The Tenuous Place of Big Philanthropy in America'S Social Contract


Foundation: Gates Foundation, Moore Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Packard Foundation, Ford Foundation, Johnson Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Lilly Endowment, Helmsley Charitable Trust

credit: Wikipedia

Sohrab Ahmari's new book, Tyranny, Inc.: How Private Power Crushed American Liberty and What to Do About It, isn't exactly a ringing endorsement of free enterprise.

In fact, the co-founder and editor of Compact magazine says in a press release that the book is "not comprehensive by any means."

But that doesn't mean he's done with his criticism of big, private philanthropy.

In fact, he says in a New York Times op-ed that it's time to start looking at philanthropy in a different way.

"Big philanthropy is not subject to any serious 'countervailing power' from other market participants," Ahmari writes.

"Their power hasn’t been subject to any real democratic counter pressure from policymakers, either, since the time of the 1969 Tax Reform Act."

In fact, big, private philanthropy is "tax-incentivized and has always occupied a nebulous position in the American polity neither fully public nor pristinely private in its legal structure or self-understanding, much less among the citizenry," Ahmari writes.

He argues that big, private philanthropy uses the state's coercive power for its own benefit, and he calls for a more participatory, democratic, and tax-in

Read the Entire Article


Selected Foundation News

A customized collection of news from foundations from around the Web.

Ai and Innovation in Healthcare: Highlights From the 2024 Amia Symposium

San Francisco proved to be the perfect location for the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) to hold its 2024 Annual Symposium.From technology giants and renowned health institutions to...more

Ubco Gut Health Research Moves From Lab to Real World

Melius MicroBiomics is a Vancouver-based biotechnology company with a research lab in Kelowna.It is dedicated to discovering and developing innovative microbiome-based therapies.The company is...more

Blockchain Meets Health Care: Veuu and Tassat Partner For Innovation

Tampa-based health care payments startup Veuu has partnered with New York blockchain platform Tassat in a groundbreaking pilot initiative.The collaboration aims to merge Veuu's artificial...more

Investors Target Healthcare to Drive Innovation and Greater Equity

At this year's Impact Investor Conference, leading voices in the sector discussed the challenges and opportunities of investing to boost innovation and expand access to healthcare.This quest for...more

Nutcracker Treats: Where to Find Holiday Favorites on Sarasota Area Stages

Where to find Nutcrackers, holiday music in Sarasota-Manatee area.Venice Theatre's original version of "A Christmas Carol" returns for its 24th season.The Rosemary Youth Ballet by Onyx Studio 2...more

How Nonprofits Should Prepare For Federal Investigations in the Trump Administration

The Heritage Foundation organized The 2025 Presidential Transition Project, more commonly known as Project 2025.Project 2025 articulated a roadmap of what the Department of Justice should do to...more

Commentary: The Full Potential of the Social Sector

Government and philanthropic funding for the nonprofit social sector routinely fail to cover the full cost of providing services.While workers within the sector comprise 9% of the workforce in the...more

Societe Generale Steps up Its Efforts Supporting the Environmental Transition

Societe Generale is stepping up its efforts to support the transition to a low-carbon economy by setting a new EUR 500 billion sustainable finance target by 2030.The bank aims to align its portfolios...more

Diamond Paints Wins Two Awards At Corporate Philanthropy Awards 2024

Diamond Paints wins two awards at Corporate Philanthropy Awards 2024 - Business & Finance - Business Recorder.Minister of State for Finance, Revenue, and Power, Ali Pervaiz Malik, served as the Chief...more

When Music Meets Language €“ International Grammar School Sydney

Primary Japanese Language Teacher Noriko Yamanaka recently attended the National Symposium on Japanese Language Education at UTS.The symposium brought together approximately 200 Japanese educators...more







Social Entrepreneurship
Spotlight



Social Enterprise Piles Textbooks for Change


Textbooks for Change, a London-based social enterprise that has obtained the B Corporation seal for positive social and environmental impact, is seeking investors that would be helping the company expand.




Federal Government Grant and Assistance Programs



Edited by: Michael Saunders

© 2008-2024 Copyright Michael Saunders