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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 Bruner Foundation was founded in 1963 using funds donated by Rudy and Martha Bruner. The foundation began with the purpose of aiding programs in health care and preventive medicine, and programs focused on Jewish concerns. Since the 1980s, the Bruner Foundation has broadened its purpose to include educational programs, evaluation of grant programs, and urban renovation. Today, the main activity of the foundation is the Rudy Bruner Award for Excellence in the Urban Environment, given every two years. The records consist mainly of the Bruner Foundation's activities since 1965. These documents include board minutes, grant records, educational programs, correspondence, conference proceedings, and the records of the Rudy Bruner Award for Excellence in the Urban Environment.

The Commission on Foundations and Private Philanthropy was formed by John D. Rockefeller, III, in 1969, and chaired by Peter Peterson, to objectively investigate foundations and their role in society. The Peterson Commission, as it was known, was designed to be influenced by neither the government nor the foundations they investigated. An objective appraisal of foundation activities was necessary to give the Commission the credibility it needed to influence Congress' decisions on foundation activities. By researching the roles of foundations in society, the members hoped to construct policy recommendations that made foundations more accountable while allowing them to maintain their independence from outside interference. This collection contains meeting minutes, correspondence, reports, speeches, the House of Representatives and Senate Hearings on the Tax Reform Law, and the foundation research collected by the commission that includes annual reports, surveys, articles, and correspondence.

The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University (COP) was established at IUPUI in 1987.The Center began offering academic courses in 1988. The Center also conducted research in various aspects of philanthropy and worked with other academic centers around the country involved in Philanthropic Studies on projects designed to educate the public about philanthropy and to increase philanthropic activity. In 2012 the IU Board of Trustees voted to establish the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and the school was formally inaugurated in 2013. The records in this collection detail the academic, research, and service activities of the school and document its relationship to other academic institutions and organizations involved in philanthropy and philanthropic studies. The records include correspondence, minutes, reports, and publications.