In the fall of 2002, the Heyman Center began inviting individuals, primarily public policy professors, to meet regularly to catalyze research on the subject of understanding foundation strategy choice and measuring the impact of such strategies. The group, known as the Foundation Impact Research Group (FIRG), has continued to meet during the academic semesters since the group’s inception. The FIRG seminars are now orchestrated out of the Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society (CSPCS), which works hand in hand with the Heyman Center for ethics..

While the seminars have a primary goal of stimulating research and teaching by faculty colleagues and students on foundation decision-making and impact, as well as on the roles foundations play in general and the different ways in which they play such roles, we also invite the heads, former heads and trustees of several foundations located in North Carolina, as well as individual philanthropists, who tell us that they find our speakers’ presentations to be valuable in keeping them updated about problems, solutions and new directions in the national and global world of philanthropy.

More information on these seminars, as well as the upcoming semester’s featured speakers, can be found on the Center for Strategic Philanthropy’s website.