nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
research and education and the third sector, with particular interests in
voluntary action
Voluntary action is an anticipated goal-oriented movement. The concept of voluntary action arises in many areas of study, including cognitive psychology, operant conditioning, philosophy, neurology, criminology, and others. Additionally, voluntary ...
,
civil society
Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.Columbus OH to Professor William Van Til and Beatrice (Blaha) Van Til. He is married to Agnes Kover-Van Til; and has two children from an earlier marriage: Ross Van Til of
Louisville, Colorado
The City of Louisville () is a home rule municipality located in southeastern Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 21,226 at the 2020 United States census. Louisville began as a mining community in 1877, experienc ...
and Claire Van Til of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. Van Til received a BA (High Honors;
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
) from Swarthmore College in
Political Science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...
in 1961 and an MA in
Sociology
Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...
from the
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
in 1963. He earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...
in 1970. His dissertation title is “Becoming Participants: Dynamics of Access Among the Welfare Poor”. (
Robert Blauner
Robert "Bob" Blauner (May 18, 1929 – October 20, 2016) was an American sociology, sociologist, college professor and author. He introduced the theory of internal colonialism.
Biography
He was born in Chicago, Illinois.
Bob spent his high school ...
, advisor)
Recent Work
His recent writings on social movements in Hungary are reported in two co-edited books and in contributed articles in the Huffington Post. Van Til divides his time between homes in Seelyville, Indiana and Budapest. He is married to Agnes Kover, the Hungarian human rights lawyer and sociologist.
Van Til is the past director of the Pennsylvania Law and Justice Institute (1972–1974), and served as Editor-in-Chief of
Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly
''Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal that covers research on the nonprofit and voluntary sector. The journal's editors are Joanne Carman (University of North Carolina at Charlotte) and Jaclyn Piatak (Univ ...
from 1989 to 1992 (formerly the Journal of Voluntary Action Research from 1978 through 1989. He was twice elected President of the Association of Voluntary Action Scholars, and is the founding board chair of the Center for Nonprofit Corporations (Trenton, New Jersey). Van Til has also served as a Trustee of the George H. Gallup International Institute. Among the national clients of Van Til's consulting in the area of voluntary and nonprofit action have been the National Service Secretariat, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Health Visions Inc., the University of Colorado, the University of Pennsylvania, and the United Way of Central Indiana.
In 1991 he was recognized as "Creative Teacher of the Year" at Rutgers for developing his campus' program in Citizenship and Service Education. In 1994, he received the Career Award for Distinguished Research and Service from the Association for Research in Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action.
Van Til was named Fulbright Distinguished Professor at the University of Ulster during the Spring term, 2004, serving in the Magee College's INCORE and Centre for Voluntary Action Studies. In the academic year 2005–6 he served as Fulbright Senior Specialist at INCORE.
Van Til served as Fulbright Specialist to Hungary's ELTE University for the academic year 2010–11, and at the Budapest University of Jewish Studies in 2014. He continues at that university at present, serving as visiting senior scholar and an active pracademic in the Budapest community. He also serves as senior visiting scholar at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Van Til also served as President of the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter of the
Fulbright Association
The Fulbright Association is an American 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose members are Fulbright Program alumni and friends of international education. Established on February 27, 1977, the association supports and promotes international edu ...
, and as Anna Deane Carlson Distinguished Visiting Chair in Social Science at
West Virginia University
West Virginia University (WVU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Ins ...
from 2003 to 2005. His biography has been included in
Who's Who in America
Marquis Who's Who, also known as A.N. Marquis Company ( or ), is an American publisher of a number of directories containing short biographies. The books usually are entitled ''Who's Who in...'' followed by some subject, such as ''Who's Who in A ...
after 2006.
Bibliography
Books
His twelve books include Van Til, Jon (2008). Breaching Derry's Walls. Growing Civil Society (2008, 2000), Mapping the Third Sector: Voluntarism in a Changing Social Economy; (1988), and Living With Energy Shortfall (1982).
Edited books
''The Hungarian Patient'' co-edited with Peter Krasztev. Budapest and New York: Central European University Press. 2015.
''Tarka Ellenallas''. (The Colors Revolution), co-edited with Peter Krasztev. Budapest: Napvilag Kiadonal, 2013.
''Resolving Community Conflicts and Problems: Public Deliberation and Sustained Dialogue''. Columbia University Press, 2011 (co-edited with Roger A. Lohmann).
''Gabor Hegyesi ’60—A Festschrift'' (co-edited with Andras Kelen). Budapest College of Management Press, 2008
''Nonprofit Boards of Directors''. co-edited with Robert Herman (Transaction Press, 1988)
''Shifting the Debate: Public/Private Sector Relations in the Modern Welfare State''. co-edited with Susan Ostrander and Stuart Langton (Transaction Press, 1987)
''Leaders and Followers: Challenges for the Future''., co-edited with Trudy Heller and Louis Zurcher (JAI Press, 1986.)
''International Perspectives on Voluntary Action Research'', co-edited with David Horton Smith. (University Press of America, 1982).
Encyclopedia and major handbook articles
“Grassroots Social Movements and the Shaping of History”, with Gabor Hegyesi and Jennifer Eschweiler. Ch. 23 in Ram Cnaan and Carl Milofsky, eds., Handbook of Community Movements and Local Organizations. New York: Springer. pp. 362–377. 2006.
"Civil Society", with Timothy Peterson. In Philanthropy in America: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia, Dwight F. Burlingame, Editor. ABC-Clio. 2004.
"Utopian Thought in Philanthropy." In Philanthropy in America: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia, Dwight F. Burlingame, Editor. ABC-Clio.
"Nonprofit Organizations and Social Institutions." Ch. 2 in Robert Herman, ed., The Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership and Management. second edition (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass). pp. 39–62.2002
"Voluntary Associations", with Arthur P. Williamson. In International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. Elsevier Science Ltd. 2001
“Change Leadership or Change Management?” With David A. Pettrone Swalve. Ch. 3 in Tracy Daniel Connors, ed., The Nonprofit Management Handbook: Management. Third edition (New York: Wiley). pp. 65–83.
"Metaphors and Visions for the Voluntary Sector." Ch. 1 in Tracy Daniel Connors, ed., The Volunteer Management Handbook. (New York: Wiley). 1995. pp. 3–11.
"National Service: Twenty Questions and Some Answers." Ch. 18 in Tracy Daniel Connors, ed., The Volunteer Management Handbook. (New York: Wiley). pp. 361–378. 1994
"Nonprofit Organizations and Social Institutions." Ch. 2 in Robert Herman, ed., The Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership and Management. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass). pp. 44–64.