Susan Darling Phillips

Susan D. Phillips is a Canadian political scientist and Distinguished Research Professor Emerita at Carleton University's School of Public Policy and Administration in Ottawa, Canada. Her research focuses on public policy and regulation concerning nonprofit organizations and philanthropy, public management, civil society, charitable-sector financing, and community-based philanthropy. In 2025, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada.

Biography Phillips grew up in Craigmyle, Alberta, a rural community in southeastern Alberta. She spent her high school years in Nelson, British Columbia.

Phillips joined Carleton University's School of Public Administration in 1988 and became a full professor, serving as its director from 2005 to 2014. She founded Carleton's Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL) program in 2013.

In 2024, she served as Interim Chief Advancement Officer at Carleton University. Since becoming Professor Emerita in 2025, she has directed the Women in Philanthropy Initiative and served as Interim Director of the Charity Insights Canada Project at Carleton University.

Research Phillips' research examines the relationship between government and civil society, with focus on public policy and regulation affecting nonprofit organizations and philanthropy. Phillips's research focuses on philanthropy, nonprofit governance and financing, cross-sector collaboration, community foundations, and public management.

She received the Distinguished Service Award from the Canadian Association for Research in Nonprofits and Social Economy (ANSER-ARES).