Meghan Sullivan, Ph.D. presents 2026 Thomas H. Lake Lecture
The Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, a part of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, invites the public to the 21st annual Thomas H. Lake Lecture on Thursday, September 3, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
This year’s lecture, The Samaritan, the Levite, and the Innkeeper: Three Approaches to the Ethics of Philanthropy, will feature Meghan Sullivan, Ph.D. who will explore the moral foundations of generosity and the different ways we understand our responsibilities to others.
Dr. Sullivan will dive into one of history’s most famous stories, the parable of the good Samaritan, with a fresh lens. The lecture will explore the moral foundations of generosity and the different ways we understand our responsibilities to others. She’ll explore the ethical frameworks embedded in the story and what it can teach us about different approaches to giving and caring for others.
Attendees will walk away with meaningful insights to help guide their own thinking about how we practice philanthropy today.
EVENT DETAILS:
- WHAT: The Samaritan, the Levite, and the Innkeeper: Three Approaches to the Ethics of Philanthropy
- WHEN: Thursday, September 3, 2026 | 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Reception to follow)
- WHERE: Hine Hall Auditorium, 875 W. North St., Indianapolis
- Cost: Free, but registration is requested.
- Online option: Can’t make it? Register to join online.
About the Speaker: Meghan Sullivan, Ph.D. is the Wilsey Family Professor of Philosophy and Director of the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Ethics and the Common Good. The university hub for research and teaching in ethics, the Institute includes the new Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C, Center for Virtue Ethics and the Notre Dame–IBM Technology Ethics Lab. The Institute is home to faculty, program chairs, postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, and undergraduates and runs several residential fellowship programs for faculty, nonprofit leaders, and faith leaders. Sullivan currently directs a $50M grant with the Lilly Endowment to build a network of educators, faith leaders, technologists, journalists and others to consider what human formation looks like in the era of powerful AI.
About Lake Institute on Faith & Giving
Lake Institute on Faith & Giving fosters a deeper understanding of the dynamic relationship between faith and giving, through research, education and public conversation. The institute offers customized programs that translates data and giving trends into practical tools. Lake Institute supports the development of research designed to explore the broad context of religious giving. Through public forums we engage practitioners, scholars and the community in thoughtful conversation and reflection. Lake Institute is a program of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.
About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IU Indianapolis is the world’s first and only school dedicated solely to the study and teaching of philanthropy. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its undergraduate, graduate, certificate and professional development programs, its research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. For more information, visit philanthropy.indianapolis.iu.edu.