Peter Frumkin is the Academic Director of the Gradel Institute of Charity at New College, Oxford University and the Heyer Chair in Social Policy and Faculty Director of the Center for Social Impact Strategy, both the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice (on leave). Frumkin is the author of On Being Nonprofit (Harvard University Press, 2002), which considers the changing roles and responsibilities of nonprofit organizations in American democracy. His book, Strategic Giving: The Art and Science of Philanthropy, was published by the University of Chicago Press in 2006. It has been touted by reviewers as the “benchmark text for the field” and “the most penetrating exploration of contemporary philanthropy now available.” In 2010, two books by Frumkin were published: Serving Country and Community (Harvard University Press), which examines the effectiveness of the volunteer service programs AmeriCorps and VISTA, and The Essence of Strategic Giving: A Practical Guide for Donors and Fundraisers (University of Chicago Press). Additional books by Frumkin include The Strategic Management of Charter Schools (Harvard 2011), Building for the Arts (Chicago 2014) and Social Impact (UPenn 2017). Prior to coming to Penn, Frumkin taught at the University of Texas’ Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Before academics, Frumkin worked as a foundation program officer and as a program evaluator in both nonprofit and public agencies. Frumkin received his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago.

Research Interests

Frumkin is currently at work on several new experiments related to nonprofit management, corporate social responsibility and advocacy work in nonprofit organizations.  He is also developing a new book, Philanthropy: A Very Short Introduction, for Oxford University Press.

Selected Publications

Peter Frumkin and Mark A. Hager. “The Nonprofit Sector.” Encyclopedia of Nonprofit Management, Leadership, and Governance, ed. by Kevin Kearns and Wenjiun Wang, London: Edward Elgar Publishing 2024.

Allison R. Russell, Michael Frisone, Peter Frumkin. “Layoffs during a pandemic: Results from an experiment on the management practices of nonprofit organizations and business firms.” Nonprofit Management and Leadership. 2023, October: 1-29.

Yuan Tian, Chiako Hung, Peter Frumkin. “An experimental test of the impact of corporate social responsibility on consumers' purchasing behavior: The mediation role of trust.” Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. 2020, 27 (6): 2972-2982.

Yuan Tian, Chiako Hung and Peter Frumkin. “Breaking the Nonprofit Starvation Cycle? An Experimental Test. Journal of Behavioral Public Administration, 2020, 3 (1): 1-19.