Aryella Botier
Research Mentor: John Tropman
Mentor Department: Macro Practice, Social Work
Author(s): Not Available
Session: Session 1 (9:00 AM – 9:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 70
Abstract
The UROP Corporate Philanthropy Project examines how corporate philanthropy operates in practice and how practitioner experiences can inform professional education. Rather than relying on a predetermined definition of corporate philanthropy, this project used interviews to see how philanthropic decisions are made, how philanthropic work is structured, and what skills professionals draw upon in their roles. Exploratory interviews were conducted with corporate philanthropists and organizational leaders, including infamous local businesses in Ann Arbor such as Zingermann’s, Knights Steakhouse, Plum Market, and larger institutional and corporate settings. Analyzing these interviews showed a consistent pattern: there is no standard pathway into corporate philanthropy and many people rely heavily on informal, passion driven, on the job learning. Participants expressed a shared need for stronger preparation in key areas such as business literacy, networking, legal and operational frameworks, and navigating philanthropy within complex organizational structures. Here, the team saw a gap between the realities of corporate philanthropy practice and existing educational preparation. In response, the project has progressed from conversations and is now developing a Continued Education course within the University of Michigan School of Social Work, focused on corporate philanthropy. The proposed course aims to translate real world philanthropic practices into structured learning outcomes for professionals seeking to enter corporate and institutional philanthropy roles.
