Brad Fulton, an associate professor at the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, has been recognized with the 2025 RGK-ARNOVA President’s Award from the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action.
The President’s Award, offered by the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at the University of Texas at Austin and ARNOVA, encourages innovative, foundational research in the field of nonprofit and philanthropic studies. Fulton, who directs The Philanthropy Lab at IU, was recognized for his project, “Philanthropic Redlining: Examining How Structural Racism Shapes Foundation Giving.” This research examines whether racial bias influences the distribution of philanthropic funding, and thereby contributes to racial disparities.
“I have a great team of people working with me, and it means a lot for us to receive the recognition that comes with this award,” Fulton said. “At the Philanthropy Lab, we combine data science with social science to advance charitable activity. As a result, we’re helping nonprofits be more effective in grantseeking and foundations be more strategic in grantmaking.”
Fulton and his team compiled data on 10 million grants and constructed a foundation-grantee network of the entire nonprofit sector. This network dataset is helping researchers, practitioners, and policymakers track the sources and distribution of philanthropic funding and assess its impact.
“Our goal is to identify gaps in funding and ensure that funding goes to the places with the greatest needs,” Fulton said. “We’re helping the field move more money, more strategically to achieve the most impact.”
The President’s Award will allow Fulton and his team to further examine how structural bias and network constraints influence the distribution of philanthropic funds.
“We are incredibly proud of Brad and the impact he has had both as a scholar and as a mentor,” said Siân Mooney, dean of the O’Neill School. “This award is a testament to the relevance of his research and his commitment to strengthening the nonprofit sector for the public good.”
The award will be formally presented at ARNOVA’s 54th Annual Conference in Indianapolis Nov. 20-22.