Donor Intent
Outsmarting Albert Barnes
After years of controversy, the saga of the Barnes Foundation comes to an end this weekend as the collection opens in its new home in Philadelphia, May 19. James Panero looks at the cautionary tale left behind in Merion. Read his piece from the Summer 2011 issue of Philanthropy and see how Albert Barnes, in going to extravagant lengths to preserve his vision in perpetuity, managed to outsmart everyone—including himself.
Philanthropic Freedom
Philanthropic Transparency
The Philanthropy Roundtable and the Aspen Institute recently hosted a panel to explore the complex issue of transparency in the philanthropic community. Click here to watch the video of this special roundtable discussion.
Excellence in Philanthropy
The Well-read Philanthropist
To give busy donors a shortcut to the top books and essays they might want to consult to improve their giving, we’ve collected the greatest hits: 39 books and articles, ranging from a century ago to last year and organized by general theme for easy browsing. Happy reading!
K-12 Education
Minding the Gap
How can American colleges create the next generation of leading scientists and engineers? Freeman Hrabowski discusses the importance of elevating academic achievement and developing successful math and science education at The Philanthropy Roundtable’s recent annual spring K–12 event.
Excellence in Philanthropy
New U.
It is remarkable that, in survey after survey, at least 10 of the world’s 20 best universities bear the names of private American citizens who have used their wealth to create world-class institutions of higher learning. Private, voluntary support has long been a source of great strength for American higher education. In our Spring 2012 cover story, managing editor Evan Sparks highlights three donors and the universities they recently created: the F. W. Olin College of Engineering, Ave Maria University, and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.
Excellence in Philanthropy
Summa Cum Philanthropy
Giving to universities can be tricky. They are complicated entities, with a range of (often conflicting) missions. Donor advisor Fred Fransen offers 11 tips for how to give intelligently to higher education.
Excellence in Philanthropy
Back to the Drawing Board
Jeff Sandefer is on a mission to reinvent the MBA. A decade ago, he co-founded the Acton School of Business, which offers a crash-course MBA in entrepreneurship. After its first year, the Princeton Review ranked Acton as one of the nation’s top three business schools in terms of student quality, teacher quality, and overall experience. Ten years later, Sandefer is thinking about the next revolution: how to take the Acton experience and deliver it online.
Excellence in Philanthropy
Philanthropy on Campus
Private support for higher education is one of the great achievements of American philanthropy. Check out the Spring 2012 issue of Philanthropy magazine dedicated to donors advancing higher education through their giving and browse this special collection of higher education features from our archives.
Excellence in Philanthropy
Innovation for the Real World
“Desh” Deshpande is bringing the market to MIT’s labs. With a $20 million donation, he created the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation to connect researchers with entrepreneurs, thereby finding the best (and most profitable) applications for the new technologies. It’s all part of Deshpande’s effort, write Michael Bishop and Matthew Green, to take great ideas out of the ivory towers and bring them into the real world.
Excellence in Philanthropy
Educating a Nation
Juan Williams of Fox News reviews a new book on the historic collaboration between Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington. Together, the two men—one the leader of Sears Roebuck; the other, a former slave—built more than 5,000 schools for African Americans throughout the segregated South. Read Williams’ review of “You Need a Schoolhouse” by Stephanie Deutsch.
Excellence in Philanthropy
Spartan Donors
Great military leaders. That’s not the only thing that donors to West Point, Annapolis, and Colorado Springs get for their money. Karl Zinsmeister asks philanthropists what they hope to encourage by sending private support to these public institutions.
Donor Intent
Protecting Donor Intent
How to define and safeguard your philanthropic principles. This new guidebook by Jeffrey J. Cain offers detailed guidance to philanthropists who want to ensure that the assets they dedicate to charity are disbursed as they intend. It identifies common pitfalls, explains relevant tradeoffs, and describes successful strategies used by other donors. It lays a broad range of options before you, and suggests ways you can define, secure, and perpetuate your charitable intentions.
Donor Intent
Donor Intent Resource Library
We have assembled an extensive resource library as part of our ongoing commitment to preserving, strengthening, and celebrating the principle of donor intent. Our resource library will direct you to the best articles, books, and panel discussions on the topic of establishing and preserving donor intent.
Philanthropic Freedom
The Great Charitable Myth
Is there harm in treating philanthropic dollars as public money? Heather Higgins reveals the dangers of this fallacy, and discusses the definitive legal arguments on this important topic.
