2023 Summit Keynote

Tyrone McKinley Freeman

Associate Professor, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, IUPUI

The Gifts of Black Folk: Lessons from History to Advance Inclusive Fundraising

In this keynote presentation, participants will explore elements of the past and present of African American philanthropy to gain insights into fundraising’s current grappling with inclusion, diversity, equity and access. Featuring leading research on diverse philanthropy, the presentation will use historical and contemporary storytelling to engage important themes that help practitioners better connect with diverse givers.

Dr. Tyrone McKinley Freeman is the Glenn Family Chair in Philanthropy, Associate Professor of Philanthropic Studies, and adjunct Associate Professor of Africana Studies (Liberal Arts) at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. His research focuses on the history of philanthropy and fundraising, philanthropy in communities of color, the history of Black philanthropy, and philanthropy in higher education. Also, he holds an appointment as Research Associate with the Smithsonian National Museum of American History where he advises public exhibits, programs, and projects on philanthropy, including the African American Fundraising Collecting Project, the Black Fundraising Oral History Project, and the Giving in America exhibit. Previously, he was a professional fundraiser in community development, youth and family social services, and higher education organizations. He was also Associate Director of The Fund Raising School where he trained nonprofit leaders in the United States, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Dr. Freeman is an Inaugural Laureate of the Dan David Research Prize, “the largest history prize in the world.” His latest book, Madam C.J. Walker’s Gospel of Giving: Black Women’s Philanthropy during Jim Crow (University of Illinois Press, 2020), won the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Skystone Partners Research Prize in Fundraising and Philanthropy, the Terry McAdam Book Award from the Alliance for Nonprofit Management, the Peter Dobkin Hall History of Philanthropy Prize from the Association for Research on Nonprofit and Voluntary Action, and the Madam CJ Walker Legacy Award from F3: Fabulous Female Fundraisers Association. His work has appeared or been cited in The New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, TIME, Harvard Business Review, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Black Perspectives, Chronicle of Philanthropy, CASE Currents, and Advancing Philanthropy. He is co-author of Race, Gender and Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations (Palgrave MacMillan, 2011).