SPPA Professor Susan Phillips Appointed to Order of Canada

Professor emerita Susan Phillips, the founder of Canada’s only graduate program in philanthropy, was appointed to the Order of Canada on December 31, 2025. 

“It is a profound honour to be appointed to the Order of Canada,” wrote Phillips on LinkedIn. “Growing up in Craigmyle, a hamlet of about 100 people in southeastern Alberta, I never imagined that I could aspire to achievements that would merit national recognition. However, from an early age in that tiny community, I learned the benefits of civic discourse and community engagement, which have been at the core of my professional life.” 

The Order of Canada announcement noted that Phillips is “a leading scholar with 40 years of impact, she has shaped non-profit research, mentored hundreds, and influenced public policy. Her award-winning work and editorial leadership have positioned Carleton as a global leader in non-profit and philanthropic studies.” 

Phillips founded Canada’s first and only graduate program in philanthropy, the Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL), as well as a diploma, in 2013, “to equip graduates with a specialized, versatile set of skills and knowledge to succeed in a range of careers.” The program resides within Carleton’s School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA). 

In addition to her colleagues in the school, Phillips thanked the many students who have gone through the program.  

“The greatest joy has been the MPNL/DPNL students who not only took a big risk in investing in this novel degree, but who contributed so much to the program and to their peers, and who have gone on to leadership positions across the sector.”