Brokerage Roles of Higher Education Intermediary Organizations in Foundation-Sponsored Networks

• In Event: 61.057 - The Politics and Landscapes of Philanthropic Involvement in Pre-K–20 Education

Abstract

Researchers have observed that philanthropic foundations are increasingly active in higher education policy engagement, with many funders relying on intermediary organizations (IOs) to initiate reforms. Yet, little is known regarding the roles IOs have played in these intermediating relationships between funders and higher education systems. While some IOs may belong within one institutional class, they may not always play the same functional role as others in their cohort. One way to assess this empirically is through the Gould and Fernandez (1989,1994) broker analysis. Therefore, this study seeks to systematically investigate the intermediating roles of philanthropically sponsored IOs drawing on 2012 grant data and semi-structed interviews.

Author

• Nabih Haddad, Michigan State University