Claire Dunning is a historian of the United States in the 20th century, focusing on the histories of poverty, inequality, governance, and nonprofit organizations in American cities. Dunning is on faculty at University of Maryland. She is the author of Nonprofit Neighborhoods: An Urban History of Inequality and the American State (2022). The book analyzes and considers the local consequences of pursuing a public good through private organizations. Dunning holds a PhD in history from Harvard University and an AB in history and public policy from Dartmouth College.