VIVIANA WU, PhD
UMass Amherst School of Public Policy
I am an Assistant Professor at the UMass Amherst School of Public Policy and the Principal Investigator of the Community For Impact (C4I) Lab. As a nonprofit scholar, I employ a diverse methodological toolkit—including quantitative, qualitative, and computational methods—to investigate how nonprofits, foundations, and communities drive social and policy change. My research focuses on three key areas:
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Philanthropy: The role of place-based giving and how communities shape and are shaped by philanthropic giving
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Community Leadership: Leadership strategies within nonprofit and philanthropic organizations to catalyze social change
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Social Media Advocacy: How nonprofits use online platforms for advocacy and public engagement
A critical aspect of my work examines the inequalities of philanthropic resources and the distribution of power within the nonprofit sector. Collectively, my work draws on an interdisciplinary perspective to advance theoretical development and fosters a critical understanding of how inequality manifests in the nonprofit sector, alongside endeavors to democratize power and promote social change.
Explore My Work
I invite you to explore my ongoing and published work below:
About My Work
My research has been featured in leading nonprofit and public management journals, including Public Management Review, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Voluntas, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, and Academy of Management Proceedings. My research has earned recognition through several prestigious awards, including the Editors’ Prize for Best Scholarly Paper in Nonprofit Management and Leadership, the ARNOVA Best Conference Paper Award, the Emerging Scholar Award, and the RGK-ARNOVA President’s Research Award. My work has been externally funded by the RGK Foundation, the Institute for Humane Studies, the Generosity Commission, the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), and the University of Pennsylvania.
I served as the Managing Editor of NVSQ (2015-2020) with Chao Guo, Susan Phillips, and Angela Bies and currently serve on the leadership teams for the Donor Advised Fund Common Interest Group, the Data and Analytics Section (DAS), the Theory, Issues, Boundaries Section (TIBS), the Development Committee, and the consultative working groups of ARNOVA. I am a worship vocalist, an aspiring ceramicist, a mom, and a Hongkonger.
Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly. Micah 6:8
Research Focus
Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership
Inequality and Place-based disadvantage
Social Media Advocacy
Computational Methods &
Mixed Methods
Education
2016-2020
PhD in Social Welfare (Nonprofit Mgmt)
University of Pennsylvania
2015
MS in Nonprofit Leadership
University of Pennsylvania
2014
LLB (Bachelor of Law)
University of Hong Kong
2012
BSocSc in Government & Laws
University of Hong Kong
Funders
