Philanthropy’s Dangerous Rival
The clamor for limitless government threatens every private initiative.
President’s Note
Restoring the American Dream in 2015—For over three centuries, America has provided more opportunity to more people than any other country in the history of the world. That great tradition is now in danger.
The Power of Ownership
Fighting poverty from the ground up.
Just-released Winter magazine
Museum donors bring alive math, baseball, George Washington, tenements, the Bible, music, Jewish life, heartland art, and more.
Museums Across America
A creative cornucopia of galleries from math to space to baseball is brought to the public by the generosity of donors.
Monks in the Inner City
Most of Newark, New Jersey, students never even finish high school. But St. Benedict’s Prep, a 146-year-old school serving 550 low-income minority boys, boasts a nearly 100 percent college acceptance rate. And it’s run by monks.
College Endowment Disparities
A recent study by the Sutton Trust reveals that university endowments in the U.K. badly lag U.S. counterparts, and that the fundraising gap is widening. Harvard’s endowment alone is more than the total of all U.K. universities combined.
Interview with Christopher Oechsli
The president of Atlantic Philanthropies reflects on Chuck Feeney's legendary generosity, the value of bricks-and-mortar giving, and how to recover donor intent.
Personal Giving
An anonymous animal lover donated $800,000 to Zoo Miami during his lifetime. "Two of the dearest" philanthropists in south Florida, once anonymous, now have their story told.
Q & A with a Mad Woman
An interview with advertiser extraordinaire turned philanthropic organizer Myra Daniels.
Mutual Aid for Christians in Iraq
Iraq's second largest city is home to many minorities, including hundreds of thousands of Assyrian Christians. About 200,000 Assyrians have now fled their homes. Amidst crisis in Mosul, a small mutual-aid group is offering lifesaving help.
Donor Wisdom
Announcing 118 great philanthropic quotes—the newest element of our forthcoming Almanac of American Philanthropy.
Four Brothers and the Apocalypse
Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America’s Most Powerful and Private Dynasty—a surprising biography of the Koch family that offers a fascinating window into their life and philanthropy.
No Good Donation Goes Un-Sniped At
The Philanthropy Roundtable's Joanne Florino responds to a New York Times opinion essay worrying over the private philanthropy behind New York's planned Pier 55 park.
The Center for Urban Families
The Center for Urban Families is helping fathers step up.
Interview with Howard Dahl
The founder of Amity Technology discusses his giving to rehabilitate the former Soviet Union and assesses Ukraine.
Don’t Surrender the Academy
To the chagrin of reformers, the way that it stands 'blowing up' our existing schools of education is just not a viable option: The case for donors to get involved with schools of education.
Champion Givers
A 15-year update on the winners of the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership.
Beyond the Uniform
In this video, veterans Jake Wood of Team Rubicon and Eric Greitens of The Mission Continues share their experiences with the military and their goals for veterans philanthropy.
The Tangelo Park Model for Transforming a Troubled Neighborhood
A Q&A with Florida hotelier and philanthropist Harris Rosen.
Suing for Reform
An education donor went to court; will other givers and other causes follow?
Drug Donors
While some philanthropists fought for decades to legalize marijuana, others are gearing up to address the undesirable consequences.
Beethoven in the Barrio
The Youth Orchestra of the Americas is bringing symphonic beauty to new audience, thanks to Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg
On Creating Productive Work for the Persistently Jobless
George Roberts is co-founder of the KKR leveraged buyout firm, and an active philanthropist with a special interest in building social enterprises. Following is a brief extract interview from our forthcoming book on assisting work as an anti-poverty charitable strategy.
Shaping Policy and Culture
The Fall 2014 issue of Philanthropy features articles on giving that changes society: The donor-funded lawsuit that overturned teacher tenure. New grants that try to balance prior philanthropy pushing pot legalization. Giving that supports faith in the next generation of college students. And a decade-and-a-half of social change by winners of the William E. Simon Prize.
DAFs: Popular Yet Under Pressure
Donor-advised funds are mushrooming. Their popularity is easy to understand: Many small donors appreciate having access to professionally managed philanthropic funds that still allow for donor choices, without the hassle and staff of an entire foundation. But legislation proposed in Congress could threaten the funds’ appeal.
Achievements in Economic & Social Prosperity
Fighting poverty is one of the oldest charitable imperatives. This in turn often requires battling syndromes that lead to poverty—like family breakdown, alcohol and drug abuse, or unfair bias. Our newest list of Achievements in American Philanthropy collects initiatives that help citizens prosper.
So-called ‘Dark Money’
In an editorial published September 24 by the National Review Online, Bill Zeiser, a Ph.D. student at Hillsdale College, takes on the task of explaining the critical role of anonymous giving to philanthropic privacy.
Walk the Line
Rail trails are generating public enthusiasm as rural paths, as creators of green space in tight urban quarters, as ways of boosting health and wellness, as canvases for appealing landscape design and outdoor art, as connectors of communities, and as spurs to city redevelopment.
Chopping Textbook Costs
College textbooks are notoriously expensive, but a two-year-old nonprofit is hoping to change that. OpenStax College's goal is to offer texts for the nation’s 25 most-attended college courses—for free.
Eyes on Ospreys
Twenty years ago, D.C.'s Anacostia River had few fish and no ospreys—the big, yellow-eyed fishing birds that often thrill waterside observers. But thanks to local D.C. philanthropy the ospreys are returning to the area, and we're learning more about them.
Land Law
A landmark ruling in May could have nationwide consequences for the future of American conservation.
Nonprofit Spotlight: Living Lands & Waters
An award-winning nonprofit leader is hauling junk out of our grimiest rivers.
Remarkable Achievements in Education Philanthropy
More philanthropic donations are channeled into education than to any other sector of American society except religion. This list of Major Achievements of American Philanthropy highlights education.
Nature Philanthropy
When you think of parks, whether Yosemite or your corner playground, you probably think of them as quintessentially public institutions—as the Ken Burns documentary puts it, “America’s best idea.” And while parks are indeed public institutions, a great many owe their existence, growth, and endurance to the generosity of creative donors.
Hilton Foundation’s $1.5 million Prize
Every year, the Conrad Hilton Foundation awards a $1.5 million humanitarian prize to an organization that is alleviating human suffering. The 2014 winner, Fountain House, brings mentally-ill individuals together in social networks that reinforce good citizenship and independence, and was profiled in a recent Philanthropy Roundtable Q&A. The foundation is now accepting nominations for the 2015 prize.
Gas Heat
A small foundation uses focused academic, media, and activist grants to redirect a policy debate.
School Magic
Since 1998, 139,000 students have had their life courses altered by the Children’s Scholarship Fund, a program created by donors. In her new book Opportunity and Hope, Naomi Schaefer Riley brings us the stories of ten of the students who benefited from this effort.
Philanthropy’s Toehold in China
Though China is home to an estimated 358 billionaires, exactly none have signed the Giving Pledge. But views on charity in China may be evolving.
Interview with Terry and Mary Kohler
The donor couple discusses rescuing cranes and swans, counseling couples, painting Wisconsin red, and more.
A Path to Human Success…
In a Q&A, philanthropist Joe Woodford reflects on his efforts to bring entrepreneurship to his Colorado community.
Failing One’s Way to Success
The Up Side of Down offers a candid reckoning of how badly things really can go wrong, and a field guide to why and how “failure can be the best thing that ever happened to you (though it may sometimes feel like the worst).”
Reflections of a Rockefeller
Industrial titan John Rockefeller is an American icon for wealth, fame, and power. His great-granddaughter Eileen currently lives a modest life on a Vermont farm. How she reconciled these two existences is the subject of her new memoir.
