Dr. Layton’s recent research advances our understanding of community philanthropy as a transformative practice rooted in local context, power, and relationships. Drawing on studies of collective giving and the emerging community foundation movement in Latin America, he examines how communities mobilize generosity and strengthen local capacity. In collaboration with Philanthropy Together and Colmena Consulting, he has co-authored a series of reports exploring the growth of collective giving, the diversity of its manifestations, and the infrastructure that supports the field. He also led a multi-country research project examining the intersection of family and community philanthropy in Latin America, interviewing philanthropic families to identify strategies to help community foundations strengthen local resource mobilization. Together, these studies inform his current work to develop a practical framework defining the characteristics and observable dimensions of community philanthropy, providing researchers and practitioners with tools to understand, assess, and strengthen the field across many contexts.
In 2026, Dr. Layton was appointed a visiting fellow at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.
He began his career as founder and director of the New Kensington Community Development Corporation in his Philadelphia neighborhood of origin. Motivated to better understand democracy, he pursued advanced degrees in political science. After teaching at Wesleyan and Yale Universities, he founded and directed the Philanthropy and Civil Society Project at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México in Mexico City, where he launched a research and advocacy initiative to study and strengthen philanthropy and civil society.
Dr. Layton holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in political science from Duke University and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Haverford College. He is a proud graduate of Philadelphia’s Central High School.