Beth’s Dissertation Tour

Dr. Elizabeth M. Gillespie’s dissertation, Philanthropy, Social Change, and Feminism:
Understanding U.S. Women’s Foundations and Funds, was generously supported by
the Women’s Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University through a major grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This critical funding enabled extensive national travel to conduct in-depth, in-person interviews with leaders of women’s grantmaking foundations and funds across the United States. These site visits provided rich, grounded qualitative data, anchoring the research in the real-world experiences of philanthropic practitioners.
Dr. Gillespie’s dissertation journey included visits to a diverse range of cities and
communities, including:

These travels resulted in the production of two comprehensive reports and a peer-
reviewed journal article that have contributed valuable insights to the fields of
philanthropy, gender equity, and social change philanthropy. Beyond these publications, the dissertation continues to guide Dr. Gillespie’s research agenda, inspiring ongoing studies at the intersection of feminism, social change philanthropy, women’s philanthropic leadership, and women’s grantmaking foundations and funds.

“Beth’s Dissertation Tour” not only represents a period of immersive fieldwork but also a pivotal milestone in advancing scholarship and practice related to women’s leadership in philanthropy and the transformative potential of gender-informed grantmaking for social change.