The Gradel Institute of Charity, the first Institute dedicated to the organisation of charities, rather than solely to giving, opened recently.
The Gradel Institute of Charity, based in New College, is the first of its kind. New College Warden and Chair of the Institute’s Governing Committee, Miles Young, said that it is “the first research centre in the world to concentrate on charities as organisations, not solely as a form of philanthropy”.
The Institute will conduct research to educate and inform third sector organisations and will be based in a striking tower which forms part of the College’s new Gradel Quadrangles.
The leading voices in charity and philanthropy from the UK and US have come together to form the Institute’s Executive and Governing Committee. Sir Stephen Bubb, the Executive Director, will be joined by Professor Peter Frumkin as the Academic Director. Sir Stephen has led the development of the charity sector in the UK through his 16-year leadership of the organisation for charity chief executives (ACEVO).
Professor Frumkin joins the Institute from the University of Pennsylvania where he is Heyer Chair in Social Policy and Faculty Director of the Center for Social Impact Strategy. He confirmed that:
“The Gradel Institute has the dual goal of catalysing the resources and expertise of the University of Oxford to develop new insights about charities, while also translating these ideas into programmes that engage leaders who are committed to achieving greater effectiveness in their work”.
The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP, who has supported the Institute since its inception, stated that:
“The establishment of the world’s first research centre focusing on charity is an inspiring and essential step towards understanding and addressing the critical challenges faced by charitable organisations. May its work pave the way for a better understanding of the sector and empower individuals and organisations to create lasting and positive change in society”.
Visit the Gradel Institute of Charity’s website to find out more about the Institute and its research.