Recalling Michael Bailin and his humble approach to philanthropy
He thought the best thing the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation could do was find a few good nonprofits that were doing sensible things, and bring them whatever help they needed.
He thought the best thing the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation could do was find a few good nonprofits that were doing sensible things, and bring them whatever help they needed.
The sociologist talks to Michael E. Hartmann about symbolic capitalists in general and in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector in particular, how they exacerbate a lot of problems, and why the growth in their numbers has been making things even worse.
Republican lawmakers are committed to nonprofit reform in 2025. That could spell challenges for the field.
Tevi Troy’s newest book tells stories about the relationships between presidents and corporate titans who became charitable givers—prominently including interesting and entertaining ones about Theodore Roosevelt and John D. Rockefeller, Sr., essentially a founder of establishment philanthropy in America.
The Substack writer talks to Michael E. Hartmann and Daniel P. Schmidt about the concept of a parallel polis to stand against progressive managerialism, whether such polei are political, whether there might already be one or the beginning of one in America, and how conservative philanthropy could and should support one.
The fourth in a series of five republished articles to mark our fifth anniversary.
Observations on The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “The Commons” debate about whether philanthropy can bring America together.
Tim Schwab’s book on Gates is an education, and an opportunity to examine certain questions.
Labor journalist Hamilton Nolan’s new book on “the struggle for the soul of labor” takes progressive philanthropy to task for not prioritizing the promotion of America’s labor movement and makes an urgent plea for it to do more, and with more patience.
Looking to glean what the rise of DAFs means for our troubled voluntary sector and civil society in general.
Is there a “Charity, Inc.” and if so, what could perhaps be done about it?
We see the tripartite—dependent—relationship between government, commercial interests, and nonprofits in the rise of institutional DAFs.
It has reconstituted the very system that Alexis de Tocqueville once famously lauded Americans for not having. Meaningful reform will be of the hatchet, not the scalpel variety.
It is difficult to even conceive of, much less construct, what might be a conservative version of Reiser’s and Dean’s More Perfect Bargain. Nevertheless, some conservatives should at least try, perhaps even, however warily, with unorthodox allies—which not all conservatives, especially the energetic populist ones, find automatically off-putting.
Looking at some of the edifices, atriums, and façades.
As tracked by Candid, of top 200 givers, 121 are left-of-center and 21 are right-of-center. All but two of top 20 are left-leaning.
On the newest InfluenceWatch podcast, Capital Research Center (CRC) research director Michael Watson talks to CRC senior fellow and Giving Review co-editor Michael E. Hartmann for 26 minutes about establishment philanthropy in America and some recent harsh reactions to and critiques of it.
The cutting critique of and stance against corporate America’s adoption of an extreme social-justice agenda in Vivek Ramaswamy’s new book could certainly, and perhaps should, be considered in the context of politicized charitable nonprofitdom, too.
“At a time when philanthropy faces mounting critiques,” the Council on Foundation’s new strategic plan proves it’s not up to the challenge of facing those critiques.
An outline of options.
Several could perhaps play Robert M. Hutchins’ role today. Any potential B. Carroll Reeces?
The risky confidence and nihilistic moral certainty of an intelligentsia.
If not, don’t. As an aspect of the French Revolution suggests, the old will be new again.