philanthropy

Foundation Watch
Eight Things About Big Philanthropy: Renewed Public Scrutiny
The populist backlash against Big Philanthropy—coming from both conservatives and progressives—does not seem to be a fleeting phenomenon. It is borne of deep concerns about power, representation, and the role…
by Michael E. Hartmann on June 24, 2025

Philanthropy
A Conversation with IPS’s Helen Flannery and OSU’s Brian Mittendorf (Part 1 of 2)
The think-tank fellow and accounting professor talk to Michael E. Hartmann about their research and writing on donor-advised funds (DAFs) in general and why they’re controversial—along with different kinds of…
by Michael E. Hartmann on June 2, 2025

Philanthropy
A Conversation with IPS’s Helen Flannery and OSU’s Brian Mittendorf (Part 2 of 2)
The think-tank fellow and accounting professor discuss ways to think about any potential legal and regulatory reforms of donor-advised funds.
by Michael E. Hartmann on June 2, 2025

Philanthropy
A Wipeout for Those Refusing to Consider Much-Needed Reform of Tax-Exempt Sector
The House Ways and Means Committee budget bill has a number of items regarding the tax-exempt sector. In general, they are a wipeout for the sector and those refusing to…
by Dean Zerbe on May 23, 2025

Philanthropy
Professional-Class Liberalism’s “Philanthropic Governance”
"Mastery and Drift: Professional-Class Liberals Since the 1960s" collects an interesting set of scholarly essays about “professional-class liberalism,” and some of that which it has wrought, during the past six…
by Michael E. Hartmann on May 19, 2025

Philanthropy
Prizing Conservative Philanthropy and Its History
The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation will award James Piereson with one of its Bradley Prizes on May 29, recognizing his important role in conservative philanthropy. He served as the executive director and…
by Michael E. Hartmann on May 8, 2025

Philanthropy
Not Everything (Worth Addressing) Is a Crisis
Despite all our efforts to tame nature—both physical and human—the world remains an unpredictable and dangerous place. Hurricanes, civil wars, and Ebola outbreaks are always lurking in the shadows, and…
by Julia Nelson on May 2, 2025

Philanthropy
A Conversation with Leslie Lenkowsky About Trust, or the Lack of It, in Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector (Part 1 of 2)
The Indiana University professor Leslie Lenkowsky talks to Michael E. Hartmann about the degree to which trust, or lack of it, in wealth and the wealthy may or may not…
by Michael E. Hartmann on May 1, 2025

Foundation Watch
A Conversation with the Manhattan Institute’s John D. Sailer (Part 1 of 2)
The think-tank fellow and higher-education researcher talks to Michael E. Hartmann about the Mellon Foundation’s and other grantmakers’ substantial support of the “scholar-activist pipeline” and how it tilts colleges and…
by Michael E. Hartmann on April 16, 2025

Foundation Watch
A Conversation with the Manhattan Institute’s John D. Sailer (Part 2 of 2)
The think-tank fellow and higher-education researcher talks to Michael E. Hartmann about the necessary scrutiny of and unfortunate lack of transparency in much philanthropically supported programs and projects in higher…
by Michael E. Hartmann on April 16, 2025