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Liv Egholm

Associate Professor

Subjects
Climate Foundations Democracy History Society Future

Primary research areas

Philanthropy and the common good

I study how philanthropic practices, gift-giving, and foundation-owned businesses influence ideas of what is good for society — and how these ideas evolve over time.

Civil society and social change

I study how civic actors — from foundations to grassroots movements — shape public debate, define social problems, and contribute to solving them through long-term engagement and collaboration.

Cross-sector alliances and governance

I investigate how collaboration between civil society, the state and business enables new ways of solving complex societal challenges like inequality, sustainability and social exclusion.

Temporalities and futuremaking

I examine how ideas about the past, present and future shape how people and organizations act. My focus is on how civil society actors imagine and organize better futures — and how these visions influence societal change.

I study how civil society helps shape better futures

My research helps foundations, civic organizations, and policymakers understand how civil society contributes to solving complex societal problems — from issues of inequality and social exclusion to promoting democratic participation and sustainability. 

I explore how people organize around shared concerns and how these efforts shape our understanding of the "common good." I research foundations, social movements, philanthropic practices, and cross-sector alliances, focusing on how they generate real-world impact. 

A key part of my approach is understanding how people think about time — how experiences from the past and expectations for the future shape actions in the present. I use this temporal lens to explore how long-term civic visions, knowledge, and imagination influence how societies change. 

 

Currently, I work on: 

How civil society actors transform issues into shared societal concerns 

How alliances among the state, market, and civil society address complex problems 

How futuremaking and different notions of time influence societal change 


I collaborate with civic actors and foundations and advise organizations on strategy and societal engagement. My goal is to show how civil society matters — not just historically, but in shaping the futures we build today.  

Recent research projects

Futuremaking and climate:

I study how ideas about the future shape climate action. Who gets to define what the future should look like — and whose futures are heard or ignored?

Cross-sector alliances and governance

I investigate how collaboration between civil society, the state and business enables new ways of solving complex societal challenges like inequality, sustainability and social exclusion.

Civil society and social change

I study how civic actors — from foundations to grassroots movements — shape public debate, define social problems, and contribute to solving them through long-term engagement and collaboration.

Temporalities and futuremaking

I examine how ideas about the past, present and future shape how people and organizations act. My focus is on how civil society actors imagine and organize better futures.