By Pat Danahey Janin I am passionate about the intersection of philanthropy and oceans. When it comes to the ocean environment, philanthropic responses outside of spectacular activism (Sea Shepherd, Greenpeace) are virtually unknown. Ocean research, deep sea mapping, citizen involvement in science, ocean clean-ups, and ocean literacy education are just some of the many activities… Read more »
Research
The art of thank you’s
By Patricia Snell Herzog, Ph.D., and Patrick Dwyer, Ph.D. The other day, I was talking with a colleague who studies gratitude, Patrick Dwyer. In the midst of chatting at an event we were attending, we got to talking about the art of thank you cards.
Gender differences in major gifts: Can clues about fundraiser empathy in contact reports provide insight?
By Maarten Bout Contact reports are the unsung heroes of the fundraising process. Short summaries written by fundraisers about their interactions with donors, they function like a diary, and together they form a record of the long-term relationships between the organization and its donors. Last year, Dr. Sara Konrath and I read 572 fundraiser contact… Read more »
How social psychology informs research on social norms and giving to women’s and girls’ causes
Patrick Dwyer, Ph.D., assistant professor of philanthropic studies and a social psychologist, teamed up with the Women’s Philanthropy Institute to research and produce WPI’s newest report Encouraging Giving to Women’s and Girls’ Causes: The Role of Social Norms. The report focuses on how social norms, or behaviors that are common, valued, and accepted by others,… Read more »
Giving circles are growing informed philanthropists
Two new studies released in November by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute in partnership with the Collective Giving Research Group add to what we know about giving circles. Previous research has shown that giving circle members: give more give more strategically give to a wider array and number of organizations increase their knowledge about philanthropy, nonprofits,… Read more »