Remembering Pablo Eisenberg, a beloved professor and social justice advocate

Pablo Eisenberg, a former adjunct professor at what was then known as the Georgetown Public Policy Institute (GPPI), and renowned social justice advocate, died at the age of 90 on October 18. After serving more than 20 years as the executive director of Community Change, a national community organizing group, he became a senior fellow at the McCourt School of Public Policy’s Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership (CPNL) and was a columnist for The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

“Pablo challenged nonprofits and foundations to meet the high expectations society places on them as guardians of democracy,” said Dr. Kathy Kretman, director of CPNL. “At Georgetown, he brought together academics, practitioners and students to discuss and debate critical issues facing the nonprofit sector and democracy.”

The Washington Post’s tribute called Eisenberg a “fiery advocate for responsive philanthropy [whose] long career was spent working to shift priorities among private foundations, corporate charities and grant-giving organizations — calling for a greater voice by lower-income people, minorities and other vulnerable groups in how the money is spent.”

In a tribute published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Gary Bass, an affiliated professor at the McCourt School, and Mark Rosenman, professor emeritus of Union Institute and University, wrote that Eisenberg was “unparalleled in bringing passion, energy and fierceness to the fight for justice.” 

Inspired by his passion for nonprofit advocacy and the role of philanthropy, Eisenberg taught “Advocacy and Social Change” at GPPI from 2000-2007 and consistently received outstanding evaluations from his students. He drew only part of his salary, which was financially supported by the Mott, Annenberg, Carnegie and Open Society Foundations, and donated the rest to provide scholarships to GPPI students interested in the nonprofit sector, particularly students from underrepresented communities.  

Following his retirement from teaching, an endowed scholarship was established in Eisenberg’s honor. Since 2006, the Pablo Eisenberg Public Interest Fellowship fund has financially supported nearly 25 students of color at CPNL.