Dear Friends and Colleagues:
It is with a mix of gratitude and sadness that I share the news that the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies will officially cease active operations as of Friday, January 14, 2022. While this decision was difficult, it is the only appropriate course of action following the passing of our Founder and Director, Dr. Lester Salamon in August of last year.
Since its founding in 1987, the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies has served as a leading source of ground-breaking research and knowledge about the nonprofit sector, philanthropy, volunteering, and the tools of government. Working in nearly 50 countries and involving more than 800 researchers over its 35-year history, the Center always prioritized collaboration, working closely with governments, the United Nations Statistics Division, the International Labour Organization, statistical agencies, nonprofit and volunteer associations, and independent researchers around the world to put this sector on the economic map of countries for the first time. The result is an unparalleled body of global data on this sector and a far deeper understanding of the role it plays in countries around the world. Dr. Salamon was particularly proud of the global community of scholars, practitioners, and advocates that emerged from the vast array of research and training programs conducted by the Center over the years, and who will continue to advance his commitment to excellence in pursuing new knowledge about this crucial sector.
While the Center will no longer be active in producing new work, the good news is that the Johns Hopkins University has agreed to allow the Center’s website—including our database of more than 600 publications—to remain accessible so that these important resources can continue to inform the understanding of the civil society sector in the years to come. In addition, Center colleagues are available to answer questions and to offer insight about our projects. You can find contact information for each project on the related pages on the Center website.
Finally, there are several events and publications in the works to honor Dr. Salamon and the Center’s legacy over the next year. While it is too early to share specific information about these tributes, I will do so when details become available. And in turn, I hope that you will reach out about any related tributes, events, memories, or important project-related updates that you would like to share as well!
In closing, my colleagues and I are profoundly grateful for the support we have received from our colleagues around the world—both over the course of our careers at the Center and during the recent difficult months since Lester’s passing. It has been an honor to collaborate with you, and we look forward to staying in touch and supporting your efforts to continue this work going forward.
With warm regards and thanks,
Chelsea Newhouse
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Communications Manager
Project Manager, Philanthropication thru Privatization (PtP) & Nonprofit Economic Data (NED)
Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies
Baltimore, MD USA
chelsea.newhouse@jhu.edu
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