Philanthropy

Book Profile, Philanthropy
Irving Kristol: A Good Egghead, Messily Making Omelettes
American public life’s coming years will likely feature many fights—hopefully, much of it to ultimate good effect for everyday citizens. We could see, for example, an insurgent politician against the…
by Michael E. Hartmann on November 12, 2020

Book Profile, Philanthropy
America’s Move from “I” to “We” and Back to “I”
Harvard University political scientist Robert D. Putnam’s new book The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again, written with Shaylyn Romney Garrett,…
by Michael E. Hartmann on November 9, 2020

Philanthropy
Another “Dark Money” Tributary?
Three University of Florida researchers have studied whether the lobbying of public charities is influenced by boards with members who also serve on the boards of private, for-profit firms. If…
by Michael E. Hartmann on November 3, 2020

Book Profile, Philanthropy
Strategic Ultra-High-Net-Worth Philanthropy
Globally, there were an estimated 265,490 people with a net worth of $30 million or more in 2018, according to Wealth-X’s World Ultra Wealth Report 2019, by Maya Imberg and…
by Michael E. Hartmann on October 22, 2020

Book Profile, Philanthropy
What Conservative Philanthropy Should Have Seen Coming
Respected Wall Street Journal executive editor Gerald F. Seib’s interesting and engaging new book "We Should Have Seen It Coming: From Reagan to Trump—A Front-Row Seat to a Political Revolution" skillfully overviews the 40-year reign…
by Michael E. Hartmann on October 19, 2020

Philanthropy
The Forbes 400, Conservatives, and Conservative Philanthropy
Forbes released its 39th annual Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans earlier this month. Collectively, the magazine reports, the 400 are worth a record total of approximately $3.2 trillion—up $240 billion from a…
by Michael E. Hartmann on October 5, 2020

Philanthropy
A “Perversely Bold” Idea: Eliminate Private Foundations
Professor Philip Hackney asks a provocative question: Why do private foundations exist? Or at least why do our collected taxes incentivize them to exist? “I think about the great potential of well-democratically-harnessed…
by Michael E. Hartmann on September 28, 2020

Labor Watch, Philanthropy
The Special Interests Behind California’s Proposition 15
This November, Californians will go to the polls to vote on Proposition 15, a new tax on commercial real estate that promises to further degrade the state’s already poor business…
by Robert Stilson on September 24, 2020

Doing Good, Philanthropy
Civil Society and the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Today—September 23, 2020—marks the 214th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s return to St. Louis. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark had spent more than two years traversing the continent.
by Robert Stilson on September 23, 2020

Philanthropy
Conspicuous Giving Garners Rich More Respect Than Conspicuous Consumption, Study Finds
“Wealthy people can do a lot of good with their money,” begins an interesting June article in The Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. “The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donates billions…
by Michael E. Hartmann on September 16, 2020