Topics

• Budget & Taxation
• Crime, Justice & the Law
• The Constitution
• Economic & Political Thought
• Economic Growth
• Education
• Family, Culture & Community
• Foreign Policy/ International Affairs
• Government Reform
• Health Care
• Immigration
• Information Technology
• International Trade & Finance
• Labor
• Monetary Policy/ Financial Regulation
• National Security
• Natural Resources, Environment, & Science
• Philanthropy
• Regulation & Deregulation
• Retirement/ Social Security
• Transportation & Infrastructure
• Welfare
•  

Philanthropy Policy Studies

• Try Advanced Search

• The Gamaliel Foundation: Alinsky-Inspired Group Uses Stealth Tactics to Manipulate Church Congregations

  By David Hogberg, Capital Research Center
  
  Foundation Watch, 07/07/2010
  

  The radical left-wing Gamaliel Foundation worms its way into church congregations and uses the “in-your-face” tactics espoused by community organizing guru Saul Alinsky to incite church members to agitate for socialism. Worse, Gamaliel indoctrinates its own community organizers in creepy cult-like teachings and deceives church congregations about its real motives.

  
  
  

• The Problem of Doing Good: Irving Kristol’s Philanthropy

  By Bradley Center, Hudson Institute
  
  Transcript, 06/18/2010
  

  “It is possible to do good. It really is possible to do good. Doing good isn’t even hard. It’s just doing a lot of good that is very hard. If your aims are modest, you can accomplish an awful lot. When your aims become elevated beyond a reasonable level, you not only don’t accomplish much, but can cause a great deal of damage.” These words, spoken by the late Irving Kristol to the annual meeting of the Council on Foundations in 1980, shaped his own giving as well. His generosity’s “modest aims” are embodied in several generations of young editors and writers who flourished under his personal instruction at the Public Interest, an influential journal of public affairs. At the same time, however, he arguably succeeded in the “very hard” task of doing “a lot of good.” For few individuals have influenced the flow of so many dollars to so many scholars, projects, and institutions, with such a profound impact on the course of American public policy.

  
  
  

• Five Threats to Philanthropic Freedom in these Recessionary Times

  By Jeffrey Cain, Washington Legal Foundation
  
  Legal Backgrounder, 06/10/2010
  

  From the proposed decrease in the charitable tax deduction to greater government intrusion into the operation of private foundations, there are numerous ways in which philanthropic freedom is now in jeopardy. In particular, five ideas and trends threaten to undermine America's status as the most generous country in the world.

  
  
  

• The Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances 2010

  By Carol C. Adelman, Hudson Institute
  
  Report, 05/19/2010
  

  Philanthropy to the developing world remained steady in 2008 despite the global recession and dire forecasts. Remittances continued to grow in the same year as well. Our predictions for 2009 in last year’s Index of Global Philanthropy and Remittances held true, as U.S. individual giving and global remittances declined less than expected (by single digits only). Philanthropy and remittances provided a much needed lifeline to poor people throughout the world. And they were more resilient to the downturn than private capital.

  
  
  

• An Episcopalian, an Atheist, and a Jew Walk into a Catholic School....

  By Christopher Levenick, Philanthropy Roundtable
  
  Article, 05/13/2010
  

  High philanthropic contributions are finding their way into the hands of Catholic inner-city schools. Individuals like Robert W. Wilson, legendarily successful Wall Street investor, have taken notice to the superior education presented by Catholic inner-city schools and have begun to donate even though they have no religious affiliation. Observation points to a final motivation for many non-Catholic donors to Catholic inner-city schools. They hope to challenge high-net-worth Catholic donors. They hope to inspire even more Catholic philanthropy. And they hope to demonstrate to all philanthropists—Catholic and non-Catholic alike—the full worth and value of America’s beleaguered inner-city Catholic schools.

  
  
  

• Our Government Is Not Supporting Charitable Giving

  By Deborah D. Thornton, Public Interest Institute
  
  Institute Brief, 05/06/2010
  

  One wonders if our government really wants the uniquely American tradition of individuals helping individuals as they see fit to continue, or if the bureaucrats would really prefer to do it all themselves—giving our tax dollars to those they deem deserving.

  
  
  

• The NEA Pays to Play: Buying Influence With ACORN and Other Leftwing Groups

  By RiShawn Biddle, Capital Research Center
  
  Labor Watch, 04/26/2010
  

  Desperate to maintain its political influence, the National Education Association (NEA) is using philanthropy to build political alliances with left-leaning nonprofits such as ACORN and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. The NEA hopes grassroots activists and liberal special interests will back its efforts to protect the public sector’s best-compensated employment—public school teaching—and beat back reform challenges that are attracting support from Democrats not beholden to organized labor. But the NEA’s gift-giving strategy can backfire when its allies are caught up in controversy and scandal or oppose the very policies the NEA holds dear, reports education expert RiShawn Biddle.

  
  
  

• Crowding Out Private Money: Why A Growing Government Undercuts American Philanthropy

  By Scott Walter, Sandra Swirski, Washington Legal Foundation
  
  Legal Backgrounder, 03/31/2010
  

  The dramatic growth of government now underway makes most Americans rather uneasy. Economists in particular fear that higher spending by government causes long-term harm to business investment and economic growth, especially when the country already struggles under heavy public debt. But another danger must not be overlooked: the harm governmental expansion does to philanthropy. This vital sector of society will see its productivity drained as private dollars that would have been spent by charitable and philanthropic entrepreneurs are channeled instead into the hands of politicians and bureaucrats who may have short-sighted needs.

  
  
  

• The Generosity of America

  By Adam Meyerson, Hillsdale College
  
  Imprimis, 03/03/2010
  

  To begin with, charitable giving in America has never been the exclusive province of wealthy people. Throughout our history, Americans from all walks of life have given generously for charitable causes. Indeed, the most generous Americans today—the group that gives the most to charity as a proportion of their income—are the working poor. Meyerson offers up three reasons for “The Generosity of America:” America stands as the most religious people of any leading modern economy, a respect exists of the freedom and the ability of individuals, and associations of individuals, to make a difference; and that philanthropy is such an important part of our nation’s business culture.

  
  
  

• The Future of Philanthropy in Florida

  By Matthew Vadum, James Madison Institute
  
  Policy Brief, 01/07/2010
  

  The California-style attempt at interference with philanthropy has arrived in Florida. Indeed, it’s now fair to ask whether race and gender quotas for charitable foundations and nonprofits could be in the works for the Sunshine State. The answer is potentially “Yes.” At least that’s the plan of the Florida Minority Community Reinvestment Coalition.

  
  
  
• 
  
  1 - 10 of 45
  
  
  NEXT >

Philanthropy Features

• Try Advanced Search

• The Vision Thing: What Makes Conservative Philanthropy Work

  By William Schambra
  
  June 01, 2009
  

  Were you to believe the commentators, conservative philanthropy has been astonishingly effective, almost invincible. So it’s no surprise that it has given rise to a mi-nor industry in books on the topic. I suppose we should be flattered. But the books unhappily tend to bear titles like Justice for Sale;...

  
  
  

• Dan Peters: The Good Works of American Philanthropy

  By The Insider
  
  June 01, 2009
  

  Dan Peters is president of the Lovett & Ruth Peters Foundation, a foundation devoted to education reform. He is also a member of the board at the Philanthropy Roundtable, where he helped create the Alliance for Charitable Reform to defend freedom in the phil-anthropic sector. ACR has been very much...