NATIONAL EXPERT ON WEALTH AND GIVING TO DISCUSS MAKING CHARITABLE GIVING MEANINGFUL
Dr. Paul G. Schervish, a nationally recognized expert on wealth, spirituality and giving, will be the speaker for the Fifth Annual Thomas H. Lake Lecture in Indianapolis April 10th and 11th. The program is presented by the Lake Institute on Faith & Giving at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.
Schervish's work focuses on giving by people of wealth, what motivates their philanthropy, and the influence of personal and spiritual values on giving. He will discuss "Receiving and Giving as Spiritual Exercise," exploring how spiritual aspects of both receiving and giving affect the giver, personal relationships and the greater community.
Noting that many individuals and cultures today are experiencing an age of affluence, Schervish says, "The leading question of this era is not just how to appropriately accumulate great wealth, but how to allocate it for deeper purposes…for what I call a moral and spiritual citizenship of care."
Schervish says that many people today are conscientiously seeking to discern how their wealth can best help them carry out their values, accomplish a greater good in society and care for others. He notes that this type of thoughtful giving is important for all people across the economic spectrum, not just the wealthy.
Schervish is director of the Center on Wealth and Philanthropy and professor of sociology at Boston College. Research he conducted there with his colleague John Havens predicts that the United States is about to experience the largest intergenerational transfer of wealth in American history. Their model estimates in 2007 buying power that from 1998 through 2052 some $52 trillion will change hands through estates and that $3 trillion to $7 trillion of this amount will go directly to charities through bequests, with an additional $20 trillion to $24 trillion going to charities through lifetime giving.
A Fulbright Scholar, Schervish earned a master's degree in sociology from Northwestern University, a Master of Divinity Degree from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, and a doctorate in sociology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
People interested in hearing Schervish's remarks will have two opportunities to do so:
On Thursday, April 10, he will deliver the Lake Lecture, and following the lecture, a panel of local and national financial and legal advisors, nonprofit fundraisers and religious leaders will engage Schervish in a public conversation about his remarks. A reception will begin at 4:15 p.m., with the address and conversation following at 5:00 p.m. The reception and lecture are free and open to the public, but seating is limited and reservations are requested. To register for the event, please visit http://www.philanthropy.iupui.edu/LakeFamilyInstitute/schervish_lecture.aspx or contact Shaina Miller at sm37@iupui.edu or by calling 317-278-8955.
On Friday, April 11, Schervish will give a more in-depth version of the lecture. A breakfast reception will begin at 9:30 a.m., with the lecture following at 10:00 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required, but space is limited.
Both days' events will be held at University Place Conference Center & Hotel, 50 West Michigan Street, on the campus of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University is a leading academic center dedicated to increasing the understanding of philanthropy and improving its practice through research, teaching, public service and public affairs programs in philanthropy, fundraising, and management of nonprofit organizations. A part of the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI, the Center operates programs on the IUPUI and IU Bloomington campuses.
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