Continuing the Journey: What Graduate Study Is Teaching Me About Philanthropy

Editor's Note: Since 2018, The Patterson Foundation has collaborated with Indiana University Indianapolis Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (LFSOP) through its Advancing Philanthropic Leadership initiative. Recognizing the value of academic and professional educational experiences offered by LFSOP, the Foundation is providing opportunities for its staff and consultants to enroll in LFSOP graduate and professional development courses through its Tuition/Fees Reimbursement Program. TPFers, including Lyndsey Smith, Carrie Miley, Alicia Exantus, Josephine Eisenberg, and Stacy Sternberg, are pushing beyond their respective professional and personal comfort levels and are successfully completing challenging LFSOP courses.

Completing my graduate certificate marked an important milestone for me. Rather than closing a chapter, it opened a new one. I am continuing my academic journey as part of my master’s program, and during the fall semester, two courses I took in philanthropic studies, both taught by the same professor, deepened not only my knowledge but also my perspective on what meaningful philanthropy truly looks like.

These classes reminded me that learning in the nonprofit sector is never just theoretical. It’s personal, ethical, and deeply connected to real people and real communities.

One of the courses focused on philanthropic grantmaking and challenged a common assumption: that grants automatically create positive impact. While philanthropy is intended to generate social good, the course emphasized how easily unintended consequences can arise, misjudging nonprofit needs, encouraging mission drift, or reinforcing power imbalances between funders and organizations doing the work.

Through case studies and interactive discussions, we explored the realities of grantmaking from multiple angles:

• Risk and limitation are unavoidable. Even the most well-planned philanthropic strategies can fall short. Acknowledging mistakes and learning from them is critical.
  
  
• Trust is foundational. Nonprofits are often burdened by complex reporting and evaluation systems that don’t always align with their realities. We explored more trust-based, values-driven approaches to funding.
  
  
• Saying “no” can still be productive. One of the most powerful lessons was that a declined grant doesn’t have to end a relationship. When handled with transparency and care, it can lead to stronger collaboration in the future.

This course pushed me to think of grantmaking not as a transaction, but as a relationship, one that requires humility, communication, and shared responsibility.

The second course offered a broader lens by exploring the history of philanthropy across cultures and time. We studied philanthropic traditions in China, the Middle East, England, and the United States, tracing how charitable practices evolved alongside social, religious, and political systems.

What stood out to me was how relevant this historical perspective is to today’s conversations. Debates around wealth, power, accountability, and influence have existed for centuries. Understanding how philanthropy has been shaped over time helps explain why certain structures exist today and where there is room for change.

The course also reinforced the importance of clear, thoughtful writing and reflection. In the nonprofit sector, ideas only move forward when they are communicated effectively, and strong writing is a form of leadership in itself.

Completing my graduate certificate gave me confidence and momentum. Continuing into the master’s program has given me depth. Together, these courses helped me see philanthropy not as a simple act of generosity, but as a complex system that demands ethical reflection, historical awareness, and intentional practice.

As I continue my master’s journey, I’m carrying forward a clearer understanding of how philanthropy can both help and harm and how thoughtful, informed approaches can create more equitable and lasting impact.