March 7, 2002 | Read Time: 1 minute
Golden Donors: a New Anatomy of the Great Foundations
by Waldemar A. Nielsen
The world of philanthropy has changed profoundly in the last few decades, Waldemar A. Nielsen writes, recalling that in the 70’s, “philanthropy was as much a man’s world as professional baseball.”
The beginning of Golden Donors: a New Anatomy of the Great Foundations explores this and other changes in institutional philanthropy that have occurred since this book was first published in 1985, and further back when Mr. Nielsen’s book The Big Foundations was published in 1972. Like the earlier edition, the bulk of this book is devoted to snapshots of the 36 largest active foundations in the United States at the time the book was written, each with a descriptive look at their “people, policies, and performance.”
One chapter, “The Evolution of Two Dynasties,” chronicles the Pews of Philadelphia and the quiet but significant changes that took place following the deaths of the senior members of the family. It then follows the evolution of the Richard King Mellon and Andrew W. Mellon Foundations and their underlying philosophy and grant-making strategy.
Other chapters explore cases involving intimate relationships between corporations and private foundations, as exemplified in the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, and foundations that have grown out of California oil, real-estate, and electronics fortunes, such as the Conrad Hilton Foundation.
The book’s concluding chapters analyze governance of foundations, as well as their communications and accountability to the public.
Mr. Nielsen, who worked at the Ford Foundation, has served as an adviser to numerous foundations and wealthy donors.
Publisher: Transaction Publishers, Department WWW, 390 Campus Drive, Somerset, N.J. 08873; (732) 445-1245 or (888) 999-6778; fax (732) 748-9801; http://www.transactionpub.com; 468 pages; $34.95; I.S.B.N. 0-7658-0912-5.
