Giving Review’s William A. Schambra Talks About Everyday Philanthropy with Jeremy Beer
William A. Schambra, co‑editor of Giving Review, argued on the Center for Civil Society’s podcast that the dominant model of large‑scale grantmaking in America derives from a Progressive‑Era belief in elite experts, data‑driven solutions, and top‑down control. He championed "everyday philanthropy," which places trust in citizens, local leaders, and community institutions to solve problems from the ground up, even if messily. Schambra, a senior fellow emeritus at the Hudson Institute and recent TIME 100 Philanthropy honoree, warned that philanthropy’s future depends on humility and respect for uncredentialed local wisdom. He also urged conservatives to balance philanthropic freedom with concerns about concentrated, anti‑democratic power.
Would Today’s Philanthropists Have Funded the Underground Railroad?
The article argues that grassroots interventions can scale when they export operating principles rather than rigid structures, using the Underground Railroad as a historic illustration. It highlights how trust, local knowledge, and adaptable tactics allowed the network to expand without...
The Case for Restricting Tax Subsidies to only the Most-Deserving Charities
The article proposes limiting tax subsidies to only the most‑deserving charities by applying a “collectiveness index” that measures the share of donations in a nonprofit’s revenue. Recent IRS data show that health‑care nonprofits generate $1.3 trillion in revenue, yet only 2%...
DEI’s Danger to Nonprofits
Greg Berman’s new book, *The Nonprofit Crisis*, warns that DEI initiatives have turned the nonprofit sector into a battleground of generational and political conflict. He cites a surge from 800,000 nonprofits in 1991 to over 1.7 million in 2024, with government...
Self-Introspective Yale Report Should Be Model for Big Philanthropy
Yale’s Committee on Trust in Higher Education issued a self‑critical report that diagnoses an internal trust crisis and offers 20 recommendations focused on transparency, listening, and credible communication. The analysis argues that universities must earn public confidence rather than assume...
Recent Coverage of and Commentary About Philanthropy and Giving
A curated roundup of recent scholarship and commentary examines pressing issues in U.S. philanthropy. Articles explore building a climate‑activist ecosystem, the contested nonprofit status of NCAA athletic departments, tax benefits for nonprofit hospitals, and the future of arts tax policy....
Walking-Around Philanthropy
William A. Schambra urged philanthropy advisors to leave their offices and see grassroots work firsthand, coining the term “walking‑around philanthropy.” He contrasted his decade at the conservative Bradley Foundation with the tangible impact of modest $5,000‑$10,000 grants that repaired boilers...
The Deadliest Sin? Shame and Entitlement Can Both Be Toxic to Upward Mobility
The article argues that both excessive shame and entitlement act as cultural toxins that trap people in poverty, with the left emphasizing shame’s stigma and the right warning against entitlement’s erosion of responsibility. It cites research from the UK’s Joseph...
The Case for Whole-Organization Funding
Foundations traditionally favor program‑restricted grants, believing they ensure measurable impact, but this practice fuels a nonprofit starvation cycle by underfunding essential operating costs. Research shows a 17‑percentage‑point gap between actual indirect costs and what donors reimburse, translating to roughly $340,000...
A Telling Takedown
In February, Glen Galaich, president of the Stupski Foundation, posted a Substack response to Tyler Austin Harper’s Atlantic article that warned about the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s outsized sway over humanities scholarship. Galaich initially praised Harper’s insight, calling it a...
Philanthropy and Decadence: What Would Walter Berns Do?
The essay revisits Walter Berns' arguments about virtue, decency, and free expression to propose a radical rethink of philanthropy’s tax‑exempt framework. It highlights historic NEA controversies over taxpayer‑funded avant‑garde art and contrasts them with today’s massive private grants, such as...