Philanthropy has existed in various forms in all cultures and civilizations throughout history, yet most people know little about it and its distinctive place in our lives. Why does philanthropy exist? Why do people so often turn to philanthropy when we want to make the world a better place? In essence, what is philanthropy? These fundamental questions are tackled in this engaging and original book. Written by one of the founding figures in the field of philanthropic studies, Robert L. Payton, and his former student sociologist Michael P. Moody, Understanding Philanthropy presents a new way of thinking about the meaning and mission of philanthropy. Weaving together accessible theoretical explanations with fascinating examples of philanthropic action, this book advances key scholarly debates about philanthropy and offers practitioners a way of explaining the rationale for their nonprofit efforts.
Rabinowitz examines the experience, operational practices, and future prospects of philanthropists who have been involved in funding national campaigns and grassroots organizations that focus on social change concerns over the past 30 years. He offers new insights into who the funders are and how they think, how funders actually make decisions, what types of grants are made, and the tax, political and historical aspects of social change funding and its role in America's philanthropic system.
Staging Philanthropy is a history of women's philanthropic associations during Germany's "long" nineteenth century. Challenged by the French Revolution and the Napoleonic occupation and war, dynastic groups in Germany made community welfare and its defense part of newly-gendered social obligations, sponsoring a network of state women's associations, philanthropic institutions, and nursing orders which were eventually coordinated by the German Red Cross. These patriotic groups helped fashion an official nationalism that defended conservative power and authority in the new nation-state. An original and truly multi-disciplinary work, Staging Philanthropy uses archival research to reconstruct the neglected history of women's philanthropic organizations during the 'long' nineteenth century. Borrowing from cultural anthropologists, Jean Quataert explores how meaning is created in the theater of politics. Linking gender with nationalism and war with humanitarianism, Quataert weaves her analysis together with themes of German historiography and the wider context of European history. Staging Philanthropy will interest readers in German history, women's history, politics and anthropology, as well as those whose interest is in medicalization and the German Red Cross. This book situates itself in the middle of a string of debates pertaining to modern German history and, thus, should also appeal to readers from the general educated public. Jean Quataert is Professor of History and Women's Studies, Binghamton University. She has previously published a number of books, including Connecting Spheres: European Women in a Globalizing World, 1500 to the Present with Marilyn J. Boxer (Oxford, 1999).
Traces the historical development of civil society and philanthropy in the West and analyzes their role in solving the problems faced by modern liberal democracy
Over the past decade, Japanese corporations have made a series of large, news-generating gifts to a variety of United States universities, museums, and research institutions. Many of these gifts have differed in both nature and magnitude from the contributions made by Japanese companies domestically. The stir generated by such corporate grants is evidenced on the one hand by the influx into Japan of American, European, and Asian fundraisers seeking grants for their organizations, and on the other hand by the intensifying debate within Japan about the appropriate role for Japanese institutions as international corporate philanthropists and citizens. As with every facet of the complex United States-Japan relationship, cultural disparities make the American and Japanese approaches to philanthropy quite different, creating the potential for friction and disappointment in this realm as surely as in the realm of trade and international business. This book examines major legal and functional aspects of Japanese corporate philanthropy and attempts to place them in their cultural setting. Drawing on her experience as an attorney and five years in Japan, Ms. London aims to make Japanese corporate grantmaking more comprehensible not only to Americans but also to Japanese as they begin to focus more attention on the role and meaning of corporate philanthropy.
This book is the work of Charles Chen Yidan, “the Father of China’s Internet Philanthropy”. It is based on the long-term research and practices of Tencent Research Institute and the Tencent Foundation. It reviews the recent history of internet-based charity during the past 20 years. It provides a first-time comprehensive review and study of internet-based charity from different dimensions, including the nature of internet-based charity, typical innovations and practices at home and abroad, as well as future prospects for integrating new technology and charity. It offers important insights into the transformation of many charitable organizations, the regulatory approach of governments towards these organizations, and the development of future society. This book contains not only a large set of the latest data from foreign countries but also exclusive interviews of many industry experts, including the directors of online charity platforms and chairmen of typical charitable organizations. It provides valuable references and is highly recommended for enterprises, organizations, and authorities that want to understand and promote the advancement of philanthropy in China.
The resources of both governments and traditional philanthropy are either barely growing or in decline, yet the problems of poverty, ill-health, and environmental degradation balloon daily. It is therefore increasingly clear that we urgently need new models for financing and promoting social and environmental objectives. Fortunately, a significant revolution appears to be underway on the frontiers of philanthropy and social investing, tapping not only philanthropy, but also private investment capital, and providing at least a partial response to this dilemma. This book examines the new actors and new tools that form the heart of this revolution, and shows how they are reshaping the way we go about supporting solutions to social and environmental problems throughout the world. With contributions from leading experts in the field, New Frontiers of Philanthropy provides a comprehensive analysis of the many new institutions that have surfaced on this new frontier of philanthropy and social investment; the new tools and instruments these institutions are bringing to bear; the challenges that these actors and tools still encounter; and the steps that are needed to maximize their impact. The result is a powerful and accessible guide to developments that are already bringing significant new resources into efforts to solve the world's problems of poverty, ill-health, and environmental degradation; unleashing new energies and new sources of ingenuity for social and environmental problem-solving; and generating new hope in an otherwise dismal scenario of lagging resources and resolve. Investors, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, business executives, government officials, and students the world over will find much to build on in these pages.
The first in-depth history of philanthropy in Indiana. Philanthropy has been central to the development of public life in Indiana over the past two centuries. Hoosier Philanthropy explores the role of philanthropy in the Hoosier state, showing how voluntary action within Indiana has created and supported multiple visions of societal good. Featuring 15 articles, Hoosier Philanthropy charts the influence of different types of nonprofit Hoosier organizations and people, including foundations, service providers, volunteers, and individual donors.
Intended as an essential introduction to philanthropy, this book provides a balanced, analytical, interdisciplinary overview of a complex, and often controversial, topic. Using case studies to illustrate the narrative, it covers everything from the history of individual, sometimes eccentric, philanthropists, to the controversies and challenges of ‘philanthrocapitalism’. This book explores philanthropists and their motivations: who are they and why do they give their money away? It explains what philanthropy does: its history and scope, and the impacts it has in areas such as science and the arts. The governance of philanthropy is explored: how decisions are reached about donations and their accountability. The book addresses the major controversies surrounding philanthropy, and discusses the difficulties involved in giving and receiving, e.g. the importance of ensuring that these processes are transparent and accountable. Lastly, the book considers the future of philanthropy, especially its changing role in society and the disruptive impact of digital technologies. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable resource for researchers interested in philanthropy, innovation and entrepreneurship, the motivations for individual and corporate donations, and the business of giving in general.
Philanthropy – the use of private resources for public purposes – is undergoing a transformation, both in practice and as an emerging field of study. Expectations of what philanthropy can achieve have risen significantly in recent years, reflecting a substantial, but uneven, increase in global wealth and the rolling back of state services in anticipation that philanthropy will fill the void. In addition to this, experiments with entrepreneurial and venture philanthropy are producing novel intersections of the public, non-profit and private spheres, accompanied by new kinds of partnerships and hybrid organisational forms. The Routledge Companion to Philanthropy examines these changes and other challenges that philanthropists and philanthropic organisations face. With contributions from an international team of leading contemporary thinkers on philanthropy, this Companion provides an introduction to, and critical exploration of, philanthropy; discussing current theories, research and the diverse professional practices within the field from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. The Routledge Companion to Philanthropy is a rich and valuable resource for students, researchers, practitioners and policymakers working in or interested in philanthropy.
Philanthropy and endowed foundation are vitally important institutions of modern society, yet in recent years, they've faced new threats such as declining resources and questions of accountability and performance. To address these questions, individual philanthropists and foundation leaders have looked to strategic philanthropy to become more effective and efficient. This important book provides an overview of creative philanthropy along with an analysis of its theory and practice. The authors spell out the implications of their study for management and policy and provide readers with vital tools and techniques. Drawing on case study examples and incorporating sections on key questions and dilemmas, this revealing book covers: the philanthropic deficit finding a distinctive role to do more with less characteristics of the creative foundation beyond strategic philanthropy the strength of creative philanthropy developing creative foundations and philanthropic practices. Essential reading for all those who study or work in foundations, philanthropy and non-profit organizations, this volume clearly navigates a path through this significant yet highly complex subject area.
