Dr. Roseanne Mirabella and Dr. Richard Hoefer

Roseanne Mirabella, PhD
Professor
Department of Political Science and Public Affairs
Seton Hall University

Richard Hoefer, PhD
Professor of Social Work
The University of Texas at Arlington

The latest Special Issue of the Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, “Disciplinary Perspectives in Nonprofit Management,” includes a thought-provoking piece co-authored by Roseanne Mirabella, Professor at Seton Hall University, and Richard Hoefer, Professor of Social Work at The University of Texas at Arlington. Their article, “Two Perspectives on Nonprofit Management Education: Public Administration and Social Work,” takes a unique approach by directly comparing and contrasting these two disciplines. This Special Issue aims to underscore the uniqueness of various disciplines in understanding nonprofit organizations and education.

Mirabella and Hoefer’s contribution is pivotal in highlighting how nonprofit management is inherently interdisciplinary, drawing on insights from both public administration and social work. They argue that the intellectual trajectories, frameworks, and questions characteristic of each discipline significantly influence the development and teaching of their respective curricula. The authors adeptly navigate through four key areas: the historical roots of each discipline, their core values, the challenges faced in management education within these fields, and their responses to critical perspectives in nonprofit management education. By examining the evolution and fundamental values of public administration and social work, the article sheds light on current challenges and the importance of incorporating alternative, critical perspectives in nonprofit management education. This piece is not just an academic comparison but a call to deepen our understanding of these disciplines’ contributions to shaping effective nonprofit management education today.

Roseanne M. Mirabella, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at Seton Hall University. She conducts research on philanthropy and nonprofit education and critical perspectives on nonprofit organizing. She has authored or co-authored several papers and one co-edited book “Reframing Nonprofit Organizations: Democracy, Inclusion and Social Change” exploring the ways in which nonprofit management education programs can prepare students both to lead organizations as well as for their important role as advocates for the communities they serve, particularly communities that have been historically marginalized. She is past President of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration, and is a member of the ARNOVA Critical Perspectives Leadership Team.

Dr. Richard Hoefer, a Professor of Social Work at The University of Texas at Arlington, is deeply committed to enhancing the effectiveness of human service agencies. His professional mission is centered around the critical question, “What makes for a more effective human service agency?” This inquiry drives his multifaceted interests in program evaluation, administration, advocacy, and budgeting within the realm of social work. Dr. Hoefer is particularly passionate about improving understanding of the policy process, empowering social workers to create positive change in the world. His research spans a wide range of areas including nonprofit capacity building, organization management, advocacy, civic engagement, American and Swedish social policy, and program evaluation. He imparts knowledge in these same areas as an educator, author, and consultant. Dr. Hoefer’s commitment to providing research-based solutions is a testament to his dedication to addressing societal problems, organizational challenges, and the needs of clients, students, and the broader community with respect, fairness, and competence.

Dr. Karabi C. Bezboruah, The University of Texas at Arlington

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

Building Adaptive Capacity to Address Coastal Flooding: The Case of a Small Texas City

Environmental Science & Policy (January 2024)

Karabi Bezboruah, Amruta Sakalker, Michelle Hummel, Oswald Jenewein, Kathryn Masten, Yonghe Liu, Building adaptive capacity to address coastal flooding: The case of a small Texas City, Environmental Science & Policy, Volume 151, 2024, 103599, ISSN 1462-9011,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2023.103599.

“Building Adaptive Capacity To Address Coastal Flooding: The Case Of A Small Texas City,” published in Environmental Science & Policy by Karabi Bezboruah, Professor at The University of Texas at Arlington, and colleagues, examines the pivotal role of community-based organizations (CBOs) in mitigating the effects of coastal flooding, with a focus on a small Texas community. The study, which was funded by an NSF grant, is set in the City of Ingleside on the Bay (IOB) and explores how the Ingleside on the Bay Coastal Watch Association (IOBCWA), a resident-led nonprofit, has enhanced the community’s resilience against coastal flooding. The research employs a participatory mixed-methods approach, combining grounded theory and the Regional Fingerprint tool, to analyze the environmental challenges faced by coastal communities and to evaluate their adaptive capacities.

This article is particularly relevant for nonprofit researchers, academics, and practitioners, as it underscores the importance of local knowledge, participatory governance, and the role of small, community-based nonprofits in environmental mitigation efforts. The study demonstrates how IOBCWA has improved IOB’s adaptive capacity through community organizing, advocacy, data collection, capacity building, and regional communication networks. The findings highlight the need for more formalized policies, enhanced regional partnerships, and broader inclusion of socially vulnerable groups in addressing environmental challenges. This research offers valuable insights into how local conditions shape adaptation strategies and provides tools for similar coastal communities facing climate impacts, emphasizing the significant role of small nonprofits in building community resilience.

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.

Dr. Ruth K. Hansen, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Dr. Ruth K. Hansen
Assistant Professor, Nonprofit Management
Director, Institute for Nonprofit Management Studies
College of Business and Economics
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

In an enlightening article “Amid ‘checkout charity’ boom, some Americans are more likely to be impulse givers than others,” co-authored by Dr. Lauren Dula (Binghamton University) and Dr. Ruth K. Hansen, NACC Board Member and Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Management at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the phenomenon of impulse giving at retail checkouts is explored in depth. Published on The Conversation, the article delves into the growing trend of checkout charity in the United States, where consumers are frequently asked to contribute to various causes such as Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, or relief efforts in Ukraine. The study highlights the significant impact of these campaigns, noting that in 2022, 77 businesses raised over $1 million each, totaling $749 million.

Dr. Hansen and Dr. Dula’s research, soon to be published in the Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs, involved a national survey of 1,383 American adults to understand the profile of an impulse giver – someone who donates on the spur of the moment during a retail transaction. Their findings revealed that more than half of the respondents had engaged in checkout charity, typically rounding up their purchase total. These impulse givers, predominantly under 50 years of age and from middle-class backgrounds, contribute about $50 annually through such acts of charity. Interestingly, the study found that women are more likely than men to participate in checkout charity, and Black respondents were found to give more on average than white respondents. However, despite this trend of generosity, the article raises concerns about potential donor fatigue, suggesting that the increasing frequency of checkout charity requests could lead to a decrease in impulse giving as customers grow more accustomed and possibly less responsive to these appeals.

Ruth K. Hansen, PhD, is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics, and director of the Institute for Nonprofit Management Studies. She teaches classes in nonprofit organizations, fundraising, organizational behavior, and research methods. Her research focuses on the theory and practice of fundraising, and equity and inclusion in resource mobilization. Dr. Hansen has more than 20 years’ professional experience as a fundraiser, and is a former board member of AFP-Chicago. Recent publications include “Applying a stakeholder management approach to ethics in charitable fundraising,” published in the Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing and “Gary Neighborhood House: Managing mission and uncertainty in the Civil Rights era,” in the edited volume Hoosier Philanthropy. She contributed the chapter “Theory in Fundraising,” to the new edition of Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, which was featured on Bill Stanczykiewicz’s First Day Podcast from The Fundraising School. Her research with Dr. Lauren Dula on fundraising appeal letters, supported by the AFP Foundation, is the subject of a recent article in Advancing Philanthropy.

Dr. Nathan Dietz and Dr. Robert T. Grimm Jr., Do Good Institute

Nathan Dietz
Associate Research Professor
Research Director, Do Good Institute
Director, Do Good Lab
School of Public Policy
University of Maryland

Robert T. Grimm, Jr.
Professor of the Practice
Levenson Family Chair in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership
Director, Do Good Institute
School of Public Policy
University of Maryland

In the recent research report “Understanding Generosity: A Look at What Influences Volunteering and Giving in the United States,” authored by Nathan Dietz and Robert T. Grimm Jr. from the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland, the decline in volunteering and charitable giving in the United States is meticulously analyzed. Funded by the Generosity Commission, this study is particularly insightful for nonprofit professionals as it examines both micro- and macro-level factors contributing to this downward trend. The report reveals a significant decrease in formal volunteer rates and charitable donations, a pattern that emerged before the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued since. The decline, which began in the early 2000s for donations and early 2010s for volunteering, is linked to various individual, family, and state-level characteristics.

Key micro-level factors identified include educational attainment, age, parenthood, gender, marital status, employment status, and living area. For instance, college graduates are more likely to volunteer, and giving rates increase with age. Surprisingly, those who are unemployed are more likely to volunteer than full-time workers, while rural residents are more likely to volunteer than their urban or suburban counterparts. The report emphasizes the role of nonprofits in understanding these trends to better target potential donors and volunteers. Macro-level factors, such as state poverty rates and the prevalence of nonprofits, also influence these behaviors, albeit to a lesser extent. For example, states with widespread poverty see higher rates of volunteering and giving. The findings challenge assumptions about the link between the prevalence of nonprofits and individual generosity, underscoring the need for more effective engagement strategies by these organizations. This research offers valuable insights into the dynamics of philanthropic behavior, crucial for shaping strategies to revitalize volunteerism and giving in the US.

Nathan Dietz, PhD, is an Associate Research Professor and the Research Director at the Do Good Institute, as well as the Director of the Do Good Lab at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy. Joining in March 2017, Dietz brings over two decades of research experience in government, the nonprofit sector, and academia. His work primarily revolves around social capital, volunteering, charitable contributions, civic engagement, and social entrepreneurship. Dietz has authored numerous Institute research publications and peer-reviewed articles in notable journals. He also teaches State, Local and Nonprofit Financial Management and chairs the Faculty Diversity Committee at the School of Public Policy.

Before his current role, Dietz was a senior research associate at the Urban Institute’s Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, leading various research and evaluation projects. His previous experience includes serving as a senior program manager at the Partnership for Public Service and as an associate director for research and evaluation at the Corporation for National and Community Service. Dietz’s academic journey includes appointments at American University and degrees from the University of Rochester and Northwestern University, where he earned his PhD in political science and a bachelor’s degree with a dual major in political science and mathematical methods in social sciences, respectively.

Robert T. Grimm Jr., PhD, is a Professor of the Practice and holds the Levenson Family Chair in Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy. As the founding Director of the Do Good Institute, he leads efforts to inspire and empower individuals to make a positive impact. Under his leadership, the Institute has expanded significantly, offering numerous programs and courses that engage thousands of students annually in social change initiatives. The Do Good Institute’s impact was recognized with the 2021 Regents Award for Faculty Excellence in Public Service by the University of Maryland Board of Regents and the inaugural Voinovich Public Innovation Prize by NASPAA. Notably, Grimm’s involvement facilitated the growth of the Food Recovery Network and the launch of successful companies like Hungry Harvest and Imperfect Foods.

Dr. Grimm’s extensive experience in public service includes his roles at AmeriCorps as Senior Counselor to the CEO and Director of Research & Policy Development. He played a key role in the creation of President Obama’s Social Innovation Fund and significantly expanded AmeriCorps’s research funding. A recognized expert in philanthropy and civic engagement, Grimm’s research has been featured in prominent media outlets and academic journals. He also testified at the first hearing of the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service. An Iowa native, Grimm received his PhD from Indiana University, which honored him with its 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Dr. Beth Breeze, Centre for Philanthropy, University of Kent

Dr. Beth Breeze
Director, Global Challenges Doctoral Centre
Director, Centre for Philanthropy
University of Kent

Disciplining Generosity
Stanford Social Innovation Review (2023)

In “Disciplining Generosity,” an excerpt from “Advising Philanthropists: Principles and Practice” by Beth Breeze, Director of the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent, and her colleague Emma Beeston (Philanthropy Advisor), the role of philanthropy advisors in fostering effective and sustainable social innovation is explored. This article, particularly relevant to nonprofit researchers and practitioners, highlights the growing significance of these advisors in shaping philanthropic giving. The authors emphasize how philanthropy advisors, like those from the Bridgespan Group who guided MacKenzie Scott’s significant contributions, play a critical role in enhancing the impact of philanthropy. Through their 48 combined years of experience in fundraising, grant-making, and philanthropy advising, Beeston and Breeze draw on interviews with 40 advisors across 15 countries to shed light on the profession. Their work reveals how these advisors are integral in encouraging more and better philanthropic giving, which is essential for addressing social and environmental challenges.

The article delves into the complexities of the advisory role, discussing how advisors navigate ethical dilemmas and influence donors to make strategic and impactful contributions. Advisors not only guide donors in choosing effective organizations and projects but also challenge them to think critically about their giving practices. This includes addressing donors’ preconceptions, encouraging strategic collaboration, and promoting equitable and just philanthropic practices. By doing so, advisors play a pivotal role in mitigating social problems and enhancing the overall efficacy of philanthropic efforts. The article underscores the importance of this profession in the broader philanthropic ecosystem, stressing the need for advisors to balance client service with a commitment to broader societal good. It suggests that the future of effective philanthropy may well hinge on the skill and insight of these crucial advisors.

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 remained at the University ever since.

Dr. Ruth K. Hansen and Dr. Genevieve G. Shaker

Dr. Ruth K. Hansen
Assistant Professor, Nonprofit Management
Director, Institute for Nonprofit Management Studies
College of Business and Economics
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

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

Theory in Fundraising, a book chapter by Dr. Ruth K. Hansen, NACC board member, Assistant Professor, and Director of the Institute for Nonprofit Management Studies, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, discusses how theory can help us better understand how and why fundraising happens. Featured in Achieving Excellence in Fundraising (5th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2022) and The Fundraising Reader (1st Edition, Routledge, 2023) the chapter introduces four theoretical frameworks used to explain aspects of fundraising, especially relating to donor relations and engagement. Fundraisers function as boundary spanners within open systems to acquire and maintain resources for their charities. Donated gifts often contain social elements of reciprocity, which must be negotiated. Donors often make gifts that are consistent with their own values and identities. By understanding donors’ expectations, fundraisers can increase the nonprofit’s perceived salience, legitimacy, and trustworthiness. Readers are encouraged to apply different theoretical lenses to their own practice to generate further insights.

Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, co-edited by Dr. Genevieve G. Shaker, NACC board member and Associate Professor, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, has long been the go-to reference for fundraising principles, concepts, and techniques. Topics include donor motivations and behaviors, engaging donors at all levels, inclusive and ethical fundraising, and more, with contributions from noted experts in the field. You’ll gain insight into the practice of fundraising and the fundraising cycle, reinforced by discussion questions, application exercises, and research-based recommendations.

This 5th edition of Achieving Excellence in Fundraising is reimagined to meet the needs of today’s fundraisers, their nonprofit employers, and the causes they serve, while maintaining key concepts that stand the test of time. Compelling and timely topics new to this edition include donor-advised funds, crowdfunding, raising money in challenging times, fundraising for social advocacy, and more. The needs of fundraising educators are also a central consideration in the book’s organization and contents.

Ruth K. Hansen, PhD, is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics, and director of the Institute for Nonprofit Management Studies. She teaches classes in nonprofit organizations, fundraising, organizational behavior, and research methods. Her research focuses on the theory and practice of fundraising, and equity and inclusion in resource mobilization. Dr. Hansen has more than 20 years’ professional experience as a fundraiser, and is a former board member of AFP-Chicago. Recent publications include “Applying a stakeholder management approach to ethics in charitable fundraising,” published in the Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing and “Gary Neighborhood House: Managing mission and uncertainty in the Civil Rights era,” in the edited volume Hoosier Philanthropy. She contributed the chapter “Theory in Fundraising,” to the new edition of Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, which was featured on Bill Stanczykiewicz’s First Day Podcast from The Fundraising School. Her research with Dr. Lauren Dula on fundraising appeal letters, supported by the AFP Foundation, is the subject of a recent article in Advancing Philanthropy.

Genevieve G. Shaker, PhD, is associate professor of philanthropic studies at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and adjunct professor of liberal arts and of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI.

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. Her current projects include explorations of the fundraising profession, relationships between donors and fundraisers, studies intended to generate new information about workplace giving in the United States, and continued examination of how higher education contributes to the global common good.

Laura Deitrick, University of San Diego

Dr. Laura Deitrick
Interim Co-Executive Director, The Nonprofit Institute; Professor of Practice, Department of Leadership Studies; NLM Program Director, School of Leadership and Education Sciences
University of San Diego

2023 State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy Annual Report

Meschen, Connelly; Young, Emily; Tinkler, Tessa; Deitrick, Laura; and Durnford, Jon, “2023 State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy Annual Report” (2023). State of Nonprofits in San Diego. 20. https://digital.sandiego.edu/npi-stateofnp/20

San Diego County is home to a growing and dynamic nonprofit sector working on the frontlines to serve families and communities while also advancing innovative solutions to the region’s most urgent challenges. To support the community and regional leaders to be informed partners with the nonprofit sector, the 2023 State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy Annual Report provides relevant and current information on the health and impact of the sector. The report draws from over a decade of quarterly public opinion polling of San Diego residents and a survey of local nonprofit leaders, combined with the latest nonprofit data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the California Employment Development Department (EDD). This year’s data document a thriving nonprofit sector that is very much in need of ongoing support to sustain and enhance its capacity to address the pressing problems facing the San Diego County region.

Dr. Laura Deitrick serves as the Director of the Nonprofit Leadership and Management graduate program and as the Associate Director of The Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego. She has been a nonprofit executive director, board member, management consultant, and researcher on major nonprofit trends. Her research has led to important reports on nonprofit ethics, nonprofits and public education, nonprofit human resource practices, executive transition, the economics of San Diego and California’s nonprofit sector, nonprofit public confidence, and regional grantmaking. She served as the principal investigator for Nonprofit Academy, an award-winning capacity building project co-created by the Nonprofit Institute and The City of San Diego.

Dr. Deitrick is a faculty member in the Department of Leadership Studies where she teaches nonprofit management, organizational theory, program design, and evaluation. In2021, she was recognized as the department’s outstanding faculty member. Since 2019, Dr. Deitrick has served on the board of directors for Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI). She is also the co-author of Cases in Nonprofit Management: A Hands-on Approach to Problem Solving, published by Sage publications.

Dr. Marco Tavanti, University of San Francisco

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

Developing Sustainability in Organizations: A Values-Based Approach

Palgrave Macmillan Cham, 2023

This book explores the historical, foundational, and applied elements of sustainability theory and practice as relevant to the leadership, management, and innovation of organizations, companies, and enterprises. It provides analytical and critical reviews of the current evolution of sustainability for people, planet, prosperity, innovation, and impact.

Divided into four parts, the work offers an integrated model of development for creating and delivering sustainability values at the personal, organizational, societal, and environmental levels. The different sections examine sustainability leadership (focusing on of ethics, values, and purpose), sustainability management (focusing on organizational effectiveness and stakeholders’ wellbeing), sustainability innovation (focusing on social and environmental entrepreneurship), and sustainability impact (focusing on resilience, interconnectedness, consciousness, systemic thinking, and cosmic empathy for the common good and common future).

Combining theoretical and practical applications that give the reader a deeper, scientific, and critical understanding of the urgent, complex, and necessary values for a sustainable future for all, this comprehensive text is a must-read for researchers and students alike, providing a framework for effective globally responsible leadership.

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).

Mark Schuller, Northern Illinois University

Mark Schuller, PhD
Acting Director of the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies, Presidential Research Professor of Anthropology, Northern Illinois University
Affiliate, Faculté d’Ethnologie, l’Université d’État d’Haïti

Crystal A. Felima
Assistant Professor of Anthropology and African American & Africana Studies
University of Kentucky

“Maintaining Hope for a Better Future:” An Interview with Dr. Crystal Felima

Dr. Mark Schuller, et. al.

Annals of Anthropological Practice, August 2023

Crystal Felima, Abigail DeeWaard, Clara Barbier, Erica Cano-Garcia, Gonzalo Jeronimo, Nari Coleman, Nataliya Hryshko, Mark Schuller

“This piece not only offers advice to students about how to maintain activist engagement within the academy, but I love how this is coming from students themselves. Undergraduate students have lots of amazing things to say! With proper encouragement students *can* publish in peer reviewed journals. I’m so inspired by them.”
–Dr. Mark Schuller

While anthropologists have played roles speaking out for marginalized groups, formalized to combat Antisemitism, racism, and xenophobia, they have also aided in the marginalization and oppression of communities, justified colonialism, and put the communities they have studied at risk. In recent decades, anthropologists have rethought the way research is conducted, presented, and justified to reduce harm to communities. Despite these shifts, anthropological training has been slow to include activist work by women of color and other marginalized people, leaving anthropologists-in-training with limited concrete guidance on how to apply their anthropological lens to social justice.

Addressing this gap, this article centering a Black feminist analysis offers an interview conducted between anthropology students and a professor of anthropology, giving insights into how anthropological thought can be applied to activism and advocacy. Centering Black feminism is not only important to redress historical marginalization within the discipline. By centering the lives of marginalized people within an intersectional lens, Black feminist analysis provides a mandate to rethink theoretical models, such as political ecology, the dominant frame anthropologists have used to address disasters and climate change. Also importantly, centering Black women’s bodies and embodied experience uncovers the urgent necessity for self-care during fieldwork. Prof. Felima embodies both these challenges, and offers candid advice to students, inspiring a two-way dialogue.

NACC Member Representative

Mark Schuller is Acting Director of the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies as well as Presidential Research Professor of Anthropology at Northern Illinois University and affiliate at the Faculté d’Ethnologie, l’Université d’État d’Haïti. Supported by the National Science Foundation Senior and CAREER Grant, Bellagio Center, and others, Schuller’s research on NGOs, disasters, globalization, and gender in Haiti has been published in fifty peer-reviewed articles or book chapters as well as public media. He authored or coedited eight books including Humanity’s Last Stand. He is co-director / co-producer of documentary Poto Mitan: Haitian Women, Pillars of the Global Economy (2009). Schuller is co-editor of Berghahn Books’ Catastrophes in Context and University of Alabama Press’ NGOGraphies. He is Co-Chair of the Risk and Disaster Topical Interest Group at the Society for Applied Anthropology and Secretary of the Association for Political and Legal Anthropology. Recipient of the Margaret Mead Award, the Anthropology in Media Award, and the Haitian Studies Association’s Award for Excellence, he is active in several solidarity efforts.

Irina V. Mersiyanova, Centre for Studies of Civil Society and Nonprofit Sector

Irina V. Mersiyanova
Associate Professor and Director
Centre for Studies of Civil Society and Nonprofit Sector, Head of the Chair Economics and Management of NPOs, National Research University Higher School of Economics

Global Generosity During the COVID-19 Crisis: Recommendations for Philanthropic Organizations and Governments in Times of Crisis from 11 Countries

Irina V. Mersiyanova, et. al.

IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, September 2023

Hampton, D., Wiepking, P., Chapman, C., McHugh, L. H., Kim, S. J., Neumayr, M., Vamstad, J. Arnesen, D., Carrigan, C., Feit, G., Grönlund, H., Hrafnsdottir, S., Ivanova, N., Katz, H., Kristmundsson, Ó. H., Litofcenko, J., Mersianova, I., Pessi, A. B., Scaife, W., Sivesind, K. H., and Yang, Y. (2023). Global generosity during the COVID-19 crisis. Recommendations for philanthropic organizations and governments in times of crisis from 11 countries. Indianapolis, IN: IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

“This study contributes to an increased understanding of philanthropy, especially in times of crisis, by studying the conditions under which such behaviors may be threatened or promoted across different countries and cultures.”  –Global Generosity in Times of Crisis Project – Executive Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique opportunity to undertake a cross-national study of how people living in different countries manifested generosity behaviors during the crisis. Cross-national data allow us to consider how generosity presented in countries with various welfare and health systems, as well as varying public and private responses to manage the effects of the pandemic. The present study also provides valuable insights about which actions philanthropic organizations and governments can take to promote a strong, viable social sector and to support societal wellbeing during times of crisis.

To this end, philanthropy researchers across 11 countries studied the generosity responses emerging in their own country during the early COVID-19 crisis in 2020. The 11 countries included in this project are Australia, Austria, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Norway, Sweden, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America. In 11 individual country reports, the researchers compared generosity behavior data for their country with data from the other participating countries.2 Second, they expounded what both philanthropic organizations and governments could learn from the findings, with the goal of facilitating people’s future generosity responses more effectively, especially during crises.

A survey of over 44,000 people across 11 countries showed a predominance of monetary donations to philanthropic organizations during crises, with notable variations in the beneficiaries of donations among different nations. Despite overall stability in giving compared to pre-pandemic times, the consistency was due to non-donors pre-pandemic continuing not to donate, while those who donated before were likely to either increase or decrease their donations during crises. Factors such as pandemic uncertainty or personal financial issues influenced some donors to decrease their donations, while paradoxically, others increased their generosity amid similar challenges. The authors advise philanthropic organizations to prioritize key actions to optimally support community needs during crises. More detailed information and specific recommendations can be accessed by reading the full text.