Dr. Tyrone McKinley Freeman
Speaker; Assistant Professor of Philanthropic Studies and Director of Undergraduate Programs, Indiana University
Tyrone McKinley Freeman is an award-winning scholar and teacher who serves as assistant professor of philanthropic studies and director of undergraduate programs at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Previously, he was a professional fundraiser for social services, community development, and higher education organizations. He was also associate director of The Fund Raising School where he trained nonprofit leaders in the United States, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
His research focuses on the history of African American philanthropy, philanthropy in communities of color, the history of American philanthropy, and philanthropy and fundraising in higher education. His book, Madam C.J. Walker’s Gospel of Giving: Black Women’s Philanthropy during Jim Crow (University of Illinois Press, 2020) examines African American women’s history of charitable giving, activism, education, and social service provision through the life and example of Madam C.J. Walker, the early twentieth century black philanthropist and entrepreneur.
His work has appeared or been cited in O: The Oprah Magazine, TIME, BBC News, Newsweek, NewsOne, Blavity, The Conversation, Black Perspectives, Chronicle of Philanthropy, and the Stanford Social Innovation Review.
He is co-author of Race, Gender and Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations (2011 Palgrave MacMillan). A proud HBCU grad, Tyrone earned a B.A. in English/Liberal Arts from Lincoln University (PA), a M.S. in Adult Education from Indiana University, a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Ball State University, and a Ph.D. in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University.
