Michael D. Layton joined the Johnson Center in September 2020 as the W.K. Kellogg Community Philanthropy Chair, the first endowed chair in the U.S. dedicated to advancing community philanthropy. Michael brings extensive experience as a researcher, educator, director, advocate, and consultant, having worked closely with community philanthropy organizations across the Americas. His recent research includes In Abundance: An Analysis of the Thriving Landscape of Collective Giving in the U.S. and Rooted in Community: The Infrastructure Powering Collective Giving, co-authored with Philanthropy Together and Colmena Consulting, as well as Connecting Community and Family Philanthropy in Latin America: Mexico, with Dr. Michael Moody.
Michael began his career founding the New Kensington Community Development Corporation in Philadelphia. He later taught at Wesleyan and Yale, then founded the Philanthropy and Civil Society Project at ITAM in Mexico City. Michael holds a doctorate and master’s in political science from Duke University and a bachelor’s in philosophy from Haverford College. A proud native of Philadelphia, he is an alumnus of Central High School (Class #237).