Austin Detwiler

Austin Detwiler works for AmPhil, a consulting firm whose mission is to strengthen civil society by improving the effectiveness of charitable foundations and nonprofit organizations. Previously he was the Assistant Director of the Matthew J. Ryan Center at Villanova University, as well as an adjunct professor in their Augustine and Culture Seminar Program. His expertise includes grant writing, strategic planning, and donor communications. He serves on the boards of Martin Saints Classical High School and the Charlotte Mason Educational Center, and is a founding director of the Philadelphia Catholic Scholars Program.

Austin has a master’s degree in theology from Villanova University and bachelor’s in Philosophy and Political Theory from the Templeton Honors College. He lives with his family in Conshohocken, PA.

Reach Austin at austin@philanthropydaily.com.


tax-exempt religious
Religious congregations deserve tax-exempt status for non-pecuniary reasons, too

Religious organizations make us more charitable, but they provide a more basic benefit: giving individuals a social identity.

musk
Elon Musk, “philanthropist”

The strangeness of Elon Musk’s statement explaining his Twitter purchase exposes the strangeness of billionaire “philanthropy.”


billionaire philanthropy
Billionaire philanthropy and the corrupting influence of money

What motivates the “philanthropy” of billionaires?

Forbes 400
Forbes ranks the wealthiest Americans’ charitable giving

As it turns out, the wealthiest Americans are not doling out their fortunes in vast percentages.


acquisition
Fundraising when times are bad: donor acquisition

You may feel the need to cut costs, but don’t be caught up into thinking that donor acquisition is the place to cut back.

recession
Fundraising when times are bad: a new series

Stay tuned for a new series from American Philanthropic and Philanthropy Daily—”Fundraising When Times Are Bad”—to help you navigate today’s recession.


independence day
Happy Independence Day

Backyard beers and barbecues foster not only merriment but also our “mystic chords of memory.”

pro-life movement
The pro-life movement after Roe

In the wake of Dobbs, the pro-life movement has a tall task before it: keeping donors engaged while waging battles in each of the fifty states.


Sasse
Death by disassociation: a review of Them by Senator Ben Sasse

Loneliness is killing us. Ben Sasse’s “Them” addresses a growing health crisis today—loneliness—and the effect of loneliness on individual and communal health, as well as contemporary politics.

physical world, direct mail
“The physical world still matters”

It’s the “digital age” but direct mail still works. We might even see a “golden age” of direct mail.