming applicants of Nu Lambda Mu through the rest of the application cycle. Finally, it’s time to start planning our summer 2025 conference! It’s going to be a busy year, but I can’t wait to dig back in.

I’ll keep it short and sweet this month. I look forward to sharing more. Until then, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

All the best,
Nicole

By |2024-03-25T09:04:37-04:00March 25th, 2024|Executive Director's Report|
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Fighting for Survival: Analyzing Strategic Trends in Arts Advocacy

Researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington
Trevor Meagher

Trevor Meagher, MPA
PhD Student
College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs
University of Texas at Arlington

Dr. Karabi C. Bezboruah

Karabi C. Bezboruah, PhD
Professor, Public Affairs and Planning
The University of Texas at Arlington

Jiwon Suh, PhD

Jiwon Suh, PhD
Assistant Professor, Public Affairs and Planning
University of Texas at Arlington

Fighting for Survival: Analyzing Strategic Trends in Arts Advocacy

Trevor Meagher, Karabi Bezboruah, Jiwon Suh

Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing, Volume 29, Issue 1, February 2024

American arts organizations are locked in a continuous fight for their survival as a result of their demanding operational contexts. Virtually every arts organization engages in some form of formal or informal advocacy in order to raise public awareness and secure financial support or political goodwill. While there are almost as many different advocacy strategies as there are arts organizations, studies that trace changes in strategic employment over time are rare, as advocates are typically focused on present issues and the immediate future. This research seeks to address this knowledge gap. Through a systematic review of over 260 scholarly sources, editorials, blogs, think pieces, and miscellaneous other pro-arts arguments, this article identifies five main arguments for supporting the arts that have been commonly used by arts advocates since the inception of the National Endowment for the Arts. This article presents a theoretical typology that is useful for understanding these arguments and the thematic connections between them. It concludes with a discussion of general trends towards strategic isomorphism and research sophistication among these strategies, then offers avenues for future research that may assist arts advocates with evaluating strategies’ success so as to improve their future effectiveness.

Trevor Meagher, MPA, is a PhD student in the College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington. His research interests explore the role of arts organizations in modern society, the nonprofit sector, the cultural economy, creative placemaking, urban identity, cross-sector collaboration, universities, and organizational strategies for achieving local institutionalization. Trevor regularly presents his research at the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action annual conference, and his work is published in the Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing. He holds an undergraduate degree in Music Performance with minors in Arts Management and Arts Administration, as well as a Master of Public Administration with a focus in Urban Nonprofit Management.

Karabi Bezboruah, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Public Affairs and Planning at the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA) at the University of Texas at Arlington.Dr. Bezboruah also serves as the director of the two doctoral programs in CAPPA. These are the Public Administration & Public Policy (PAPP), and Urban Planning and Public Policy (UPPP).

Dr. Bezboruah teaches administration and policy courses in the Department of Public Affairs. She teaches the core courses in the Nonprofit Management specialization track and facilitates the graduate Certificate in Urban Nonprofit Management. She applies service-learning pedagogy in her courses, and has worked with community organizations, nonprofits, and local government agencies.

Dr. Bezboruah’s research includes cross sector collaboration, nonprofit management and leadership, strategic management, community development, cross-sector comparisons, NGOs – organizational role, gender role, leadership role & NGO effectiveness. Her work is in the intersection between public policies and organizational behavior, and she frequently collaborates with other disciplines to conduct research on policy issues surrounding health, housing and the environment.

Jiwon Suh, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Public Affairs and Planning at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her research focuses on organizational behavior, performance and accountability, and communication and marketing in the public and nonprofit sectors. She has published articles in several journals including Public Administration Review, Review of Public Personnel Administration, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, and Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing.

By |2024-03-20T14:50:57-04:00March 20th, 2024|NACC Member Research|
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In Search of the Magic Bullet: Results from the Building Audiences for Sustainability Initiative

Francie Ostrower, The University of Texas at Austin
Francie Ostrower

Dr. Francie Ostrower
Professor of Public Affairs and Fine Arts
Director of the Portfolio Program in Arts and
Cultural Management and Entrepreneurship
Senior Fellow

In Search of the Magic Bullet: Results from the Building Audiences for Sustainability Initiative

Francie Ostrower, LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin

A new report by LBJ School Professor Francie Ostrower sheds light on the artistic and fiscal challenges that 25 performing arts organizations encountered while seeking to build new audiences, yielding insights into approaches that worked, and those that didn’t. Overall, the findings suggest that while expanding audiences is possible, it may not always happen on an organization’s desired terms. Therefore, if organizations want to change how audiences engage with them, they must be open to changing themselves. This research was funded by the Wallace Foundation.

Francie Ostrower is a professor in the LBJ School of Public Affairs and College of Fine Arts, Director of the Portfolio Program in Arts and Cultural Management and Entrepreneurship jointly sponsored by the College of Fine Arts and the LBJ School, and a senior fellow in the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service. She is principal investigator of the Building Audiences for Sustainability Initiative: Research and Evaluation, a six-year study of audience-building activities by performing arts organizations commissioned and funded by The Wallace Foundation through a multi-million dollar grant. Prior to joining The University of Texas at Austin in 2008, she was a senior research associate at the Urban Institute and prior to that a sociology faculty member at Harvard University. Dr. Ostrower has been a visiting professor at IAE de Paris/Sorbonne Graduate Business School and is an Urban Institute affiliated scholar. She has authored numerous publications on philanthropy, nonprofit governance, and arts and cultural participation that have received awards from the Association for Research on Nonprofit and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) and Independent Sector. Her research has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Aspen Institute, among others. Recent professional activities include serving as a board member and president of ARNOVA and on the Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly board, and the academic advisory committee of Stanford Social Innovation Review.

By |2024-03-20T15:06:05-04:00March 19th, 2024|NACC Member Research|
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A Message from Your Board President: February 2024

Angela R. Logan, NACC President
Angela R. Logan, PhD

Angela R. Logan, PhD
St. Andre Bessette Academic Director,
Master of Nonprofit Administration
Associate Teaching Professor,
Mendoza College of Business
University of Notre Dame

What’s Love Got To Do With (Our Sector)?

Hello! This month, inspired both by Valentine’s Day and the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, the late, great Tina Turner, I’ve been thinking a lot about the age-old question: What’s love got to do with it, specifically, our sector? When I think about this question, I reflect on both my formal and informal connections to philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. While my formal journey into the study of philanthropy began 20 years ago in Dr. Dwight Burlingame’s course, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector (or, as we called it, “521’), my informal journey began decades earlier… in my childhood home. There, my parents instilled in me their own version of the Muhammad Ali quote, “Service to others is the rent you pay for the room here on earth.” Except, in my parents’ case, the quote was more like, “Service is the rent you pay for your room in this house.” In DB’s class, I learned about the Promethean Myth and Alexis de Tocqueville. On Elizabeth Drive, I learned about The Good Samaritan and my parents’ roles in the US Civil Rights Movement. Dwight gave me one of the staples of our field, Giving USA. Richard and Terry gave me staples of my culture, Jet Magazine and Ebony Kids.

Although they may have shown up in different forms, in both of those spaces, I constantly interrogated the true meaning of “φιλανθρωπία:” “love of humanity.” Whether it was giving my old toys and clothes to families in need, participating in Girl Scouts, or receiving a scholarship to attend my UG alma mater, my life was marked both by the impact of my own service and by the generosity of others. When I sat in 521, I began to piece together how acts of generosity were connected across time. What inspired my Girl Scout troop leader to work with me, 25 years after her husband led my father’s troop? What role did Black churches play in supporting the formerly enslaved, like my maternal great-grandmother, and how did that support change over time, to help my mother go to college? How did the work of Black Greek Letter Organizations, the majority of which were founded in the early 1900s, influence political activism as recently as the US Presidential election of 2020?

Similar to my own experiences, our students come to our classrooms with a lifetime of firsthand knowledge and experience of “φιλανθρωπία:” their faith communities, early childhood center, club participation, scholarships to pursue their education, and “walkaround money” from loved ones have all prepared them to ask questions of us…and our sector. Our responsibility is to provide them the tools and skills necessary to embed their own experiences into the wider context of our sector, all while helping them to remember that, at the root of our work is love.

So, the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed with administrivia and grading, remember why we do it: for the love of our students…and humanity. Because what’s love got to do with our sector? EVERYTHING!

All the best,

Angela R. Logan
Board President, NACC

By |2024-02-27T11:41:35-05:00February 27th, 2024|President's Message|
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Request For Proposals: NACC 2025 Member Meeting and Biennial Conference Host Institution

Three Day Conference in 2025

Purpose of RFP: The Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC) seeks proposals from among its member institutions to serve as Host for the 1-day member/ board meeting and 2-day biennial conference, to be held in July 2025. Other dates can be considered. The meeting and conference would take place over three days, with the following suggested format: The first day is the member meeting or board retreat and (smaller, more informal) member reception, and the subsequent two days are the conference, with a (larger) reception on the evening of the first day. The dates are flexible, but traditionally, NACC’s Biennial Conference dates are 3 days attached to the weekends in the second week of July 2025, i.e., Monday-Wednesday 7-9 July 2025 or Wednesday-Friday 9-11 July 2025.

Purpose of Biennial Conference: The 2025 conference will be the 15th anniversary of NACC’s conferences, which are traditionally held biennially. Past academic hosts have provided substantial resources in the form of conference venues and catering, funding, and organizational effort. We salute these past host universities: Arizona State University, University of San Diego, DePaul University, Texas A&M University, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, the Bayes School of Business, part of City, University of London, and Auburn University. Conferences do not need to be hosted by one university/program.

The Biennial Conference attracts sponsorships from NACC university members, local host institution philanthropy, and other sources; all of which sustain the operations of the organization. Consequently, the Biennial conference provides a signal to the global academic peer communities of the vitality of NACC and its programs.

Theme for the 2025 Biennial Conference: We encourage interested host institutions to suggest themes for the conference. NACC will assist with having a host/conference committee help develop the theme as needed.

Selected papers may be published in a special issue of our key partner Sagamore Publisher’s Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership.

Eligibility: Respondents to the RFP must be NACC members at the time of the submission materials. Institutions that are in the process of applying for NACC membership may be part of joint applications with current members.

Required Conditions: A dedicated coordinating staff member must be assigned to connect with NACC to plan, arrange, and facilitate conference logistics on site. The host institution(s) may recommend suggested hotels, but accommodations are arranged by the conference participants themselves. Reception space must be provided by the host institution for up to 125 attendees. On-site dining or catering services must also be available. Meeting space must be sufficient for two (non-concurrent) plenary sessions with seating for approximately 80 – 100 attendees, plus five break-out presentation spaces for concurrent topical panels. Presentation hardware, adaptable software programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint, and internet access must be provided, including technical support.

Preferred Conditions: The ideal host institution will be accessible readily by air transport and near a population center of sufficient size to accommodate the group. In addition to in- kind physical services, host institutions are asked to provide sponsorship (for example; covering the costs meals, breaks, or receptions), or to facilitate fundraising from external sources. NACC will also solicit sponsorships from other NACC members, as it has in the past to cover other necessary costs.

Cover Letter and Budget: In a signed cover letter, describe the facilities that will be provided by your institution. Complete a budget indicating the amount of direct and indirect contributions your institution will invest in the Biennial Conference.

Letter of Support from Institutional Executive Officer: Provide a letter confirming support for this proposal signed by the chief executive officer (i.e. president, provost, dean or department head).

Additional information: You are welcome to submit any additional information you think will be useful in helping us in our deliberations.

Due Date: Complete responses to this RFP in PDF format are due no later than Monday, April 5, 2024. The PDF document should include the signed cover letter, budget, and institutional letter of support (plus any additional materials). Email to Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director: nicole.e.collier@tamu.edu.

By |2024-02-22T16:58:11-05:00February 22nd, 2024|NACC Announcement|
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Now Accepting Applications for the Nu Lambda Mu International Honor Society

The Honor Society is an exclusive opportunity for students of NACC member programs dedicated to nonprofit and philanthropic education. This includes graduate and undergraduate students completing PhDs, master’s degrees, tracks, concentrations, certificates, majors, and minors!

Benefits of joining the Nu Lambda Mu International Honor Society include:

  • Recognition on the NACC website and in our e-newsletter, NACC News
  • Opportunity to share your stories and updates with us in the “Nu Lambda Mu Spotlight” section of NACC News
  • Invitations to attend NACC conferences and special events
  • Updates on Job Opportunities in the nonprofit sector
  • Invitation to join our Nu Lambda Mu members-only LinkedIn group

The deadline to apply is April 19, 2024. Alums and students graduating this fall are eligible to apply. You can learn more about the criteria by clicking below. Feel free to download our promotional flyer to share with interested students.

For any questions, please refer to our FAQ Guide, or contact us at nacc@tamu.edu.

By |2024-02-22T15:08:59-05:00February 22nd, 2024|NACC Announcement|
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Bridging the Online and Classroom Divide in Public Administration Education

Reynold Galope, Metropolitan State University
Reynold Galope, Metropolitan State University

Reynold Galope
Associate Professor
MPNA/MPA/MNLM Graduate Program Director
Public and Nonprofit Leadership
Metropolitan State University

Exploiting a Natural Experiment in Assessing Student Learning Outcomes in Public and Nonprofit Administration: A Demonstration
Reynold Galope, Robert Bilyk, and Daniel Woldeab

Teaching Public Administration (December 2023)

The effectiveness of online learning versus traditional classroom instruction has long been a subject of debate in public and nonprofit administration education. This study by Reynold Galope, Robert Bilyk, and Daniel Woldeab, published in Teaching Public Administration, presents a significant methodological contribution to this discourse by exploiting a natural experiment. The research reexamines the online versus classroom debate through a new lens, employing a novel dataset and estimation approach to assess student learning outcomes in both settings. The core question it seeks to answer is whether the format of course delivery fundamentally affects student learning.

Departing from traditional experimental designs and common analytical techniques like regression analysis, this study uniquely leverages a naturally occurring classroom phenomenon. This approach ensures statistical equivalence in student characteristics across online and face-to-face course formats, satisfying the exogeneity assumption critical in causal studies. By doing so, the research provides a more accurate assessment of the impact of course delivery format on learning outcomes.

The article originated as a conference paper at the 2019 NACC Biennial Conference in London, United Kingdom. Its roots in academic discourse and practitioner insights adds a layer of collaborative depth and real-world applicability to the findings. Moreover, the recommendations developed for both online and classroom instructors in public administration and nonprofit management stem from the collaborative efforts of three researchers with expertise in diverse fields, including research methodology, instructional design (with a particular focus on technology in teaching and learning), program/curriculum coordination, and adult education. This interdisciplinary approach enriches the article’s conclusions, providing a comprehensive perspective on optimizing educational strategies in the field.

The study goes beyond theoretical exploration, offering practical contributions to the field. It leverages contemporary research in online pedagogy and learning theory to discuss its findings and their implications for online education in public administration. Notably, it introduces a feedback-centered teaching philosophy aimed at bridging the gap between the learning outcomes of completely asynchronous online classes and traditional face-to-face courses. This nuanced approach promises significant insights for program coordinators, instructors, and policy analysts concerned with optimizing educational delivery in public administration.

By |2024-02-22T11:51:35-05:00February 22nd, 2024|NACC Member Research|
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Exploring Global Perspectives in Public Administration and Education

Kelly Ann Krawczyk, Auburn University
Kelly Ann Krawczyk

Kelly Ann Krawczyk, PhD
Associate Professor
Program Director, MPA
Program Director, Political Science
Auburn University

Public Administration, Civil Society, and Democracy: Comparative Perspectives through International Service Learning
Bridgett A. King and Kelly Ann Krawczyk

Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, Volume 25, Issue 6 (December 2023)

A paper by Bridgett A. King (University of Kentucky) and Kelly Ann Krawczyk, published in the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, delves into the innovative teaching methods at Auburn University’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) and PhD in Public Administration and Public Policy (PAPP) programs, showcasing their course “Public Administration, Civil Society, & Democracy.” Rather than simply providing a theoretical discourse, the paper offers a practical exploration of how to prepare students for the challenges of global public administration and policymaking.

Central to this academic analysis is the course’s experiential learning framework. It transcends traditional classroom boundaries, placing students in diverse global environments. This immersive experience is pivotal in developing an understanding of public administration across various cultural and national contexts. The course’s unique blend of research, teaching, and service includes international fieldwork, educational workshops for local partners, and impactful service-learning projects.

While the course has journeyed through various African nations, the highlight in this paper is its impact in Liberia during the summer of 2022. Here, students gained firsthand experience of different administrative systems, enhancing their ability to address policy issues in a culturally informed manner. By focusing on this innovative educational approach, the paper illustrates Auburn University’s commitment to nurturing global citizens equipped to tackle contemporary public administration challenges.

Kelly Ann Krawczyk’s research investigates the potential role of civil society in promoting democracy and development. She examines how civil society can foster sustainable development in local communities, and the role of civil society in strengthening democracy and increasing civic engagement. She is specifically interested in how civil society impacts political behavior. Her research has been published in journals of public administration, civil society, and local governance, including Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, and the Journal of Civil Society. Her co-edited volume, Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives: The Contributions of Women to Development in West Africa (2023) is available from Palgrave Macmillan. She has also authored book chapters, as well as governmental and professional publications for the Governance Commission of Liberia and the World Bank.

Krawczyk teaches graduate and undergraduate courses at Auburn University on a wide range of nonprofit topics, including Nonprofit Law & Governance, Nonprofit Management, and International Nongovernmental Organizations. She also teaches graduate courses in public administration and nonprofit management in the MPA and Ph.D. programs. She is currently serving as the MPA Program Director.

Krawczyk earned her Ph.D. in political science and a Masters in Public Administration from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Before beginning an academic career, Kelly worked with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, both domestic and international, and has applied experience in nonprofit management and leadership, governance, capacity building, fundraising and development, volunteer and event management, and proposal writing. She designs and delivers outreach initiatives in West Africa, including curricular design and implementation of training and professional development workshops, impact evaluations and assessments, policy analysis and recommendations. She served as an international election observer for multiple national elections in Liberia and Ghana. She has also worked with The World Bank Group in Liberia on projects related to decentralization and civil society. She is a Founding Committee Member of the Strengthening Research on Civil Society in West Africa project, an initiative of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), funded by the Ford Foundation.

By |2024-02-22T18:08:40-05:00February 22nd, 2024|NACC Member Research|
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Nonprofit Organizations and Arts Education in a Rural Community

Elise Lael Kieffer, Murray State University
Elise Lael Kieffer, Murray State University

Elise Lael Kieffer, Ph.D.
Program Director and Assistant Professor
Nonprofit Leadership Studies,
Organizational Communication and Leadership
Murray State University

Nonprofit Organizations and Arts Education in a Rural Community
Dr. Elise Lael Kieffer, Murray State University

Local Government Administration in Small Town America | Routledge, October 2023
Edited By James C. Clinger, Donna M. Handley, Wendy L. Eaton

In “Nonprofit Organizations and Arts Education in a Rural Community,” a book chapter published in Local Government Administration in Small Town America, Dr. Elise Lael Kieffer examines the vital role that nonprofit organizations play within areas throughout the US that are characterized by sparse populations. Through a detailed examination of an interdisciplinary arts education nonprofit in a rural Appalachian community, she highlights the unique challenges these organizations face, including navigating a complex local political landscape, dealing with the perceptions of being outsiders, and overcoming the hurdles of sustained funding shortages. Her analysis also includes a comparison to the experiences of their urban counterparts, reflecting the added complexity of operating within small-town dynamics where interpersonal relationships and long-standing family histories significantly influence local politics and resource allocation.

Kieffer’s chapter offers insightful perspectives on the intersection of nonprofit management and community development in rural settings, underscoring the indispensable role nonprofits play in fostering arts education and broader community engagement in areas where government entities may fall short. Moreover, her findings emphasize the importance of understanding local context and building community relationships as fundamental strategies for nonprofit success in rural America. This work not only contributes to the academic discourse on rural nonprofit management but also serves as a practical guide for those looking to make a meaningful impact through nonprofit work in similar communities.

Dr. Kieffer’s first love was musical theatre. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Jacksonville University (Florida). After graduation, she began a successful career as a performing artist on the East Coast and Midwest. She left performance to return to school for her Master’s in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management from Tennessee State University. After earning that degree she moved to New York and worked for an international humanitarian aid organization, specializing in fundraising. While her primary assignment was growing the base of individual donors, she is also remembered for the dramatic growth in funding coming from foundations and corporations under her leadership.

The next chapter in her nonprofit sector journey combined her passion for the arts with her growing commitment to strengthening community engagement and building sustainable organizations. She moved to rural Cumberland County, Kentucky, at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains to found the Burkesville Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA). This interdisciplinary arts education organization offering year-round arts education and performance opportunities for children was launched in rural South- Central Kentucky. BAFA found strong support through local youth serving organizations such as 4-H and the public schools, becoming an integrated part of youth development across the region.

With a long-time aspiration to play a role in the development of leadership and management capacity for those serving the community, in 2017 her family relocated to Tallahassee, Florida, for Dr. Kieffer to pursue her PhD at Florida State University. While studying arts administration, with a focus on nonprofit leadership and management, she focused her research on strengthening rural nonprofit arts organizations. During her academic journey, she has pursued scholarship and engaged in teaching across the leadership and management curriculum. Among her many professional awards, it is worth noting that she was recognized with the Emerging Scholar Award at the International Society on the Arts in Society in 2019, 2020, and 2021. In addition, she received the Emerging Scholars Award at the International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities, and Nations in 2021.

Upon receiving her Ph.D., Dr. Kieffer joined Murray State University as Program Director and Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Leadership Studies and Director of the Murray State Nonprofit Resource Center. Her textbook “Rural Arts Management,” will be released by Routledge in July.

By |2024-02-22T11:39:01-05:00February 22nd, 2024|NACC Member Research|
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New Board Member Feature: Genevieve Shaker

Dr. Genevieve Shaker, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Dr. Genevieve Shaker

Dr. Genevieve Shaker
Associate Professor of Philanthropic Studies
Donald A. Campbell Chair in Fundraising Leadership
Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

New Board Member Feature: Genevieve Shaker

Dr. Gen Shaker, an Associate Professor of Philanthropic Studies at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, holds the prestigious Donald A. Campbell Chair in Fundraising Leadership. Her journey in academia is deeply rooted in her passion for understanding and enhancing the philanthropic landscape. As reflected by several awards for mentoring others, Dr. Shaker also has a well-known personal reputation for the professional development of aspiring scholars and fundraisers.

Dr. Shaker’s research primarily focuses on donor behavior, fundraising practices, the role of philanthropy in higher education, and the role of higher education in advancing the common good. She is known for studies on how academic professionals contribute to philanthropic activities, bridging a unique connection between education and philanthropy. Her many publications benefit from her commitment to research-based practices and are a testament to her dedication in bringing the best academe has to offer to bear on society. Through scholarship and public presentations, she has contributed to the understanding of fundraising strategies and donor relations in the nonprofit sector. Dr. Shaker seeks to apply the best insights from research and practice to policy insights and development.

Dr. Shaker’s academic work is grounded in 20 years of work as an advancement officer for the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts, where she oversaw the school’s $20 million-dollar contribution to an overall $3.9 billion university-wide campaign. This experience has informed Dr. Shaker’s contributions to translating research into practice, drawn from practitioners’ interests, concerns, and challenges. In alignment with the goals expressed through the creation of the Campbell Chair in Fundraising Leadership, she is contributing to the development of fundraising leaders is as an active teacher, collaborator, and research advisor for The Fund Raising School, the Lilly Family School’s professional education program. Professor Shaker has reaffirmed the importance of collaborations between academics and practitioners as a lasting legacy of Campbell’s interest in encouraging research-based practice.

Apart from her academic pursuits, Dr. Shaker is actively involved in community service and volunteer work, embodying the principles she advocates through her research and teaching. She is involved with various nonprofit organizations, where she often lends her expertise in fundraising and philanthropic strategy. She is the current chair of the Greater Indianapolis Board of the American Red Cross, where she has led both the philanthropy and governance committees, a member of the community advisory committee of the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, a frequent advisor to nonprofits in the city, and an anonymous volunteer with several community service organizations. This hands-on experience enriches her teaching, allowing her to provide her students with a blend of academic theory and practical insights.

Through her combined roles as an educator, researcher, and volunteer, Dr. Shaker is helping to shape the future of philanthropic studies and inspiring a new generation of leaders in the nonprofit sector to approach their work with knowledge, innovation, and compassion.

By |2024-01-31T15:16:09-05:00January 31st, 2024|NACC Announcement|
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