State-Led Climate Action Can Cut Emissions at Near-Federal Costs but Favors Different Technologies

Christopher S. Galik, PhD
Professor and Director
Sustainable Futures Initiative
Department of Public Administration
School of Public and International Affairs
North Carolina State University

State-Led Climate Action Can Cut Emissions at Near-Federal Costs but Favors Different Technologies
Gavin Mouat, Christopher Galik, Aranya Venkatesh, Katherine Jordan, Aditya Sinha, Paulina Jaramillo, Jeremiah X Johnson
Nature Communications, 16, Article number: 4635 (2025)

In the absence of comprehensive federal greenhouse gas mitigation policy, state-led strategies may play a pivotal role, particularly following the 2024 United States presidential election. Using a detailed energy system optimization model, we examine the outcomes of 23 climate-minded states pursuing net-zero emissions targets compared to a federal carbon cap achieving equivalent CO2-eq reductions. Here we show that state-led decarbonization results in distinct technology choices, a 0.7% increase in system costs, and nationwide emissions reduction of 46% — substantial, but insufficient for ambitious climate goals. This pathway relies more on electrification, with 952 terawatt-hours more generation in 2050, reallocating 17.2% of emissions to the power sector. Some regions favor solar, wind, and storage, while direct air capture emerges as critical, particularly in California and the Northeast. Inter-regional trading supports and complicates mitigation efforts, underscoring the need for careful policy design. Overall, our findings highlight how state-led and federal decarbonization approaches can yield differing energy portfolios to achieve similar emissions reductions.

Dr. Christopher Stephen Galik is a Professor in the Department of Public Administration and the Deputy Executive Director of the Climate and Sustainability Academy at North Carolina State University. With a Ph.D. in Forestry and Environmental Resources from North Carolina State University, a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University, and a B.A. in Biology from Vassar College, Dr. Galik has a rich background in both academia and professional practice. His research, recognized in journals such as Nature Climate Change and Global Environmental Change, explores the intersection of policy and real-world environmental challenges with a focus on the role of formal and informal institutions in responding to pressing global challenges like climate change. He has received numerous accolades for his teaching and research, including University- and Departmental-Level Outstanding Teaching Awards, as well as recognition as a 2024-2025 University Faculty Scholar.

By |2025-09-18T10:08:35-04:00September 17th, 2025|NACC Member Research|
Read More

Sustainability Beyond 2030: Trajectories and Priorities for Our Sustainable Future

Dr. Marco Tavanti

Dr. Marco Tavanti
Professor of Leadership
MNA Program Director
School of Management
University of San Francisco

Sustainability Beyond 2030: Trajectories and Priorities for Our Sustainable Future
Marco Tavanti (University of San Francisco) and Alfredo Sfeir-Younis (Former Director and Ambassador, United Nations)
Routledge 2025

Sustainability Beyond 2030: Trajectories and Priorities for Our Sustainable Future is an indispensable guide to understanding our planet’s sustainability past, present, and future. It is a tool for enlightenment, engagement, and empowerment towards shaping a sustainable world as we approach the milestone year of 2030. Written by renowned sustainability experts, Marco Tavanti and Alfredo Sfeir Younis, who was a pioneer in the field and participated in the first 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, this book offers an in-depth analysis of critical environmental issues, human development challenges, and the economic complexities of fostering equitable and sustainable growth. In addition to evaluating various pivotal policies

and events, by extracting patterns and trajectories that have shaped our present commitments to the 2030 SDGs and the 2050 climate goals, Sustainability Beyond 2030 boldly projects into the future, identifying core priorities likely to guide the global agenda beyond our current commitments. This foresight is coupled with well‑informed recommendations, essential for building resilience and fostering future opportunities.

This book is a call to action for current and future generations of sustainability leaders. It encourages readers, whether policymakers, academics, or engaged citizens, to participate in the collective responsibility of crafting a sustainable world for future generations.

Dr. Marco Tavanti is a sustainability and leadership international scholar whose experience stretches over 30 years and whose work has taken him to more than 18 countries in Europe, East Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Dr. Tavanti’s teaching in sustainable development, leadership ethics, intercultural diversity, and NGO management is grounded in Jesuit values and his scholarship is an embodiment of the University’s mission to be of service to humankind.

Dr. Tavanti is a systems thinker whose scholarship aims at providing practical and integrated solutions to issues in international development and poverty reduction. His research methods are participatory in nature and directed at building international capacity in leaders, organizations, and institutions. Through his teaching he inspires globally engaged leaders while building professional capacity through international managerial skills across sectors.

He is President of the Sustainable Capacity International Institute (SCII-ONLUS) and CEO of its subsidiary SDG.services. He is co-founder of the World Engagement Institute (WEI), an international organization providing capacity development services for sustainable human security. He designed and directed various professional training programs on sustainable community development, indigenous human rights, anti-human trafficking and refugee service management. He has been consulting and collaborating with United Nations agencies such as the Development Programme (UNDP), the Global Compact (UNGC), the Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Through his engagement with the UN Global Compact he contributed to the development of the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

By |2025-09-17T11:25:48-04:00September 17th, 2025|NACC Member Research|
Read More

What are the Real Tax Risks for Harvard?

Jill Manny, NYU School of Law

Jill Manny
Executive Director
National Center on Philanthropy and the Law
Adjunct Professor of Law, 1995
New York University School of Law

What are the Real Tax Risks for Harvard?
Harvey P. Dale, Daniel J. Hemel, and Jill S. Manny
187 Tax Notes Federal 147 | May 2025

When President Trump threatened to revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status in April 2025, some news outlets predicted that the financial consequences of losing that exemption would be dire. The New York Times reported that “Harvard’s tax benefits totaled at least $465 million in 2023,” a figure several other outlets repeated. The online magazine Slate further upped the ante on the tax exemption’s price tag. A Slate column concluded that “even assuming every penny of [the university’s] expenses is deductible, Harvard would still owe around $525 million in federal income taxes.”

In all likelihood, the financial consequences of Harvard losing its federal tax exemption under section 501(c)(3) would be far less than the much-cited $465 million figure, and well below Slate’s $525 million estimate. Indeed, if Harvard were treated as a taxable C corporation rather than an exempt organization, its own federal corporate income tax liability could be as little as zero. Loss of federal tax exemption would, to be sure, mean that donors no longer could claim a charitable contribution deduction on their individual income tax returns for gifts made directly to the university. But after Bob Jones University lost its federal tax exemption in a landmark 1983 Supreme Court case, donors to that institution found they could continue to claim charitable contribution deductions by routing their gifts through affiliated tax-exempt organizations such as a scholarship fund, a university-run museum, and an elementary school. Harvard, with its labyrinthine network of connected organizations, would be even better positioned to channel contributions through tax-exempt affiliates than Bob Jones University was.

This article begins by considering how Harvard’s own federal tax liability would change if it lost its exemption under section 501(c)(3). We then take stock of potential ramifications for Harvard’s ability to receive tax-deductible donations and to issue tax-exempt debt. We end by evaluating interactions between federal tax exemption and Harvard’s state and local tax liabilities.

Jill S. Manny joined the faculty at New York University (NYU) School of Law in 1993 as an Acting Assistant Professor. In June of 1995, she assumed the additional position of Executive Director of the National Center on Philanthropy and the Law at NYU School of Law. She teaches courses on the Law of Nonprofit Organizations, Tax-Exempt Organizations, and Tax Aspects of Charitable Giving. She also teaches a course in Nonprofit Law at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU, where she is a member of the adjunct faculty.

By |2025-08-24T20:32:00-04:00August 24th, 2025|NACC Member Research|
Read More

Disinformation Attacks and Nonprofit Communication Strategies

Elise Lael Kieffer, PhD

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

Disinformation Attacks and Nonprofit Communication Strategies
Elise Lael Kieffer (Murray State University) and Kevin M. Carr (University of Texas at Arlington)
Journal of Nonprofit Innovation: Vol. 5: Iss. 2, Article 7 | June 2025

This study explores how disinformation attacks on social media can affect nonprofit organizations, a topic that has received limited scholarly attention compared to similar impacts in the for-profit sector. Through a review of existing literature and two in-depth case studies—Save the Children and the American Red Cross—this research analyzes how nonprofit organizations are uniquely vulnerable to reputational damage in the face of disinformation. The case studies highlight different motivations behind disinformation campaigns, including political agendas and deliberate efforts to harm brand credibility, and assess the effectiveness of various response strategies, including denial, debunking, attacking the source, and public education. Findings reveal that nonprofits with an engaged social media base and a multi-platform communication approach are better equipped to mitigate the effects of disinformation. The paper concludes with strategic, research-informed recommendations for nonprofit practitioners, emphasizing the importance of proactive social media engagement, simplified messaging, and maintaining control over communication channels.

Dr. Elise Lael Kieffer (Program Director and Assistant Professor) came to Murray State University in 2021 to serve as program director of the Nonprofit Leadership Studies academic programs and also as the Director of the Nonprofit Resource Center. Specializing in Rural Arts Management, Nonprofit Arts and Cultural Management, and Rural Nonprofit Development, Dr. Kieffer is dedicated to advancing the sustainability and impact of nonprofit organizations in rural communities, ultimately seeking to improve the quality of life in the communities where we live and work. In recognition of her contributions to the field, Dr. Kieffer was named a Murray State University Emerging Scholar in 2024. She is the author of Routledge Rural Arts Management (2024), a comprehensive exploration of the challenges and opportunities in managing arts organizations in rural settings. She is published widely in American Journal of Arts Management, Journal of Nonprofit Innovation, and others. Her professional experience ranges from on the ground building an organization from the ground up to consulting with international nonprofit organizations with global reach. Dr. Kieffer holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre performance, a Masters in Public Administration with a certificate in nonprofit management, and a PhD in arts administration with a certificate in program evaluation. Her diverse educational background combined with varied work experiences create a pedagogical and professional emphasis on communication, collaboration, and pragmatism. She emphasizes impactful, experiential learning in her classroom. Beyond academia, Dr. Kieffer is passionate about fostering community engagement through the arts and enjoys practicing yoga as a way to stay balanced and inspired.

By |2025-08-25T10:56:03-04:00August 24th, 2025|NACC Member Research|
Read More

Capacity Building and Localization: Insights from Liberia

Peter Weber

Peter Weber, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Program Coordinator
Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (PNPS) Program
College of Human Sciences
Auburn University

Kelly Ann Krawczyk, PhD

Kelly Ann Krawczyk, PhD
Professor
MPA and PhD Program Director
Department of Political Science
Auburn University

Capacity Building and Localization: Insights from Liberia
Peter Weber, Kelly Ann Krawczyk, Lucky Chambers Umezulike, Brittany Branyon, Brian Ezeonu, Elena Roversi, Sindhu Weber, Benedict Quato
Nonprofit Management & Leadership | June 2025

The question of how to structure international aid equitably to empower the local community and give agency to local civil society organizations (CSOs) is a recurrent theme in debates around international aid. A common strategy to enable local actors to have greater agency in the international aid system is for international donors to invest in the capacity of local CSOs through targeted capacity-building programs. Donors incorporate capacity-building programs into their programs, believing that increased capacity will empower and enable local actors. Scholarship on capacity building, however, has shown that capacity-building programs are often implemented top-down and align with the priorities and objectives of Western donors. Through the case of Liberia, this study examines the motivations and objectives of capacity-building programs from the perspective of local CSOs. Through mapping current capacity-building programs in Liberia and conducting focus groups with local CSO leaders, we offer empirical evidence that the capacity-building programs available to Liberian CSOs do not meet their needs, as expressed by local CSO leaders. We contribute to the ongoing debates around capacity building by showing that the disconnect between available programs and motivations of local CSOs calls for a need for localizing capacity building for such programs to maintain the promise of the localization agenda.

Peter Weber is an associate professor of philanthropy and nonprofit studies and program coordinator of the Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (PNPS) Program at Auburn University, and currently holds the Mike and Leann Rowe Endowed Professorship in International Studies. He holds a doctorate in Philanthropic Studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, as well as a Master in History and a Master in International Studies in Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship, both from the University of Bologna in Italy. His research focuses on the way individuals participate in public affairs through voluntary organizations and philanthropic practices. His latest research project investigates the emergence of philanthropic innovations through the lenses of program-related investments (PRIs) by private as well as community foundations. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, including Voluntas, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Journal of Civil Society, Nonprofit Policy Forum, Global Society, Journal of Public Affairs Education, and Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Murray State University, and Auburn University. Among others, his teaching interests focus on grant-making practices, nonprofit management and governance, nonprofit advocacy and public policy, and community engagement. In recognition of his service to the field of nonprofit studies, he was recognized by the 2013 ARNOVA Emerging Scholar Award and selected as a Future Philanthropic Educator Fellow by the Learning by Giving Foundation (2015). At the national level, he serves as the VP of governance on the board of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC), which is the international membership organization of nonprofit and philanthropic research centers and education programs.

Kelly Ann Krawczyk is a professor in the Department of Political Science at Auburn University. Her 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 |2025-08-24T20:16:34-04:00August 24th, 2025|NACC Member Research|
Read More

Hybrid Until the End? Predicting Financial Vulnerability in Hybrid Purpose Organizations

Elizabeth A.M. Searing

Elizabeth A.M. Searing, PhD, CNP
Fellow, Venise Stuart Professorship
in Nonprofit Management & Leadership
Associate Professor, University of Texas at Dallas
Adjunct Research Professor, Carleton University

Hybrid Until the End? Predicting Financial Vulnerability in Hybrid Purpose Organizations
Elizabeth AM Searing, Alessandro Montrone, Simone Poledrini
Nonprofit Management and Leadership | April 2025

This study modifies the traditional nonprofit and for‐profit measures of predicting organizational closure to fit the Italian social cooperative. Using logistic regression, we find the hybridity of the corporate form reflected in the ideal predictors of vulnerability. Some of the traditional nonprofit measures prove important (such as operating margin), but others do not; likewise, only some for‐profit predictors (such as the warranty ratio) prove significant. Further, there are several variables that improve the model that are not common in the models for the nonprofit and for‐profit sectors. We consider this evidence that hybrid purpose organizations worldwide should develop hybrid measures and models of financial vulnerability and resilience.

Dr. Elizabeth Searing is an Associate Professor of Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Texas at Dallas and the Fellow to the Venise Stuart Professor in Nonprofit Management and Leadership. Dr. Searing’s primary research focus is the financial management of nonprofit and social enterprise organizations, but she also conducts work on comparative social economy more broadly. She is an Associate Editor and editorial board member of Nonprofit Management & Leadership, and an editorial advisory board member at VOLUNTAS and the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management (JPBAFM). Her articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, and Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.

By |2025-08-24T20:07:29-04:00August 24th, 2025|NACC Member Research|
Read More

Examining the Association Between State Lobbying Regulations and Nonprofit Lobbying Expenditures

Nathan Grasse

Nathan J. Grasse
Associate Professor
Master of Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership Program
Carleton University

Examining the Association Between State Lobbying Regulations and Nonprofit Lobbying Expenditures
Kevin D. Ward, Nathan Grasse, and Jesse Lecy
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly | April 2025

Newly released data on 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations’ lobbying expenditures shows that these organizations have increasingly engaged in lobbying over the past several decades. However, over roughly the same period, states have adopted increasingly stringent lobbying regulations. While often promoted as a way to curb the influence of private interests in public policy, state regulations often apply equally to for-profit firms and nonprofit organizations. This article employs two measures of state-level lobbying stringency to examine how traditional direct legislative and grassroots lobbying vary in different regulatory environments. We find that nonprofits reduce expenditures on direct lobbying and increase those on indirect or grassroots lobbying in more stringent regulatory environments. These findings are important because nonprofit organizations typically advocate on behalf of their constituencies, and state regulations may shape their lobbying activities.

Nathan J. Grasse is an Associate Professor in the Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL) program at Carleton University. He is an associate editor at the Journal of Civil Society, a member of the editorial board of Public Administration Review, and a board member of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council, and has published in journals such as Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Policy Studies Journal, and the Review of Public Personnel Administration. His academic focus primarily revolves around the governance and financial management of public-serving organizations.

By |2025-08-22T14:26:18-04:00August 22nd, 2025|NACC Member Research|
Read More

Case Studies on Nonprofit Resilience Management

Elizabeth A.M. Searing

Elizabeth A.M. Searing, PhD, CNP
Fellow, Venise Stuart Professorship
in Nonprofit Management & Leadership
Associate Professor, University of Texas at Dallas
Adjunct Research Professor, Carleton University

Dr. Dennis R. Young

Dennis R. Young, PhD
Emeritus Professor
Case Western Reserve University
& Georgia State University

Case Studies on Nonprofit Resilience Management
Elizabeth A.M. Searing and Dennis R. Young (Eds.)
Elgar Cases in Business and Management, May 2025

This book, edited by Elizabeth A.M. Searing, Associate Professor of Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Texas at Dallas, and Dennis R. Young, Emeritus Professor at Case Western Reserve University and Georgia State University, comprises original case studies from a broad cross-section of nonprofits across the arts, social services, education, advocacy, and philanthropy. Numerous NACC members contributed to the volume, making it a particularly meaningful resource for our community of educators and researchers.

Demonstrating how nonprofits can cope with crises, the book provides readers with real-world examples of decisions and actions taken to adapt and respond to existential challenges. It features 31 original cases that explore financial, organizational, and leadership themes, candidly highlighting the struggles and survival strategies of nonprofit organizations. Each chapter includes discussion questions, making this volume an invaluable teaching tool.

Teachers of nonprofit management and leadership will gain valuable insights from the original material and ideas featured within each case study. Students focusing on business, leadership, entrepreneurship, nonprofits, and strategic management will additionally find this book to be an important resource for their professional and scholarly development.

Dr. Elizabeth A. M. Searing is an Associate Professor of Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Searing’s primary research focus is the financial management of nonprofit and social enterprise organizations, but she also conducts work on comparative social economy more broadly. She is an Associate Editor and editorial board member of Nonprofit Management & Leadership, and an editorial advisory board member at VOLUNTAS and the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management (JPBAFM). Her articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, and Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.

Dennis R. Young is Professor Emeritus at Georgia State University and Visiting Professor at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. In 2016-2017 he was Executive in Residence in the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. Previously he was Professor of Public Management and Policy in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies where he directed GSU’s Nonprofit Studies Program and held the Bernard B. and Eugenia A. Ramsey Chair in Private Enterprise. From 1988 to 1996 he was Director of the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations and Mandel Professor of Nonprofit Management at Case Western Reserve University. He was the founding editor of the journal Nonprofit Management and Leadership and is founding and current editor of Nonprofit Policy Forum, and past president of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA).

By |2025-05-14T17:09:41-04:00May 14th, 2025|NACC Member Research|
Read More

Resiliency Strategies for Nonprofits in Times of Political and Financial Instability

Sarah L. Young

Sarah L. Young
Professor of Public Administration
Director of Research, KSU CARES
Kennesaw State University

Elizabeth A.M. Searing

Elizabeth A.M. Searing, PhD, CNP
Fellow, Venise Stuart Professorship
in Nonprofit Management & Leadership
Associate Professor, University of Texas at Dallas
Adjunct Research Professor, Carleton University

Kimberly K. Wiley
Assistant Professor
University of Florida

Resiliency Strategies for Nonprofits in Times of Political and Financial Instability
Sarah Young, Elizabeth Searing, and Kimberley Wiley
Nonprofit Quarterly, March 2025

On January 22, 2025, 21 minutes before the scheduled start of a two-day federal grant orientation for 50 nonprofits who had just received the Specialized Services for Abused Parents and Their Children Demonstration Grant, the recipients received an email from the director of the US Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services, under the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

The email informed the nonprofits, which provide critical intervention services for family, domestic, and dating violence, that the grant orientation was canceled, effective immediately with no reason given, and that the government office had been instructed to “refrain from public speaking engagements,” including communication with the nonprofits.

The nonprofits, many of which were already starting to draw down these critical funds, were stunned: While the letter did not address the recent attempted freeze in federal funding by executive order of the president, the nonprofits worried their federal grant funds were at risk—and what the cryptic messaging meant.

The bizarre incident was one of hundreds of similar scenes of confusion, fear, and uncertainty across the nonprofit world after the attempted federal funding freeze. The nonprofit world must prepare for seismic events like this, as more are sure to come.

This moment presents a crucible for the nonprofit sector. Nonprofits and the communities they serve cannot afford to be passive casualties of political shifts. They must prepare to wield their strongest weapons—advocacy, strategic planning, and collaboration—to fight back and defend their missions.

Dr. Sarah L. Young, Professor of Public Administration at Kennesaw State University, serves as the Director of Research for CARE Services, a campus support program for students who have experienced foster care or unaccompanied homelessness. Her research uses systems-based approaches to study the intersection of nonprofit, public management, and equity, especially during periods of crisis. Dr. Young earned her Ph.D. from Florida State University’s Askew School of Public Administration and Policy and her M.B.A. in nonprofit management from the University of Tampa Sykes College of Business. She is the co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Public Affairs Education and serves on the editorial board of Teaching Public Administration.

Dr. Elizabeth A. M. Searing is an Associate Professor of Public and Nonprofit Management at the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Searing’s primary research focus is the financial management of nonprofit and social enterprise organizations, but she also conducts work on comparative social economy more broadly. She is an Associate Editor and editorial board member of Nonprofit Management & Leadership, and an editorial advisory board member at VOLUNTAS and the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management (JPBAFM). Her articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, and Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.

Dr. Kimberly Wiley researches the relationship between nonprofit organizations and their public funders as well as qualitative methodology. She is particularly interested in domestic violence advocacy organizations serving families and youth. Though, she also enjoys testing new qualitative methods on data like social media and television. She won several awards for her work on faculty sexual misconduct and nonprofits in crisis. Her scholarship has been published in Nonprofit Management & Leadership, Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Public Administration, Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work, and Public Policy & Administration.

By |2025-05-14T17:00:26-04:00May 14th, 2025|NACC Member Research|
Read More

What Influence Do Death, Dying and Bereavement Have on Philanthropic Giving Within Hospice Care?

Dr. Beth Breeze
Director of the Centre for Philanthropy
Professor of Philanthropic Studies
University of Kent

What Influence Do Death, Dying and Bereavement Have on Philanthropic Giving Within Hospice Care?
Jo Bacon, Claire Routley, Beth Breeze
Journal of Philanthropy, April 2025

We extend our warm congratulations to Dr. Beth Breeze, Director of the Centre for Philanthropy and Professor of Philanthropic Studies at the University of Kent, who has recently been named the next Principal of Harris Manchester College at the University of Oxford. She will begin this exciting new role in October 2025.

Hospice care, for people with life-limiting or terminal illnesses, is increasingly in demand due to rising death rates and is increasingly reliant on voluntary income due to rising costs. Lack of understanding of the specific drivers and needs of donors to hospices, and widespread misconceptions about hospice services are combined with cultural difficulties in discussing death, dying and bereavement to result in a particularly complex environment for hospice fundraisers.

To help navigate that complexity, this paper presents insights on hospice donor motivation and stewardship expectations, based on data from semi-structured interviews with 10 donors who have experienced a bereavement at one hospice in the UK. It generates three key findings: (1) In memory giving plays a developing role throughout the bereavement journey, providing a distraction for people in the immediate aftermath of their loss, enabling them to maintain a connection with the deceased, but, for some, eventually diminishing as they move on with their lives; (2) Awareness of need, gratitude, reciprocity, and future benefit are key drivers of giving to hospices, such that donors become newly aware of needs met by hospices, appreciative of the care received by departed loved ones, and committed to ensuring that they and others will have future access to hospice services; (3) Affinity and bonds with the hospice, including positive experiences with both frontline care staff and the fundraising team, build and sustain donor loyalty.

We conclude that donations by those who have direct experience of the hospice are often a function of the ‘bereavement journey’ and that the extent to which this factor influences giving changes over time and between donors, leading to the recommendation that more bespoke stewardship is needed to best understand and meet the needs of these donors and to maximise the amounts given.

Beth Breeze is Director of the Centre for Philanthropy, which she co-founded in 2008. Beth began her career as a fundraiser for a youth homelessness charity, and spent a decade working in a variety of fundraising, research and charity management roles, including as deputy director at the Institute for Philanthropy. Motivated by the lack of substantive research underpinning practice, Beth completed a PhD on contemporary philanthropy at Kent in 2011, and has been working here ever since. Beth has written and edited seven books, two of which have won the AFP Skystone Research Partners book prize.

By |2025-05-14T16:49:39-04:00May 14th, 2025|NACC Member Research|
Read More
Go to Top