Stanford opens new philanthropy centre

The purpose of the new Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS Center), which opened its doors in September, is to examine the role of philanthropy and the organizations it supports in meeting critical challenges in the US and abroad. It aims to provide serious analysis of philanthropy (its 2007-08 seminar series opened with a presentation entitled ‘Towards a Political Theory of Philanthropy’).

Center co-director Walter Powell said that the Centre would develop ‘powerful, high-impact interdisciplinary research’ as well as training ‘new, thoughtful leadership in this critical arena, both in the academy and in the world at large’. Thanks to seed funding from the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Center offers fellowships that encourage graduate students to pursue an area of study that crosses traditional academic disciplines, including sociology, political science, public policy and business. Through classes led by members of the Stanford faculty, the Center is also working to introduce undergraduates to the field of philanthropy and to support undergraduate research in philanthropy and civil society.

Source
Stanford News Service, 31 October 2007