PHILANTHROPY AS AN ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE, WITH BETH BREEZE

12 March 2019

In episode 45, we chat to Beth Breeze, Director of the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent, about studying and teaching philanthropy as an academic discipline. Including:

• Why is it important for philanthropy to be seen as a subject of academic study?
• What does a philanthropy researcher actually do?
• Does philanthropy suffer from being cross-disciplinary, so that it doesn’t fit neatly into traditional academic silos?
• How can the academic study of philanthropy effectively influence practice and policy making?
• Why is teaching philanthropy important? What is the profile of a typical student, and what do they learn?
• Why has the fundraising side of the philanthropy equation been so overlooked?
• What makes a good fundraiser?
• Does the UK need more professionalised major donor fundraising if we are to drive more philanthropy?
• Do the current critiques of philanthropy in the US ring true in the UK? Is there a danger that they will exacerbate a negative perception of philanthropy?
• Is “Philanthropy” even a helpful word?

Related links:

• The Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent
• Beth’s latest book, The New Fundraisers
• The Coutts Million Pound Donor Report