Where Have the ‘Learned Foundations’ Gone?
When I was president of the American Council of Learned Societies a decade or so ago, I became concerned about what seemed to be the dwindling of foundation support for basic research on underlying issues affecting international affairs. With money from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur…
By Stanley N. Katz
Contributor
Museum’s $10-Million Lesson: Stewardship Matters
The art world is all abuzz with the news that a vacationing Scottish museum director, searching through boxes of drawings at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, in New York, came upon what everyone now seems to agree is undeniably a work by Michelangelo. The drawing represents one of only a…
By Peter Frumkin
Contributor
Business Ventures Go Beyond the Bottom Line
As nonprofit groups face increasing demands to provide services on tight budgets, many are looking for ways to earn money through businesses or other moneymaking ventures rather than relying exclusively on government or philanthropic sources for support. Unfortunately, discussions about such…
By EVAN HOCHBERG
Contributor
Foundations’ Self-Improvement Efforts Strike a Hollow Tone
To the Editor: It’s certainly inspiring to read that foundations are making an effort to improve the quality of their grant making. It’s even more inspiring to read that efforts like the Ford Foundation’s GrantCraft and Foundation in a Box from the Association of Small Foundations are helping…
Donor Demands Are Hurting Charity
The frenzied calls for charitable organizations to do exactly what donors want is undermining the ability of nonprofit groups to make wise choices about how to care for the needy and carry out projects that benefit the common good. As the nation girds itself for the one-year anniversary of the…
By Mark M. Murphy
Contributor
To the Editor: The phones at American Jewish World Service’s office have been busy, with callers still seeking information about our September 11 relief work. Many callers are low-income individuals, often immigrants, who lost jobs as a result of the terrorist attacks. We can refer some of them to…
A Fuller Picture of Living-Wage Issues
To the Editor: In reading your article “Paying a High Price,” by Michael Anft (May 2), I came away feeling that your analysis of the problem presented to the nonprofit sector by the living-wage movement did not present a full view of the real issues involved. When people such as those…
To the Editor: “Forging Links Online” (June 13) is a nice, high-level summary of the current state of experimentation in e-philanthropy. However, I am a bit concerned with comments attributed to Mark Rovner stating that direct mail may be more effective than e-mail. These thoughts may be correct,…
Treat All Contributors Equally
To the Editor: Arthur C. Brooks’ opinion column, “Welfare Helps to Depress Giving by the Poor” (May 30), poses some intriguing issues. Participation by the poor in civic activism is not only limited to traditional charitable contributions. Many poor individuals are involved as volunteers in their…
Congress Should Increase Amount Foundations Must Give
Despite their enormous growth over the past 20 years, foundations are still required to distribute only 5 percent of their net assets each year -- the minimal rate set by Congress in 1981. It is time for Congress to raise that figure. In exchange for their substantial tax benefits, foundations have…
By PABLO EISENBERG
Contributor