Indiana University Indianapolis Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Electives — TPF Immersive Impact: Through Engagement and Consulting

October 2019 – Present

Indiana University Indianapolis Lilly Family School of Philanthropy Electives — TPF Immersive Impact: Through Engagement and Consulting

The Purpose

Through a collaboration with The Patterson Foundation and Indiana University Indianapolis Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, "TPF Immersive Impact: Through Engagement and Consulting" provided undergraduate and graduate students attending the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy a professional growth opportunity using The Patterson Foundation's initiatives. This semester-long course culminated with a weeklong spring study away experience at The Patterson Foundation in Sarasota, FL.

Strengthening the Impact

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

FAQ's

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

Why is The Patterson Foundation collaborating with the Indiana University Indianapolis 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, master’s, professional doctorate, and doctorate programs, offering students a mix of theory and practice.

Why did The Patterson Foundation support jointly-offered courses at the Indiana University Indianapolis Lilly Family School of Philanthropy?

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

What was TPF Immersive Impact: Through Engagement and Consulting?

The focus of "TPF Immersive Impact: Through Engagement and Consulting" was to connect students to living examples of innovative philanthropic strategy through The Patterson Foundation and its connections to nonprofits in its home region of southwest Florida. The course explored these questions:

What may the philanthropic sector look like in the future?
What will it take to build sustainable organizations tackling systemic problems within our local communities, country, and the 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?

Led by a Lilly Family School of Philanthropy faculty member, the course met weekly on the IU campus. It culminated with a weeklong spring Study Away experience in Sarasota, taught by The Patterson Foundation’s staff and consultants, connecting students with local nonprofits to further explore these areas.

What topic areas did students learned about in previous offerings of this course?

Philanthropy is a field of possibilities with many different avenues for professional growth. By focusing the course on a group of broad but tangible topic areas drawing on learnings from The Patterson Foundation’s initiatives, students worked on projects and gained experiences that accurately represented what work in the field may look like. Course offerings focused on concepts such as:

Inspiring Philanthropy through the Giving Challenge
Capacity Building through Nonprofit Thrivability
High Touch, High Tech through the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
More Than Money Philanthropy through Digital Access for All

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

The experiential nature of the course offered a unique opportunity to live philanthropic work in real environments. Because there was a mix of undergraduate and graduate students, this exposure allowed for meaningful participation across the experience and interest spectrum within the Suncoast’s vibrant nonprofit ecosystem.

When will this course be offered again?

Any additional opportunities to participate in the course will be announced here and on the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s websites in the future.

Who could apply for the course?

The course was open to any undergraduate or master’s student at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The response from students was enthusiastic, with registration closing early to meet demand. Any additional opportunities to participate in the course will be announced here and on the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s websites in the future.

Is the course connected to The Patterson Foundation Fellowship?

The course is an endeavor of the Advancing Philanthropic Leadership initiative and the partnership between the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and The Patterson Foundation, but it is not a requirement for the Fellowship and has no direct link to it.

Who can I contact about "TPF Immersive Impact: Through Engagement and Consulting"?

For more information, contact Advancing Philanthropic Leadership initiative lead Dr. Donald R. Bowman: dbowmantpf@gmail.com.

The Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading and The Laundry Project teamed up to hold a Pop Up Neighbor event as part of Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy's Study Away class.

(total time: 2.5 minutes)

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