Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Electives: Experiential Learning with The Patterson Foundation

Photo: Inaugural TPF Fellow Hannah Saeger Karnei with IUPUI students and TPF consultant Laurey Stryker

October 2019 – Present

Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Electives: Experiential Learning with The Patterson Foundation

The Purpose

Through a collaboration with The Patterson Foundation and Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, The Future of the Philanthropic Sector: Experiential Learning with The Patterson Foundation provides undergraduate and graduate students attending Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy a professional growth opportunity using The Patterson Foundation's initiatives.

Students will focus on 1.) Capacity Building through Margin & Mission Ignition, 2.) Issue-Based Movement through the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, 3.) Inspiring Philanthropy through the Giving Challenge.

Strengthening the Impact

The course will connect students to The Patterson Foundation, a foundation known for its collaborative philosophy and tenets of change. Students learn innovative philanthropic principles and share their expertise with nonprofits in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.

The course will explore these questions:

What may the philanthropic sector look like in the future?
What will it take to build sustainable organizations that can tackle systemic problems within our local communities, our country, and our world?
How are innovative partnerships begun and sustained?
What competencies and qualities will leaders of the future need?
What ideas, questions, and recommendations do thought-leaders have about the future of the philanthropic sector?
Why are foundations different from other nonprofits?

FAQ's

Click on frequently asked questions below to learn more about this program...

Why is The Patterson Foundation collaborating with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy?

The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is the first school dedicated solely to the study and teaching of philanthropy. Since its inception, it has demonstrated a commitment to training and empowering students and practitioners to innovate and lead to create positive and lasting change in the world. This includes its growing bachelor’s, certificate, and master’s programs offering students a mix of theory and practice.

Why does The Patterson Foundation support a course at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy?

Through The Patterson Foundation’s unique position of having an unfettered charter, it can undertake work in ways others are not doing, cannot do, or will not do. In that spirit, supporting a course that allows students to explore the future of work in the philanthropic sector through the lens of The Patterson Foundation’s initiatives opens up possibilities for a new generation of leadership.

What is The Future of Work in the Philanthropic Sector: Experiential Learning with The Patterson Foundation ?

The focus of The Future of Work in the Philanthropic Sector: Experiential Learning with The Patterson Foundation is to connect students to living examples of innovative philanthropic strategy through The Patterson Foundation and its connections to nonprofits in its home region. The course explores these questions:

What may the philanthropic sector look like in the future?
What will it take to build sustainable organizations that can tackle systemic problems within our local communities, our country, and our world?
How are innovative partnerships begun and sustained?
What competencies and qualities will leaders of the future need?
What ideas, questions, and recommendations do thought-leaders have about the future of the philanthropic sector?
Why are foundations different from other nonprofits?

During the semester, students have the opportunity to learn about and focus on three topic areas:

Capacity Building
Issue-Based Movements
Inspiring Philanthropy.

Over a weeklong spring Study Away experience, The Patterson Foundation connects students with local nonprofits to further explore these areas.

What do students gain from participating in an experiential, hybrid course?

The experiential nature of the course offers a unique opportunity to live philanthropic work in real environments. Because there is a mix of undergraduate and graduate students, this exposure allows for meaningful participation across the experience and interest spectrum.

The Patterson Foundation is proud to showcase the philanthropic ecosystem that is so vibrant across the Suncoast.

Is the course connected to The Patterson Foundation Fellows Program?

The course is an extension of the Advancing Philanthropic Leadership initiative and the partnership between the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and The Patterson Foundation, but there is no direct link between the course and the Fellows Program. The course is not a requirement to apply for the Fellows Program.

Why does the course focus on three topic areas?

Philanthropy is a field of possibilities with many different avenues for professional growth. By focusing the course on three broad but tangible topic areas, students will be able to partake in projects and experiences that are an accurate representation of what work in the field may look like using The Patterson Foundation’s initiatives. Students taking the course will focus on the following concepts:

Capacity Building through Margin & Mission Ignition
Issue Based Movement through Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Inspiring Philanthropy through the Giving Challenge

Who can apply for the course?

The course is open to any undergraduate or master’s student at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Due to an enthusiastic response in Spring 2020, registration closed early for this course offering. Keep your eyes peeled during future registration windows!

What did students experience in a previous offering of the course?

The Spring 2020 offering of the course included ten students selected from a pool of more than 20 applicants. Led by two Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy faculty members, the course met weekly. It focused on a curriculum preparing them for a weeklong spring Study Away experience in Sarasota, taught by The Patterson Foundation’s staff and consultants. While the COVID-19 pandemic prevented students from traveling as planned, The Patterson Foundation and the school’s faculty innovated to deliver the spring Study Away opportunities online, with all students and faculty participating together virtually. Read more about the experiences of the students who participated in the Spring 2020 course at The Patterson Foundation’s blog library.