Gene Tempel named one of nonprofit sector’s most influential leaders

  • Aug. 2, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS -- Gene Tempel, founding dean of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, was named one of the 50 most influential leaders in the nonprofit sector by The NonProfit Times.

The leading nonprofit-sector publication says its 2013 Power and Influence Top 50 list focuses on innovators -- leaders who “harness the power of ideas.” It noted that, “The honorees this year have been reaching out past their usual constituencies to foster conversation about what it means to be a civil society.”

Tempel has been selected for The NonProfit Times' list 12 times since it debuted in 1998.

In recognizing Tempel’s leadership, the publication said, “Tempel heads the nation’s first school of philanthropy. He also headed what was the premier Center on Philanthropy. It can be argued that nobody has spent more time effectively building a center of knowledge on the topic of philanthropy, where people turn for answers and illumination.”

The 50 honorees have been invited to a Sept. 19 gala in Washington, D.C. The list is compiled by The NonProfit Times’ staff and people from the philanthropic sector.

“We are delighted that the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy is being recognized among this inspiring group of individuals and organizations in the sector who are making an important impact every day,” Tempel said. “This honor acknowledges the innovative, invaluable work the school is doing and the tremendous contributions of our board of visitors, faculty, students, staff, donors and volunteers, as well as Indiana University. It is because of their efforts and support that we are able to improve philanthropy to improve the world through our research, education and training.

“We thank The NonProfit Times for highlighting the importance of building knowledge about the philanthropic sector and seeking innovative approaches to meeting society’s needs,” Tempel said.

As founding dean of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, on the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus, Tempel leads the world’s first school devoted to the study and teaching of philanthropy. He played an integral role in establishing the school’s precursor, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University -- which was part of the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI -- and served as its executive director from 1997 through 2008, developing it into a leading national resource.

Committed to strengthening the philanthropic sector, Tempel was the first elected president of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council, a national association of academic centers and programs that focus on the study of nonprofit organizations, voluntarism and philanthropy. He is a past chair of the national Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Ethics Committee and a member of Independent Sector’s Expert Advisory Panel that created national guidelines for nonprofit governance and ethical behavior. He is president emeritus of the Indiana University Foundation.

About the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

The IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, on the IUPUI campus, is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy -- voluntary action for the public good -- through its academic, research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute.

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