Our Mission
The mission of the Stanford University Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS) is:
To engage students, faculty, and practitioners in scholarship and dialogue that examines ways in which philanthropic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and other key elements of civil society work to address public interests, both in the United States and abroad.
The PACS mission is intentionally broad; reflecting the founders’ desire to focus scholarly attention on questions surrounding philanthropy, civil society, and social change. PACS-sponsored courses and seminars engage students and scholars from across campus in discussing core issues facing the sector, building a common frame of reference that enables conversation across disciplines. This mission also provides the Center with the flexibility to attract faculty and students with diverse and ever-changing research interests.
PACS is a program of the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences and the Haas Center for Public Service.
MULTIMEDIA
Strategic Philanthropy
Its Potential and Pitfalls
The Americas Society/Council of the Americas hosted a panel discussion featuring Paul Brest, President of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, with Debra Meyerson and Rob Reich, PACS Faculty Co-Directors. The event was held on April 30, 2009 and moderated by Melissa Berman, President and CEO, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. (Photo by Roey Yohai)
Multimedia
Listen to the discussion or download an mp3 of the audio:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
According to PACS Faculty Co-Director Rob Reich, “Kim Meredith is a Stanford graduate with a wealth of experience in the nonprofit sector, including years of leadership experience with Planned Parenthood in the Bay Area and in New York City. She is passionate about the PACS mission and will be invaluable in leading PACS to a new and exciting stage in its development.”
Web Feature
On May 20th and 21st, PACS hosted a research conference to launch the project on Private Initiatives in Public Education (PIPE) that brought together leading scholars and practitioners who are working on projects related to emerging trends and cross-sector innovations in public education. Specifically, the conference explored the following themes:
1) The influence of philanthropic and private intermediary organizations in education;
2) Models of organizing diverse providers (charters and district schools) of public education;
3) Innovations in the development of human capital for education;
4) Entrepreneurship in the era of Obama.
The conference also set out to establish an agenda for future research in these areas.
The Stanford Challenge
Through The Stanford Challenge, the PACS Center seeks new resources to educate thoughtful, engaged citizens equipped with the skills and imagination to realize a more just and humane world. Please visit the PACS Stanford Challenge site to read more about the PACS Center's goals and how to support them.
