Patrick Rooney Chosen to Lead the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University

INDIANAPOLIS, June 3, 2009 — Patrick M. Rooney, Ph.D., has been selected as the next executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University following a nationwide search, Charles R. Bantz, Chancellor of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), announced today.

“Patrick Rooney is the ideal person to lead the Center on Philanthropy into the future,” Bantz said. “In this exciting era of new ideas and new directions in philanthropy, Patrick’s leadership, research expertise, and passion for improving philanthropy will enable the Center to play a leading international role in philanthropy’s future.”

Rooney is a nationally respected leader in the nonprofit sector, an accomplished scholar, educator, and author, and one of the nation’s foremost experts in philanthropy research. He has served as the Center’s interim executive director since September 2008.

“Philanthropy is at the heart of meeting people’s needs, enriching their lives, and uniting communities. The Center on Philanthropy equips the people involved philanthropy to carry out those vital missions,” Rooney said. “I am honored to have been chosen to lead this Center, which has made so many important contributions to philanthropy, and to have the opportunity to take it to new levels of leadership and service to nonprofits, donors and volunteers.”

As the Center’s first full-time director of research, Rooney created its formal in-house research program, building it into one of the premier philanthropy research organizations in the nation. He also served as the Center’s chief operating officer for two years. A professor of Philanthropic Studies and Economics at IUPUI, Rooney formerly was special assistant to the Indiana University vice president for long-range planning and chancellor of IUPUI and simultaneously served as assistant dean for academic programs for Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus.

“These are challenging times in the nonprofit sector, and there is tremendous energy and excitement at the Center for helping philanthropy overcome those challenges to change lives and communities,” Rooney said. “The unique synergy among the Center’s education, research and training programs and professional practice equips nonprofits to operate more efficiently, effectively, and transparently, generate engagement and trust, and build their capacity to make a difference. I am looking forward to working with the Center’s outstanding board of visitors, donors, faculty, staff, alumni and students to advance this important work.”