Dr Siobhan Daly

My research on philanthropy and volunteering addresses a number of themes:

(i)               The development of philanthropy, including the evolution of the concept of philanthropy. In the UK context, I have explored the emergence of philanthropic relationships and the roles of community foundations. My current research interest lies in the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for philanthropy, particularly philanthropic foundations; how they approach their work and their relationships with grantees.

(ii)               The experiences of volunteers, especially those in leadership and governance roles in charities. As part of a BA/Leverhulme Trust grant, I was PI on a project which explored the experiences of volunteer trustees in charities that work with and/or for people with learning disabilities.

(iii)             The use of ‘new’ methodological perspectives to explore philanthropy and volunteering. As PI on a Leverhulme Trust Artist in Residence grant, I worked with Dr Michele Allen, a visual artist. We used arts-based research to reveal the meaning and significance of philanthropy to key sites in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. Building on this research, we subsequently engaged volunteers in walking interviews to explore the dynamic of volunteering, space and place. The ways in which public spaces are changing, particularly in the context of austerity and how processes of change are managed forms part of my work on an EU Horizon 2020 funded project: Co-production and Co-Governance: Strategic Management, Public Value and Co Creation in the Renewal of Public Agencies across Europe.

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Reforming the law on the physical punishment of children in England and Northern Ireland: the capabilities approach as a framework for understanding children’s wellbeing and freedoms, Arthur, R., Daly, S. 17 Jul 2025, In: Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law
• Local Government Officers, Pragmatism and Creativity during Austerity – The case of Urban Green Newcastle, Daly, S., Chapman, R., Pegan, A. 2 Jan 2024, In: Local Government Studies
• Public and Private in an era of Entrepreneurial Philanthropy: Exploring John Dewey’s The Public and Its Problems (1927/2016) to (re)conceptualize philanthropy as a public, Daly, S. 1 Oct 2024, In: Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly
• What is the relationship between philanthropy, materiality and public space?, Daly, S. 1 Aug 2023, In: Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing
• Walking and talking with volunteers: what does walking offer the study of volunteering, space and place?, Daly, S., Allen, M. 1 Oct 2021, In: Community Development Journal
• Pathways through Trusteeship: Responding to the Trustee Recruitment Crisis, Daly, S., Slack, R., Brandon, T., Biddle, P. 1 May 2020, In: International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing
• ‘In whom we trust?’: the experiences of trustees in learning disability charities, Daly, S., Biddle, P., Brandon, T., Slack, R. Dec 2018, In: Voluntary Sector Review
• Philanthropy, the new professionals and higher education: the advent of Directors of Development and Alumni Relations, Daly, S. 16 Jan 2013, In: Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management
• Philanthropy as an Essentially Contested Concept, Daly, S. Dec 2012, In: Voluntas
• Philanthropy, the Big Society and Emerging Philanthropic Relationships in the UK, Daly, S. 7 Nov 2011, In: Public Management Review

• Teaching & Learning PCAPL September 15 2005
• Politics PhD September 01 1999
• Fellow (FHEA) Higher Education Academy (HEA) 2008
• Associate Fellow (AFHEA) Higher Education Academy (HEA) 2007