Donor Intent
The Contested Legacy of J. Howard Pew
Rebecca Rimel and Evan Sparks debate Pew’s donor intent, as the president of Pew Charitable Trusts responds to a recent profile on J. Howard Pew in Philanthropy.
When Philanthropy Goes Wrong
In this Wall Street Journal essay, Adam Meyerson warns donors against the risk that their gifts will be redirected into purposes they did not intend and offers advice on how to prevent violations of charitable 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 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.
‘New York Times’ Cites Roundtable on Preserving Donor Intent in the Arts
In its recent piece on balancing museum management with respect for donor intent, the ‘New York Times’ cites Roundtable president Adam Meyerson and ‘Protecting Donor Intent’ author Jeffrey J. Cain. Click here to see the piece and to learn more about safeguarding philanthropic principles.
Commitment to Protecting Donor Intent
The Philanthropy Roundtable is committed to preserving, strengthening, and celebrating the principle of donor intent. We believe that respect for donor intent is essential to philanthropic integrity. All voluntary giving is based on an act of trust, the shared understanding that the gift will be disbursed in a mutually acceptable fashion. If that trust is compromised, it undermines the very condition that makes philanthropy possible. Read more about our commitment to protecting donor intent here.
An Unconventional Foundation Life
Though not a conventional choice, sunsetting can be an effective philanthropic strategy asserts Frances Ostrower in her remarks at the 2012 Annual Meeting.
Mission Possible
When defining your mission, what may seem obvious to you may not be obvious to others. Kim Dennis of the Searle Freedom Trust and Linda Childears of the Daniels Fund share from their first-hand experience what they have learned about writing an effective and enduring mission statement.
Recovering Donor Intent If It’s Lost
Can a philanthropic organization left with no clear road map still honor its founder’s charitable intent? In this companion piece to his recent guidebook, Jeffrey Cain discusses means of rediscovering donor intent after it has been lost, and then preserving it into the future.
Outsmarting Albert Barnes
After years of controversy, the saga of the Barnes Foundation came to an end, and the collection has now opened in its new home in Philadelphia. 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.
Back to Bill
Cable entrepreneur Bill Daniels died in 2000, leaving $1 billion to his foundation. Even though he spent the last years of his life carefully detailing his wishes, within a few years of his passing, the board realized the fund was drifting from his principles. That realization triggered something rare in the annals of American philanthropy. It triggered a process of recovery and restoration, of rediscovering Mr. Daniels’ intent for his foundation and instituting a process by which it would be protected in the future. Managing editor Evan Sparks examines Bill Daniels, the Daniels Fund, and its remarkable efforts to honor the intentions of its founding benefactor.
Rosenwald’s Shadow
Stephanie Deutsch reviews Alfred Perkins’ biography of Edwin Rogers Embree, the man charged with sunsetting the Rosenwald Fund.
The Greatest 20th-Century Donor You’ve Never Heard Of
Julius Rosenwald was one of the twentieth century’s greatest philanthropists. He used his fortune to build thousands of schools for blacks in the South, but today his name has faded from the national memory. Peter M. Ascoli pays tribute to his grandfather’s life and work in his biography ‘Julius Rosenwald: The Man Who Built Sears, Roebuck and Advanced the Cause of Black Education in the American South.’
The Carnegie Corporation Turns 100
What would Andrew Carnegie think of his corporation today? As the Carnegie Corporation of New York marks a century of giving, Leslie Lenkowsky looks at their past and present, examining their commitment to their donor’s intent. Would the man who set forth the principles of scientific philanthropy in “The Gospel of Wealth” find the Carnegie Corporation faithful to his vision?
Duke of Carolina
Was James B. Duke more successful than Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller? All three men established lasting philanthropic legacies, but unlike the open-ended mandates of the Rockefeller and Carnegie foundations, Duke’s has a clearly defined and carefully observed philanthropic mission. His is a remarkable success story in avoiding the hazards of perpetuity. Duke left much of his fortune to the Carolinas, and his endowment today continues to enrich the land he loved.
