Publications and Research

The Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, directed by Professor Kathleen D. McCarthy, is committed to strengthening civil society through education, research, and leadership training. Since its inception, the Center has focused on the philanthropic activities of institutions and individuals, with an emphasis on civil society globally, the role of women, and local giving. Through seminars and sponsored research projects, the Center provides opportunities for CUNY faculty and doctoral students to explore common themes across disciplines and across borders. The Center’s Leaders in Philanthropy series provides a forum where CUNY faculty and representatives of local foundations and nonprofit organizations discuss key issues in the philanthropic and voluntary sectors. The Center’s signature International Fellows Program brings nonprofit practitioners and scholars to the Graduate Center from around the globe to conduct research and study with leaders from the Third Sector. To date, the Center has hosted 198 Fellows-in-residence from 63 countries around the globe.

 The program’s alumni have gone on to found new associations and foundations, create university courses and research centers, establish fellowships in philanthropy, and staff and lead many of the institutions and programs spearheading the globalization of modern philanthropy. Program alumni present and publish widely in the field of civil society, helping to create a literature on the field in their own languages. 

Other Center projects include:

• multidisciplinary seminars on civil society for CUNY faculty and advanced graduate students
• global research and edited volumes on women and philanthropy
• multi-volume series to help integrate philanthropy as a topic in college and university curricula and to enhance nonprofit professionals' knowledge in the areas of development and fundraising.