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Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society

Scholars. Practitioners. Leaders.

The Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS) is a global interdisciplinary research center and publisher of the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR). Stanford PACS develops and shares knowledge to improve philanthropy, strengthen civil society, and address societal challenges. By creating a shared space for scholars, students, and practitioners, Stanford PACS informs policy and social innovation, philanthropic investment, and nonprofit practice. 

Give to the Stanford PACS

Consider making a donation to support Stanford PACS in its mission towards a more robust and integrated civil society creating positive social change. 

Since our founding in 2006, PACS’ research and programs have sought to examine, critique and address both entrenched and emerging issues influencing and defining philanthropy and civil society, and increasingly, democracy. Every donation, large or small, provides vital support to our continued operations towards expanding the body of research, increasing the pipeline of scholars, practitioners, & leaders, and informing practice and action on pressing Issues.

Thank you for making a gift online today and supporting the future of PACS and a thriving civil society.

Our Work

Events

Recent Event

Education for Philanthropy Professionals Course

Executive education course November 3-7 (in person) and November 12, 13, 19 & 20 (virtual), 2025 The Effective Philanthropy Learning Initiative (EPLI) at...

November 3 - 7th, 2025

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Recent Event

Integrating Philanthropy & Investing to Maximize Impact

Beyond Philanthropy: Unlock the Power of Your Total Portfolio For the first time, Stanford PACS and the Center for Sustainable...

October 6 - 8th, 2025

Stanford University

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Recent Event

Effective Philanthropy for Advisors Webinar

Join us for an interactive workshop with Stanford University on their latest tools designed specifically for advisors and clients interested...

September 25 - 26th, 2025

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News

Stanford PACS Joins the Graduate School of Education

The new academic year brings exciting changes to Stanford PACS that both build on our history and guide us firmly...

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Digital Civil Society Lab 2024-25 Practitioner Fellows Project Highlights

From reclaiming Indigenous knowledge in digital design to mapping queer care systems across Latin America, the 2024–25 cohort of Digital...

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Connect with

Stanford Social Innovation Review

To advance, educate, and inspire the field of social innovation by seeking out, cultivating, and disseminating the best in research- and practice-based knowledge.

Recent Publications

Blueprints

Philanthropy and Digital Civil Society: Blueprint 2025

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Article

A milestone in the pursuit of gender equality: Predicting first women presidents in U.S. higher education institutions, 1980–2018

Hannah K. D’Apice, Jieun Song, Christine Min Wotipka

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Article

Purpose in Management Research: Navigating a Complex and Fragmented Area of Study

Nathania Chua, Christof Miska, Johanna Mair and Günter K. Stahl

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Professions and Wealth: The Philanthropy of High-Earning Professionals

Micah McElroy, Associate Director of Research, Effective Philanthropy Learning Initiative, with contributions from Rebecca Shamash, Megan Farwell, Taylor Stephens, and Vera Michalchik

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From Doing Good to Being Good: The Movement for Nonprofit Social Responsibility

By Shawn Pope & Patricia Bromley

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Toward a Better Understanding of Social Origins Theory: A Historical Narrative of Vienna’s Civil Society Organizations

by Florentine Maier, Michael Meyer, and Berta Terzieva

Book

Announcing: Australian Edition of the Toolkit

The Australian Toolkit EPLI has partnered with Perpetual Asset Management Australia to create an Australian version of the Toolkit available for free online here.  

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Research Paper

The Virus And The Vote: Administering the 2020 Election In A Pandemic

A Compendium of Research from the Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project

Research Paper

Universal Basic Income: Safety Net 2.0

By Juliana Bidadanure

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Our Community

Scholars

We offer a number of opportunities to support new interdisciplinary research from emerging scholars studying topics related to philanthropy and civil society such as fellowships and academic conferences.

Students

We offer courses, fellowships, and research grants for graduate and undergraduate students interested in careers related to philanthropy and civil society, whether as scholars, nonprofit or foundation practitioners, policy makers, or in for-profit business.

Philanthropists

We engage in research, teaching, convenings, and the dissemination of key resources to improve the practice of philanthropy around the world.

Civil Society

Through a mix of research, convenings, partnerships, and the Stanford Social Innovation Review publication, we strive to be a bridge between rigorous scholarly research and social sector practice.

Philanthropy Intermediaries

We use an interdisciplinary approach to study philanthropy and civil society more broadly. Through a mix of research, teaching, convenings, partnerships, and publications, we strive to be a bridge between rigorous scholarly research and social sector practice.

Policy Makers

We are dedicated to driving knowledge transfer between the private, public, and academic sectors by leveraging Stanford’s reputation as a trusted higher-education research institution to inform policy changes and corporate decisions, while building partnerships with other academic centers and organizations to build the global field of research.

Stanford PACS is committed to providing an online environment that is accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. We are working on updating our digital communications platforms to be inclusive. If you cannot access content or use features on our website due to a disability, please contact us so we can accommodate your request.