State of Grants

Program Schedule: 
Presentation and questions: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Presenters:
Dr. Patrick Dwyer and Catherine Luce
IUPUI Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

Program Description: 
Attendees will learn about current giving trends among traditional grant makers such as foundations, corporations, and government entities, along with how the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted the grants industry. New and emerging areas of focus will also be addressed, including giving to promote equity, racial justice, and women’s and girls’ causes, the growth of newer giving vehicles such as giving circles and donor advised funds, and the trust-based philanthropy movement. 

Patrick Dwyer is an assistant professor of philanthropic studies at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. He teaches courses on donor motivations, behaviors, and engagement, institutional fundraising and grant writing, and experimental methods. His research focuses on the psychology of philanthropy and examines the influences of people’s emotions, motivations, personalities, and relationships on their philanthropic behaviors. Patrick’s work has been published in a variety of academic journals, including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, PLOS ONE, Basic and Applied Social Psychology, Journal of Environmental Psychology, The Journal of Social Psychology, British Journal of Social Psychology, European Journal of Social Psychology, Personality and Individual Differences, and Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy.

Catherine Luce is a doctoral student pursuing a Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies with a minor in Nonprofit Management. Cathy is from the great state of Maine where she spent most of her career working in the philanthropic sector. Cathy has a B.S. in Business Administration and a MBA from Thomas College in Waterville, Maine. In addition, she has over 20 years of experience working at private foundations, which has given her a strong understanding of the sector’s potential impact and a commitment to improving the practice of philanthropy. Cathy’s research interests include individual donors and private foundations. Her research interest on individual donors developed from her work with Dr. Patrick Dwyer and examines linkages between personality traits and donor motives. Her research on private foundations is inspired from years of working in the foundation sector and aims to explore how foundations are working to advance equity within their organizations and how that work impacts grantmaking.