Renowned philanthropy scholar will increase the impact of community foundations in helping build communities and civil society locally, nationally and globally
Dr. Laurie Paarlberg, a nationally recognized philanthropy scholar, has been appointed the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Chair on Community Foundations at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI, the school announced today.
“Dr. Paarlberg will provide intellectual leadership for the scholarly community and will convene leading practitioners around key issues related to community foundations and community philanthropy,” said Amir Pasic, Ph.D., the Eugene R. Tempel Dean of the school. “She is a highly respected scholar whose achievements range from securing National Science Foundation funding for her research to serving as a dedicated teacher and mentor to students. We look forward to her contributions in research, education and public service.”
As the chair holder, Paarlberg will conduct cutting-edge research on the community foundation field, deepen the knowledge base, provide insights that will further improve the work of community foundations and incorporate the new knowledge into practical application for professionals and volunteers.
As the need for informed civic engagement continues to grow, Paarlberg will increase understanding of community foundations’ role in helping build communities and civil society locally, nationally and globally. She will teach graduate and undergraduate courses to educate future philanthropy and nonprofit leaders, serve as a public scholar and help advance useful knowledge about the impact of community foundations across the country and internationally.
“At a time when local philanthropy is increasingly vital to addressing the needs of our communities, the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy can play a vital role in in bringing together students, practitioners and scholars to advance our understanding of community philanthropy,” Paarlberg said. “I thank the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation for the opportunity that I will have to lead these efforts.”
The chair was a gift to the school from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, an established leader in building both individual community foundations and the global community foundation field. Mott’s support to the field, totaling more than $171 million thus far, has helped expand community foundations worldwide from fewer than 300 in 1979 to more than 1,800 today. Created in 2014, the chair commemorates the centennial of community foundations in the United States. It is believed to be the nation’s first chair focused specifically on studying and teaching about community foundations.
“When Mott established the faculty chair, we hoped to enrich the field with the research and innovation needed to help community foundations find new solutions to local needs,” said Ridgway White, president of the Mott Foundation. “We are pleased with Dr. Paarlberg’s appointment as the first permanent chair holder and look forward to her leadership in enhancing community philanthropy.”
Paarlberg, whose appointment is effective July 1, 2018, will be the first permanent holder of the chair. Mark Sidel, the Doyle-Bascom Professor of Law and Public Policy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served as the visiting chair holder in 2016. Emmett D. Carson, Ph.D., CEO and president of Silicon Valley Community Foundation—the nation's largest—was the first visiting chair holder and now serves as a distinguished visiting fellow at the school.
Currently, Paarlberg is an associate professor in the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, where she holds the Robert H. and Judy L. Allen Professorship. Her research examines the changing nature of community philanthropy, covering topics ranging from geographic mobility and philanthropic engagement to changes in place-based philanthropy, with a particular focus on the United Way system. She teaches courses including Foundations of the Nonprofit Sector, Philanthropy, Grantmaking, and Nonprofit Financial Management.
Paarlberg has received the Best Paper Award for Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, the Best Conference Paper at the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) Conference, and the Accenture Advances in Public Management Award from Accenture Corporation, for Best Paper in International Public Management Journal. She has served as the chairperson of the ARNOVA Theories, Issues, and Boundaries Section and as program chair for the ARNOVA Conference.
Previously, Paarlberg held positions at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and San Francisco State University. She earned her Ph.D. at Indiana University, where her major was public affairs in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, with additional work in public management/public policy and organizational theory and strategic management in the Kelley School of Business. Her publications include numerous articles in refereed journals, including Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Voluntas, Voluntary Sector Review, Public Administration Review, International Public Management Journal, and American Review of Public Administration.
About the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its academic, research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Follow us on Twitter @IUPhilanthropy or “Like” us on Facebook.
About the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, established in 1926 in Flint, Michigan, by an automotive pioneer, is a private philanthropy committed to supporting projects that promote a just, equitable and sustainable society. It supports nonprofit programs throughout the United States and, on a limited geographic basis, internationally. Grantmaking is focused in four programs: Civil Society, Education, Environment and Flint Area. In addition to Flint, offices are located in metropolitan Detroit, Johannesburg and London. With year-end assets of approximately $2.7 billion in 2016, the Foundation made 420 grants totaling more than $120.7 million.