Proposed Research Awards

AWARD AMOUNT: $10,000 USD

This is not a typical research grant. The RGK-ARNOVA President’s Award provides a $10,000 USD prize to a member of ARNOVA to support basic research and theory building in the field of philanthropic, nonprofit and voluntary action studies.  We are looking for new, creative work, and especially encourage projects that incorporate and apply insights, frameworks and theories from the social sciences to the study of nonprofit organizations, philanthropy and volunteerism.  One grant is made each year, assuming a worthy proposal is submitted.

The award recipient will be expected to:

• agree to research, develop and write a paper on the topic selected by the RGK Center-ARNOVA President’s Award program;
• deliver a copy of the paper to the RGK Center by November 15th of the year following the public announcement of the research award; and grant the RGK Center permission to post the paper on its website, thereby making it publicly available (in coordination with any journal or publication-related timelines communicated by the researcher).

Submission Requirements

• Proposals should not exceed 5 pages in length, single spaced and should include the following: It should describe the concepts, issues or problems to be explored, and the theoretical framework for the exploration. The author may attach a summary of literature that the project will draw on. A letter describing the author’s background and how that prepares them to undertake this research successfully should be included. Finally, a brief budget may be submitted that shows how the award funds will be used.

Submissions should be ordered as follows:

• • Letter to the committee
  • Five-page proposal, single-spaced
  • Budget (if including)

• The proposal narrative should describe the character of and approach to the research to be pursued. If it involves data gathering and analysis, the proposal should describe data sources the project will use (or develop), and the methodologies to be employed in collection and analysis.  It should explain the expected significance of this research and how it will advance a broader and deeper understanding of one or more of the important elements of philanthropy, nonprofits, voluntary action or civil society
• The proposer’s Curriculum Vitae
• All proposals must be submitted electronically in a single PDF formatted file to assure their integrity

Additional notes

• At least one of the proposal authors need to be active members of ARNOVA prior to the notification date
• The award prize will be paid by the RGK center according to their terms and conditions. The award winner(s) will be contacted by the RGK center to sign a contract before the funds are released. RGK makes a commitment to providing half the award amount at the time of the public announcement and the remaining half of the award amount upon receipt by the RGK Center of the research paper
• The award recipient is expected to pay and register for the Annual Conference as condition of acceptance of the award. Exceptions may apply and be considered by the ARNOVA staff case by case
• Award recipient is responsible for booking and paying their accommodations during conference
• The award recipient may be asked to serve on the committee in the following year

IMPORTANT DATES

2024 dates to be confirmed.

2023 - Beth Gazley, Indiana University Bloomington, Rachel Cash, Indiana University Bloomington, “Is the Nonprofit Social Safety Net Prepared for Climate Change?”

2022 - Jiahuan Lu, Rutgers University-Newark, "Black Live Matters, Stop Asian Hate, ...: Do Nonprofits Make A Difference?"

2021 - Viviana Wu, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Ji Ma, The University of Texas at Austin, and Chao Guo, University of Pennsylvania, "The Matthew Effect in American Generosity? Examining Inequality in Philanthropic Capacity Across Place and Time"┃Watch Acceptance Video

2020 - Marlene Walk, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs IUPUI, Kerry Kuenzi, University of Wisconsin Green Bay, and Amanda J. Stewart, North Carolina State University, "Career Intentions, Commitment to the Nonprofit Sector, and COVID-19: Insights from Nonprofit Graduate Alumni"

2019 - Gary Adler, Penn State, Damon Mayrl, Colby College, Rebecca Sager, Loyola Marymount University and Jonathan Coley, Oklahoma State University, "The Contexts and Beliefs of Bureaucrats: Regulation of Local Church-State Relationships in a New Era"

2018 - Catherine Herrold, Lilly Family School at IUPUI, "Resurrecting Civil Society?: Grassroots Organizations and Citizen Empowerment in Palestine"

2017 - Susan Appe, Binghamton University, SUNY and Allison Schnable, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, “Balancing the Professional with the Expressive: Organizational Learning and Grassroots International NGOs”

2016 - Kelly LeRoux, University of Illinois at Chicago, "Racial Diversity and Organizational Performance in the U.S. Nonprofit Sector"

2015 - Reza Hasmath, University of Alberta

2014 - Jennifer Mosley

2013 - Brad Fulton, Department of Sociology at Duke University, “Bridging and Bonding: How Religious and Racial Diversity Influence Organizational Effectiveness”

2012 - Beth Gazley, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University-Bloomington, "The Rise of School-Supporting Nonprofits"

2011 - Melissa Stone, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota,"Toward Understanding Governance In Hybrid Organizations: The Case Of Minnesota’s Charter Schools"

2010 - Eve Garrow, University of California, Los Angeles, "Competing Institutional Logics and the Dynamics of Institutionalization: A Comparative Case Study of Nonprofit Work Integration Social Enterprises"