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Keywords

pracademia, pracademics, research for practice

Abstract

For many nonprofits around the world, accessing relevant research, data, and strategies to drive change can be a barrier to success. This gap between nonprofit practitioners and researchers is compounded by the high cost of academic articles, the limited availability of non-English publications, and the lack of practical tools to translate research into actionable strategies.

This paper examines the intersection of research for practice, applied research, and “pracademic” scholarship, highlighting how these approaches can expand the capacity of nonprofit professionals to create meaningful change in their communities. Furthermore, bridging the divide between research and practice has the potential to help practitioners make more informed decisions, as well as help academics improve the relevance and validity of their research.

To ground this topic in lived experience, this paper will also highlight an interview with Dr. Dana Doan, Director of the Global Philanthropy Indices at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and Co-Convener of ISTR’s Research for Practice Affinity Group. With over 20 years of nonprofit experience around the world, Doan considers herself to be a pracademic who is passionate about combining research and practice to make change in the nonprofit sector.

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