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What is Philanthropic Studies? Why Study it?

Stephani Green

Typically, a two-part question assignment such as this is responded to in order of the

questions presented. However, the responses to this question not only need to provide evidence

to support my claim but must be responded to from a personal perspective because it is my

opinion that every individual approach, understanding, and idea about philanthropy is based on

one’s own individual experiences. For myself, I didn’t really gain an understanding of what

philanthropic studies is until I started taking philanthropy classes as a newly declared

philanthropic studies student. I had a very limited idea of what philanthropy was and like most

individuals only associated the word with wealthy individuals. Fortunately, my limited view of

philanthropy was replaced, through my studies, with the understanding that it plays a vital role in

our daily lives and has been a key component of not only the establishment of our country but

also the expansion of women’s, juvenile, labor, and civil rights.

In Understanding Philanthropy, Robert Payton and Michael moody define philanthropy

as “voluntary action for the public good” (Payton and Moody, p 6). It is the voluntary aspect that

motivates the want or need for an institution to learn more about philanthropy and its effects on

our current society especially when there is some knowledge and understanding of its influence..

The Lilly School of Philanthropy states that its mission is to “increase the understanding of

philanthropy and improves its practice worldwide through critical inquiry, interdisciplinary

research, teaching, training, and civic engagement” (philanthropy.iupui.edu). According to

Richard C. Turner, in the International Journal of the Humanities “Philanthropic Studies takes as

its area all aspects that surround the voluntary giving, voluntary associations, and voluntary
actions that have been part of most societies since their beginnings and central to Western,

especially civil, societies” (Turner, 2084).

Philanthropic studies yield much data through research, lectures, and seminars. Which in part

creates a need for interpretation based on findings. Philanthropic studies provide an insight to

current trends, developments, and innovations in the field which then lead to having an impact

on a student or future student or faculty in a way that those individuals are inspired to continue to

push the need for philanthropic studies.

Without philanthropic studies, we as a society, lose the understanding of the value and

importance of philanthropy both in a current context and a past context. Our country would not

exist as it does today without philanthropic action. Payton and Moody state “The future of free,

open, and democratic societies is directly linked to vitality and philanthropic tradition in those

societies. It is not possible for a democracy to thrive without a healthy philanthropic sector”

(Payton and Moody, p 155). This statement is indicative of the power and impact that

philanthropy has regarding our individual and collective rights since such rights only exist within

a democratic society.

Philanthropic studies is an important and emerging field surrounding a topic that many

people have a misconstrued idea about. The fact that many individuals have little to no

understanding of what both philanthropy and philanthropic studies means, again individually and

collectively, should be rationale enough to indicate that philanthropic studies is a needed

program. I am evident enough because I myself didn’t understand how much impact

philanthropy has on our daily lives and I am an individual that greatly values the idea of paying it

forward and being kind to strangers.


Without past research and studies focusing on philanthropy, there would be no

knowledge about the field nor evidence to support claims made against the impact and need for

philanthropy and its studies. As indicated by Peter Dobkin Hall, in The Work of Many Hands: A

Response to Stanley N. Katz on the Origins of the “Serious Study” of Philanthropy research and

data are the best way to support an idea and also correct any misinformation or lack of

information about a field that not many people are as knowledgeable of. Because of past

endeavors by scholars in the field, Dobkin Hall was able to share and correct the misinformation

being stated about philanthropic studies and use evidence to support his claim. (Dobkin Hall,

1999). Another article that is indicative of the importance of philanthropic studies focuses on the

importance of teaching younger children about philanthropy. According to Jackie King in Giving

the Gift of Giving: Why Children Should be Taught Philanthropy:

“There is a place for both families and schools to teach philanthropic values and
encourage related actions. A recent UK Study, Growing Up Giving: Insights Into How
Young People Feel About Charity, found that young people are interested in and positive
about charities and have “great charitable expectations”. Interestingly, the report finds
that schools “lie at the heart of the bond between young people and charities” and is the
primary means by which charitable giving is encouraged” (King, 2018).
Without research and understanding in the field, there would be no such reports to yield the

importance of teaching children at a young age about philanthropy and the role it plays in

society.

Philanthropic studies help scholars to understand philanthropy as a whole and come up

with ideas to measure each year’s new trends and data regarding philanthropic action. According

to Merle Curti in The History of American Philanthropy as a Field of Research:

“It might be well to begin by taking one of these periods and working out a "model" for
its careful analysis in terms of philanthropy. This would involve, as must be apparent
from the foregoing discussion, consideration of factors such as the economy and changes
in it, the shifting nature of the social structure and of social roles, changes in the nature
and configuration of the population, and developments in communication and techniques
of fund- raising. All these would be related, no doubt, to general movements in thought
and to systems of value. No one model would in itself serve for studies of other periods,
but it would nevertheless be highly suggestive” (Curti, 1957).
Previous situations, circumstances, and historical examples provide Curti with an opportunity to

use data and research to measure impact and value of philanthropy in said conditions. All of

which would not be accessible information were it not for previous researchers and scholars.

Ultimately, as a philanthropic studies student, I feel as though I am provided with an

extra cushion for when I finish school and put myself in field. By the end of my degree program

I will have developed great research skills, ability to process data and correlate over time,

become knowledgeable of the field and current trends for donors, fundraising, and volunteer

opportunities.

Bibliography
About: Lilly School of Philanthropy. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2018, from Lilly School of Philanthropy:
https://philanthropy.iupui.edu/about/index.html

Curti, M. (1957). The History of American Philanthropy as a Field of Research. The American Historical
Review, 352-363.

Dobkin Hall, P. (1999). The Work of Many Hands: A Response to Stanley N. Katz on the Origins of the
"Serious Study" of Philanthropy. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 520-534.

King, J. (2018, August 20). Politics and Society. Retrieved January 25, 2018, from The Conversation:
http://theconversation.com/giving-the-gift-of-giving-why-children-should-be-taught-
philanthropy-13991

Payton, R. L., & Moody, M. P. (2008). Understanding Philanthropy. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana
University Press.

Turner, R. C. (n.d.). Philanthropic Studies as a Central and Centering Discipline in the Humanities.
International Journal of the Humanities, 2083-2086.

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