Collections : [IUPUI Philanthropic Studies Archives]

The Boone County Red Cross Scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings, letters, postcards, and photographs related to the work of the Boone County chapter of the Red Cross.

Transcripts for oral history interviews related to philanthropy, which were conducted by the Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice, formerly known as Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory, formerly known as the Indiana Oral History Research Center. The American Foundations Oral History Project consists of a series of interviews with prominent American philanthropists, each of whom relates their background, the development of their values, and their philosophies of philanthropy. The purpose and state of American philanthropy, including those family foundations and corporate foundations, form a central topic, as do the recent trend of increasing diversity and opinions on grant evaluation and philanthropic assessment. In addition, many interviewees comment on the role of government in philanthropy and the system of ethics at play in American philanthropy. The Center on Philanthropy Oral History Project traces creation of the Center from its earliest stages and its evolution into a fully operating academic institution dedicated to the study of philanthropy. It includes the negotiations in bringing the Fund Raising School to Indianapolis, Indiana, the grant proposals to the Lilly Endowment, finding the Center's first director, and the creation of its mission statement. This project also contains many different people's views on the study of philanthropy and the importance and success of the Center. The "Philanthropy: a history of fund raising" Project discusses the history of philanthropy and fundraising as a profession. The interviewees, all workers of different generations, discuss the various issues and changes the field of fundraising has faced over the years, with a major focus on fundraising in America. The changing public image of philanthropy, the introduction of women into the field, and the skills and techniques needed within the profession are all discussed in depth throughout the interviews. The major differences between various types of fundraising are also discussed.

This collection contains predominantly publications and reports of the America Reads Challenge program with correspondence, news clippings, posters, and a VHS. The America Reads Challenge, a national movement, was started to promote and ensure children's literacy in 1997 as part of President Clinton's Call to Action for Education. The publications are from the America Reads Challenge office creating teaching materials and guidebooks, and institutions that received grants for the program review by Marsha Adler, who was a director of Higher Education at the America Reads Challenge office.

Anna Margaret Ross Alexander (1913-1995) was an Indianapolis civic leader, and member and president of the Indianapolis Board of School Commissioners from 1966-1970 during the period when desegregation, integration of the teaching staff, and busing was initiated. Mrs. Alexander was an active member in diverse civic organizations, but the records collected mainly reflect her tenure on the School Board.

Vivian B. Allen (VBA) Foundation was created in 1938 in New York State by Vivian Beaumont Allen with the stated purpose, "to promote the well-being of mankind in the United States of America and elsewhere in the world, including as a means to that end research, publication, the establishment and maintenance of charitable, benevolent, religious and educational activities, agencies and institutions already established." Upon Mrs. Allen's death in 1962, VBA Foundation began to liquidate itself and was dissolved in 1971. The records consist of correspondence between VBA Foundation and grant applicants, including notification of awards or rejections, and descriptions of projects under consideration for grants; and administrative records and correspondence of the Board of Directors, including Board meeting agenda and minutes, and Memoranda distributed to the Board Members. The collection contains records dating back to 1946.

The A.L. Mailman Family Foundation was established in 1980 as a private, successor organization to the Mailman Foundation, which was founded by Abraham and Joseph Mailman in 1943. The foundation, named for Abe Mailman and originally chaired by his daughter, Dr. Marilyn Mailman Segal, provides grant funding for projects and programs concerning early childhood education and development. Initially, the Foundation's early grants supported applied research and model programs, but based on feedback and replication issues, the Foundation began to focus on products and practices intended to inform public policy. In 1993, the Directors of the Foundation decided to proactively address larger societal issues, such as racism, violence, and poverty, in addition to their continued support for early childhood education and family care. The Mailman Foundation Records contain board meeting minutes, symposia memorabilia, annual reports and administrative files, grant files and related publications, records of contributions, and correspondence.

Altrusa International, Inc. is an international service organization for professional and executive business women with membership on a limited classification basis. The National Association of Altrusa Clubs, founded in 1917 as Altrusa Institute, was the first national organization of business and professional women. In 1935 Altrusa became international and the name was changed to International Association of Altrusa Clubs, Inc. The organization's name was changed again in June 1947, to Altrusa International, Inc. The Indianapolis Altrusa Club was formed in April 1917. Its programs and activities have included vocational education and guidance, senior citizens programs, civic service and community service projects, financial assistance for graduate women from other countries and literacy related programs. The organization's objectives are to cultivate friendly relationships and solidarity among business and professional women to encourage mutual helpfulness; to provide vocational information and service to women of all ages; to encourage members to actively participate in community, national and international affairs, and to promote educational and cultural training. The records consist of legal documents, board and committee records, meeting files, financial records, correspondence, publications, special event materials, scrapbooks, news clippings and photographs.

American City Bureau, a fundraising consulting firm, works with not for profit organizations to design and run fund raising campaigns. Established in 1913 by Edgar and Harold Buttenheim, the company merged with Beaver and Associates in 1963. The firm has worked on capital campaigns on the national and local level. American City Bureau has been instrumental in developing campaigns for organizations such as the Young Men's Christian Association,(YMCA), the Young Women's Christian Association, (YWCA), United Fund, and the Salvation Army. The records detail the fund raising efforts and campaigns of the American City Bureau and its predecessor origins. It consists of 4 page reports of campaigns from Howard T. Beaver Associates, (later Beaver and Associates) from 1936-1963, campaign information from American City Bureau from 1944 -1995, conference addresses and programs, from 1938-1978, promotional materials and publications from 1919- 1973, and their newsletter, Bureau News from 1920-1976.

America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth was founded at the Presidents' Summit for America's Future in 1997. The Five Promises to children are at the core of America's Promise and are as follows: Caring Adults; Safe Places; a Healthy Start; Marketable Skills; and Opportunities to Serve.

The Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) was founded in 1971 by David Horton Smith and Bill Ready as the Association for Voluntary Action Scholars (AVAS). Their vision was to create an independent and impartial forum for researchers in the fledgling field of voluntary action and citizen participation. Major activities have included an annual conference and the publication of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly (NVSQ), formerly the Journal of Voluntary Action Research (JVAR); Citizen Participation and Voluntary Action Abstracts (CPVAA); and a newsletter. The organization's name change in 1991 signified diversification of the original mission, which now includes expanded outreach to researchers on nonprofit organizations and from previously neglected academic disciplines. The records consist of board and committee materials, correspondence, financial and administrative records, journals and newsletters, journal manuscript submissions, conference programs and proceedings, and grant proposals.

The National Society of Fund Raisers was organized in New York City in 1960 to serve as the professional association for fund raisers in America. The organization changed its name to the National Society of Fund Raising Executives (NSFRE) in the mid-1970s, and at about the same time hired its first executive director. In 1993 NSFRE had 15,903 individual members in 131 chapters, and maintained a national office in Alexandria, Virginia. Its name was again changed January 1, 2001, to the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Since its beginnings, the NSFRE has worked to promote professional and ethical standards through annual conferences, seminars, and publications. In the late 1970s, it instituted a program of certification for fund raising executives, and it has been active in supporting research and publicity on the role of philanthropy in American life.

The Beldon Fund was created in 1978 by environmental philanthropist John R. Hunting as a national foundation focused on advocating for environmental policy. From 1982 to 1998, the Beldon Fund provided grants to organizations like American Environment Inc., the Clean Water Fund, the Ohio Environmental Council, and the Idaho Conservation League. In 1998, John Hunting sold his stock in Steelcase Inc. and endowed Beldon with $100 million, prompting him to rethink the direction of the foundation. Hunting believed that increasing global warming and environmental destruction required immediate attention, and so he planned a ten-year spend-out of the Beldon Fund. Initially, Beldon made grants in five program areas, but in 2001, feedback indicated their scope was too broad for their spend-out timeframe. Beldon refocused into two program areas—the Key States program and the Human Health and the Environment program. The Beldon Fund made its last grants in June 2008 and closed its doors in 2009, after the completion of the spend-out. Over the last ten years of the fund, Beldon spent $120 million in grants and projects. The Beldon Fund Records consist of grant proposals, grant reports, notification of grants, board minutes, executive director records, financial and administrative records, and correspondence.

The Near Eastside Multi-Service Center (NEMSC) was founded in 1971 as a nonprofit, community-based agency designed to coordinate and provide social services and programs for the diverse population of the near eastside of Indianapolis. In 1994, NEMSC officially changed its name to the John H. Boner Community Center (JHBCC) in order to honor John H. Boner, a long-time active member and director of the organization. Historically, the JHBCC's services have shifted based on funding and community needs, but they largely focus on cooperating with other neighborhood and Indianapolis organizations to provide social services, housing, and community programming to inhabitants of the near eastside community.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis is a social service organization focusing on youth in Indianapolis. The organization started in 1893 as the Newsboy's Home. Founders of the home were Thomas C. Day; Caleb S. Denny, three term mayor of Indianapolis; Carrie Lowe Denny, his wife; and M.V. McGilliard, a local philanthropist. Today the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis operate ten clubs: five in clubhouse facilities and five clubs based at Indianapolis Public Schools. These clubs are strategically located in the city to serve the most at-risk youth. Programs offered by the organization's professional staff and volunteers include counseling, career development, cultural enrichment, social recreation, citizenship and leadership development, and individual and team sports. The records consist of association and individual club materials and include board of director's minutes, events and activities, fundraising and publicity, annual reports, individual club files, record books, photographs, and videos.