International Philanthropy and Engagement
July 2009
In the first week of June I took a trip to Seoul, South Korea with IU President Michael McRobbie and other IU officials to meet with alumni and donors, to be a part of the IU Asian Alumni Reunion, and to speak at the Beautiful Foundation.
An international understanding of philanthropy—identifying, appreciating, and sharing varying cultural views, tradition, practices, and innovations—has never been more timely or important than it is in today’s global community. And researchers, scholars, and universities play a unique and critical role in facilitating international cooperation, sharing best practices, and effecting change in the world.
The tendency of most U.S. citizens is to describe philanthropy as a uniquely American phenomenon; however, giving and philanthropy are integral and often ancient parts of every society. Populations are migrating and growing across international borders, and technology is creating immediate access to information. With the click of a button, more people are aware of and interested in supporting charitable causes around the world and in internationalizing Indiana and Indiana University. It is our job to recognize this changing perspective and to understand how this affects our relationships with our alumni and donors and to take action in addressing these changing dynamics.
As a noteworthy example of this phenomenon, according to Giving USA 2009, giving by Americans to international affairs—organizations that represent areas of relief, development, and humanitarian aid—was an estimated $13.3 billion, 4 percent of total estimated giving in 2008.
Korea is a beautiful land with a fascinating culture and warm and generous people. It is an emerging economic leader and the home of an evolving philanthropic tradition. The Beautiful Foundation was established in 2000 as a Korean national community foundation. The purpose of the foundation is to promote philanthropy among the general Korean public as a way to establish a sustainable and systematic culture of giving at all levels of Korean society. The IU Center on Philanthropy maintains close ties with the Beautiful Foundation by conducting research and running educational programs there.
While in Korea, all of us from IU enjoyed our time with alumni, donors, and friends from Korea and other Asian nations. The IU Alumni Association and Korean representatives organized an informative and substantive reunion. President McRobbie made important connections with universities in Korea, and I had the opportunity to speak on challenges and opportunities in philanthropy with Beautiful Foundation officials.
In order to effectively engage all of IU’s international alumni and friends, we need to challenge ourselves to learn about and respect other cultures and their traditions. We have many international alumni and it is our responsibility to build this camaraderie, country by country.
I look forward to working with my colleagues in identifying ways we can adapt our practices in meeting not only the engagement and giving needs of our friends in the U.S. as well as our ever increasing international community of Indiana University supporters.
Cordially,
Eugene R. Tempel
President
Indiana University Foundation
