Academic and Practitioner Collaborations in Fundraising Research: A Case Study of One Action Research–Driven Collaboration

Abstract

Academic and practitioner collaborations can improve both research and practice, particularly in fundraising. This article presents a case study of one academic practitioner collaboration. Jones is an assistant professor from a research-focused university and Daniel holds a development leadership position at The Nature Conservancy (TNC), a global nonprofit organization with revenues greater than $2 billion. First, we make the case that academic-practitioner collaborations are important and underutilized in fundraising research. Second, we describe our collaboration, including how we got started, the studies we have completed together, and the challenges we faced. Third, we explain the overarching action research approach we took to developing the collaboration as a whole. Finally, we close with recommendations for future collaborations and the implications of future collaborations on fundraising and fundraising research. Subscribe to JNEL