philanthropy

The PR War for Cancer Awareness has Reduced the Stigma, but not the Cost, of Illness

Elaine Schattner examines the work of activists who brought cancer diagnoses into the light and demanded that resources be invested in treating patients. It's not clear what can be done to help a typical American affort those treatments, though. 

Would We Be Better Off Without Philanthropists?

Do the gifts of the super-wealthy cancel out the damage done by the unequal system that allows them to accumulate it? 

Jane Stanford's Murder Shows the Moral Vacuum of Gilded Age Fortune and Philanthropy

by Richard White

Jane Stanford's murder by poisoning in 1905 was part of a long chain of inequities and moral abdications that attended the great Gilded Age fortunes at every step, from their accumulation to their dispersal as philanthropy. 

Our Oligarch? Do Roman Abramovich's Donations Link Major Jewish Philanthropies to Putin?

by David Klion

Abramovich was one of a number of Soviet Jews, excluded from the Communist Party, who moved aggressively into the post-Soviet economy, amassed great fortunes, and either held or fell from favor with Vladimir Putin. Are his enormous donations to global Jewish charities reputation laundering? 

What White Colleges Owe Black Colleges

by Adam Harris

"Private money alone won’t save Black colleges, but, perhaps, money from predominantly white institutions can — and it might be those colleges’ responsibility to provide that aid."

MacKenzie Scott's HBCU Donations Contrast with the History of Funding for Black Education

by Tyrone McKinley Freeman

The philanthropist's contributions are noteworthy not just for their scope, but for her willingness to allow universities to follow their own judgment in how to spend the funds, something white donors have historically been unwilling to do. 

How Will Jeff Bezos Spend His Billions Now?

by Margaret O'Mara

John D. Rockefeller used philanthropy to blunt harsh criticism of his business practices and the social dysfunction represented by his immense wealth. What will his 21st-century analogue Jeff Bezos do for an image-burnishing second act? And will it be about service to the public or service to Bezos? 

Why Teachers, Not Reformers, Should “Reimagine Education”

Education historian Diane Ravitch agrees with public school teachers who oppose the outsize influence of wealthy foundations in determining how public schools operate.

Richard Gilder’s American Legacy

Howard Husock argues that the late Richard Gilder's work with the Central Park Conservancy showed the benefits of using private philanthropy to preserve public parks instead of government programs, and praises Gilder's support for the study of American history. 

Richard Gilder, Donor to Parks, Museum and History, Dies at 87

Richard Gilder used his fortune to advance many passion projects, including the refurbishment of New York's Central Park and the preservation of primary documents important to the study of American history. 

Here are the Innovations We Need to Reopen the Economy

by Bill Gates

Before the United States and other countries can return to business and life as usual, we will need some innovative new tools that help us detect, treat and prevent covid-19.

NYT hails philanthropy of billionaire whose focus is history

His name is David Rubenstein. He founded the Carlyle Group and is giving away a billion dollars.

Why Philanthropy Matters

by Zoltan J. Acs

Via Flickr.On Sunday, January 27, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his latest donation to Johns Hopkins University. His $350 million gift will be the largest in the university's history. Over the last four decades Bloomberg has given $1.1 billion dollars to his alma mater, a truly staggering amount of money. This makes him the most generous donor to any educational institution in the United Sates.Reading Bloomberg's giving pledge letter sheds light on what he hopes to accomplish by giving money away. "If you want to fully enjoy life -- give. And if you want to do something for your children and show how much you love them, the the single best thing -- by far -- is to support organizations that will create a better world for them and their children. Long term, they will benefit more from your philanthropy than your will. I believe the philanthropic contributions I am now making are as much gifts to my children as they are to the recipient organizations." Bloomberg has set up a foundation to give away the bulk of his $25 billion fortune before he dies.