The first academic Centre for Philanthropy to be established in the UK, at the University of Kent, celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2018. The Centre’s second decade is set to be even more productive than the first, as the team has now grown by two full-time posts as a result of strategic support by Pears Foundation.
Pears funded a lecturing post from 2015-2018, which is now fully sustainable from student fee income. That post launched the first Masters programme in Philanthropic Studies outside of North America, delivered part-time by distance learning to meet the needs of students with professional and personal commitments.
The first graduating student, Sally-Anne Greenfield, said:
“Although I have been advising donors for over 13 years, I learned a huge amount about fundraising and philanthropy – the history, different theories and approaches, and some global viewpoints.”
The second post is a new Pears Research Fellow, whose funding follows the same pattern of a 3-year investment (from 2018-21) during which time a sustainable source of income will be secured. The newly appointed colleague is Lesley Alborough, an experienced fundraiser whose PhD explores the role of fundraisers in mediating gift giving in non‐profit organisations. Lesley will extend our research efforts and expand our teaching to reach undergraduate students and meet the growing demand for executive education, as well as undertaking public engagement activities to raise understanding of the importance of professional and ethical fundraising activities. Lesley and the Centre’s director, Beth Breeze, will also be available to engage with other Pears partners seeking input on philanthropy and fundraising matters.