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Philanthropic Studies Essay #1

Philanthropic studies and philanthropy are rapidly growing fields that continue to

increase in influence and academically. Research, as well as education, in this field is expanding

so much so that philanthropy makes up another sector of public life. Each year, more information

and experience add to the nonprofit world’s foundation and development. As an upcoming

graduate and professional in these emerging careers, plenty is yet to be discovered. Though the

importance of philanthropic studies and philanthropy are obvious to students and professions, the

value and definition is still debated, especially among people outside the sector. Studying

philanthropy not only means analyzing all forms nonprofit work, it also includes examining why

people participate in it and working on applications to improve society.

Today philanthropy, and the study thereof, has a multiplicity of definitions and meanings.

Through looking at these answers, one can see the value of the discipline. A popular definition of

philanthropy is ‘voluntary action for the public good’. Or, more precisely, “philanthropy is how

we express our moral imagination by pursuing our ideas about the public good” (Payton). This

encompasses all manner of giving geared toward making a difference and the vehicles and

institutions that make it possible. It makes sense that philanthropic studies would just serve as the

analysis of those deeds, the recipients, givers, and organizations involved. But, this field of study

reaches beyond just reflecting on philanthropy. As Turner describes it in “Philanthropic Studies”,

it “combines the pure inquiry into intellectual questions and problems and the production of new

knowledge with work dedicated to improving the practices that make life better in the world”

(“Philanthropic Studies”). Simply put, philanthropic studies takes the body of knowledge

philanthropy supplies and builds on it, presents solutions, tests it, and refines it. But why is this

important?
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Philanthropic studies has emerged as a significant field that provides a holistic approach

and valuable insight to its own, and other fields. It is interdisciplinary in nature, pooling research

and data from countless areas to create informed real-world solutions to societal issues. In

Curti’s article about philanthropy’s field of research, he lists numerous social aspects (welfare,

culture, education, health, reform, politics, business, law, and history) that benefit or originate

from nonprofit work, and vice versa (Curti). Many of our public resources were made possible

by generous donors or widespread giving. Even though this discipline seems fairly recent, “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” (“Philanthropic Studies”). Whether through religion, culture, or education,

philanthropy has been present in most areas in some form or another. Its beginnings are traced

through several humanities and continues to exchange information with them today. “It is not

just sociologists, economists and psychologists who examine causes, consequences and

correlates of philanthropy, but also scholars in public administration, political science,

communication science, marketing, behavioral genetics, neurology, biology, and even

psychopharmacology” (Bekkers). In turn, philanthropic studies draws on this conglomerate of

data to improve philanthropic efforts. Historically, this area of study has made important strides

as well, adding to the justification of the establishing topic. Hall discusses how philanthropy

studies grew from scattered ideas to a forming institution. One important event he focuses on is

the Princeton Conference of 1956. It is largely responsible for igniting outside interest to the

study of philanthropy that lead to the collaboration with external academia, resulting in the

field’s rapid growth. Hall reminds us that, “some of the most illuminating and insightful

perspectives on nonprofits and voluntary action have come from scholars whose primary
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interests lie elsewhere” (Hall). The value of these interactions is something we all are rewarded

with today, too.

Individuals majoring in philanthropic studies can become professionals in delivering

altruistic outcomes, which will benefit society and individuals. Philanthropy and the study of it

already impact humanity, and as scholar in the field progress, so will their solutions. Continual

advancement of important programs and research is crucial to the improvement of society. “We

directly benefit from philanthropy by the use of libraries, schools, hospitals, performing arts

centers and museums…scientific research, scholarships, civil rights endeavors, social services”

(Zimmer). These facilities and resources are either directly provided by or tied to nonprofit work.

It also is involved with law, politics, ethics, and other areas that impact everyone. Societal and

individual problems addressed through philanthropy are closely tied. Nonprofits can assist in

solving problems on a smaller scale more efficiently, timely, and uniquely. Local organizations

work within their community to tailor specific responses going on around them. This is a job that

large scale government cannot handle on its own or very well (Mims). At this level,

philanthropic studies can be utilized to increase awareness, strategically solve issues, and address

community plights like addiction, homelessness, or conservation with causes unique to that area.

Philanthropic studies also benefits the individual students within its programs.

It has taught me invaluable lessons and fostered personal growth through the study of

philanthropy by personal reflection and multidisciplinary education. “Any discussion of

philanthropy usually focuses on how a giver can help others…but a growing body of scientific

evidence demonstrates that acts of philanthropy strongly benefit the giver as well” (DeBoskey).

From the first day as a student, I learned to recognize my biases and realize how they affect my

worldview. Doing so taught me to examine why I felt certain ways and how to adjust it so I
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could assess more accurately the state of other’s lives. As a result, this ability transferred to other

situations and allowed me to realize what was actually going on behind systemic inequality. It

also expanded my worldview by seeing first hand another country’s point of view of

philanthropy. Taking history, ethics, language, and humanities classes built on this foundation

while providing a more holistic view of the nonprofit sector. Now, when I see a societal issue, I

think about the different circumstances that led to them and how many unique solutions there are

to solve them. Learning about others difficulties and experiencing some of my own grew my

compassion and awareness. The ability to better define myself, personal views, and philosophy

increased as well. For example, last week the Payton and Moody excerpt described meliorism.

"The meliorist is hopeful even in the face of adversity…[she] may be baffled by the scope and

depth of human inhumanity and cruelty, but for her, the worst savagery and barbarism call not

for despair, but for renewed commitment to civility and community" (Payton). This interested

me as a future philanthropist, especially with the realities we live in today. Studying philanthropy

has also offered me a sense of purpose and intensified my drive to do better for future

generations.

Philanthropic studies exists to work towards a better future for all of us through thorough

and expanding research, experience, trials, and discovery. Its importance as an emerging field

grows with its ever enlarging body of knowledge inside the field and out. People from all types

of backgrounds work together with us in hopes to create a more efficient and enjoyable society

for everyone. Through big or small impacts, it affects the way we live and how we solve

problems. This discipline is special because it creates meaningful change for its recipients, as

well as its students.

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Works Cited

Bekkers, Rene. “Philanthropic Studies: Two Historical Examples.” Rene Bekkers, 21 June 2015,

renebekkers.wordpress.com/2014/10/27/philanthropic-studies-two-historical-examples/.

Curti, Merle. “The History of American Philanthropy as a Field of Research.” The American Historical

Review, vol. 62, no. 2, Jan. 1957, p. 352., doi:10.2307/1845188.

DeBoskey, Bruce. “Philanthropy Benefits.” The Denver Post, The Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2013,

www.denverpost.com/2013/08/09/philanthropy-benefits-the-giver-too-with-helpers-high-and-

givers-glow/.
Hall, Peter Dobkin. “The Work of Many Hands.” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, vol. 28,

no. 4, Dec. 1999, pp. 522–534.

Mims, Deanna. “So How Do Non-Profits Benefit Society?” MarketDone, MarketDone, 30 Aug. 2011,

marketdone.com/so-how-do-non-profits-benefit-society.

Payton, Robert L., and Michael P. Moody. Understanding Philanthropy: Its Meaning and Mission.

Indiana University Press, 2008.

Turner, Richard C. “Philanthropic Studies as a Central and Centering Discipline in the Humanities.”

International Journal of the Humanities, vol. 2, no. 3, July 2004, pp. 2083–2086.

Zimmer, Catherine. “Philanthropy.” Learning to Give, Learning to Give,

www.learningtogive.org/resources/philanthropy.