Susan Phillips

Susan Phillips is a Professor and Interim Chief Advancement Officer at the School of Public Policy and Administration, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. She holds concurrent roles as Honours Visiting Fellow at Queensland University of Technology’s Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies, and Associate at the University of St. Andrews’ Centre for the Study of Philanthropy and Public Good. Her work focuses on philanthropy, nonprofit governance, and public administration, with particular emphasis on policy capture, disaster philanthropy, and place-based grantmaking.

Phillips has received prestigious awards including the J.E. Hodgetts Award for Best Paper (2018), Distinguished Research Career Recognition from CAPPA (2019), and Carleton University’s Impact Award (2015). Her research explores regulatory regimes, nonprofit financial sustainability, and the intersection of celebrity advocacy with public policy.

Recent publications highlight her expertise in disaster response philanthropy, nonprofit coalition dynamics, and cross-national comparisons of grantmaking practices. She supervises graduate students like Christopher Dougherty and actively contributes to policy dialogues through initiatives like Canada’s Standards Program assessment and community foundation impact evaluations.