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In
spring 1995, the Center for the Study of Philanthropy
received a five-year, $1.5 million grant from
the Kellogg Foundation for the development
of undergraduate, graduate, and extension
courses, curriculum guides, television programming,
lectures and publications on multicultural
philanthropy. This project has developed courses
and related resource materials for ten (not
necessarily mutually exclusive) groups: Women,
Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Latin Americans
and Latinos, African-Americans, Europeans,
Native Americans, Middle Easterners, and Asians.
Within this framework, the project focuses
on the political, social, and economic roles
that philanthropy (i.e., the giving of time,
money, and/or valuables) has played in enabling
each of these groups to broaden opportunities
within their communities. The underlying hypothesis
is that philanthropy holds the key to understanding
the workings of participatory democracy and
civil society. Through this program, the Center
hopes to redefine popular perceptions of the
meaning of "philanthropy" by moving
beyond stereotypical associations with robber
barons and middle class "ladies bountiful"
to include people of every level of society.
The project began in May 1995, with a focus
on basic bibliographic research. More than
60 students have participated in this work,
resulting in an extensive multicultural bibliography,
which is now incorporated into the Center's
online
database.
A CUNY-wide survey identified over 200 faculty
members who are writing and teaching about
philanthropy and/or nonprofit studies, or
are working with community nonprofits and
student volunteer programs. In autumn 1995,
a faculty seminar was convened to begin to
conceptualize courses that would draw on this
faculty strength. Thirty participants in the
seminars included Distinguished Faculty, Center
Directors, and selected professors from The
Graduate Center and the Senior Colleges of
the CUNY system (Brooklyn, Queens, Baruch,
Lehman, City, Hunter, John Jay, and Staten
Island). The seminars led to the development
of curriculum guides for use in the classroom.
The
guides are now available for purchase.
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