# $1 million donation for Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/04/25/1m-donation-centre-sustainable-philanthropy/
- Published: 2016-04-25T10:10:24+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy (CSP) at Plymouth University has received
a $1 million donation to expand its work in the new field of philanthropic psychology.**

The Centre, which focuses on growing philanthropy, was established in 2014, and 
has already developed an international reputation for its research in this area.
It conducts research and [teaching in the United Kingdom](https://blog.curriculosolutions.com/teaching-styles-quiz-what-kind-of-teacher-are-you),
United States, Norway, Ireland and Australia. The emphasis of the Centre is on research
that has practical applications: it aims to grow philanthropy, not just to measure
it.

> Matt Beem of Hartsook Companies (right) & Nikolaos Tzokas (dean of Plym U business
> school) sign $1m gift to CSP. [pic.twitter.com/zRKgp8qEhu](https://t.co/zRKgp8qEhu)
> 
> ## Advertisement
> 
> — Rogare (@RogareFTT) [April 25, 2016](https://twitter.com/RogareFTT/status/724625255126409216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

 

## More PhD studentships

The gift was made by Hartsook, the US-based global fundraising consulting organisation.

It will enable the Centre to pursue six core themes of research:

 * fundraising leadership
 * the role of boards in fundraising
 * transformational philanthropy
 * philanthropic innovation
 * donor relationships
 * innovative work in the domain of philanthropic advising.

It will also help establish more PhD studentships, and explore ways to create the
centre’s first undergraduate programme, with a view to it becoming “the world’s 
first School of Sustainable Philanthropy” by 2020.

## Hartsook Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy

Following the agreement of the gift in London last Friday, the centre will now be
known as the [Hartsook Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy](https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools/plymouth-business-school/centre-for-sustainable-philanthropy).
it will continue to be led by its Director, Professor Adrian Sargeant, and Director
of Research, Professor Jen Shang.

![Professor Adrian Sargeant](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2015/01/adrian-
sargeant-2015.jpg)

_Professor Adrian Sargeant, Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy, Plymouth University_

Matt Beem, President and CEO of Hartsook, said:

> “Adrian, Jen and their team bring unparalleled academic experience and insight
> to their work. Their commitment to enhancing the quality of the donor experience
> by equipping fundraisers around the world with research-based tools is consistent
> with Hartsook’s goal to grow philanthropy by improving educational opportunities
> available to fundraisers”.

He added:

> “This gift formalises our global commitment and affirms our belief that those 
> who ask for charitable support must have first given themselves.”

![Professor Jen Shang](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2016/04/professor-jen-
shang.jpg)

_Professor Jen Shang_

 

## Hartsook and philanthropy

[Hartsook](http://www.hartsookcompanies.com/), based in Kansas City, Missouri, was
founded in 1987. It is the largest employee-owned fundraising consulting organisation
in the world.

It has 100 team members around the world, and has served charitable organisations
in the UK, every US state, 29 European countries, India, Australia, Canada, Mexico,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Chile.

As well as charitable donations totaling more than $20m, its founder and chairman
Bob Hartsook has funded the creation of the Hartsook Chair of Fundraising at the
Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and the Hartsook Institute
for Fundraising at Avila University in Kansas City, Mo., which now offers the only
online masters course in fundraising in the world.

Professor Sargeant, who previously held the Hartsook Chair in Fundraising at the
Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, said:

> “This donation is a major endorsement of our work, and recognition it is having
> a genuine global impact on both philanthropists and fundraising professionals.
> It gives us the chance to explore avenues for future growth, including new research
> and teaching programmes at both the undergraduate and Masters level. It also gives
> us our first physical presence in the United States, allowing us to respond to
> donor needs globally and to address our core mission of enhancing the quality 
> of their philanthropic experience.”

In addition to its research over the past two years, the Hartsook Centre for Sustainable
Philanthropy has also created the Plymouth Charity Lab, an experimental facility
conducting  research into fundraising and philanthropy, and the Rogare think tank,
drawing together 60 senior figures from around the world to identify areas of fundraising
which would benefit from further research.

![Loading](https://fundraising.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/page-views-count/ajax-loader-
2x.gif)