Rabinowitz examines the experience, operational practices, and future prospects of philanthropists who have been involved in funding national campaigns and grassroots organizations that focus on social change concerns over the past 30 years. He offers new insights into who the funders are and how they think, how funders actually make decisions, what types of grants are made, and the tax, political and historical aspects of social change funding and its role in America's philanthropic system.
Foreword by David R. Hunter Preface Philanthropy and Social Change Introduction to the Network of Funders and Grantees The Philanthropic Universe The Flow of Philanthropic Dollars A Portrait of Social Change Funders The Emergence of the Progressive Social Change Network How Social Change Funders Think about Their Work A Portrait of Social Change Grantees Definitions of a Social Change Grantee A Typology of Social Change Grantees Risk Analysis and the Funding Decision How Funders Make Their Decisions How Funders Evaluate Their Work Stabilizing the System Politics and Prospects Populism and the Foundation World People and Prospects for the 1990s Appendix: Analysis of Prototypical Project Grants Select Bibliography Index
ALAN RABINOWITZ has been active in the field of social change philanthropy for two decades. He is a consultant on urban land economics, state/local finance, and real estate markets and a former Professor of Urban Planning at the University of Washington. Among his previous books is Land Investment and the Predevelopment Process (Quorum, 1988).
"Rabinowitz's book is a major contribution to understanding an
important, neglected, growing sector of American philanthropy. His
study of progressive, social change foundations is well-written and
compact, comprehensive and analytic. By depicting the tensions and
possibilities of these foundations, this essential guide points to
major issues facing all of philanthropy. It moves the study of
philanthropy to a new level."-S. M. Miller Former Board Member
Field Foundation
"This is a book that would be useful to any donor, irrespective of
whether they agree with its assumptions or conclusions. Not
surprisingly, a scholar who feels so passionately about empowering
people has also provided a rich array of ideas for how we can all
make our grantmaking more humane. The book is also a valuable
contribution to philanthropic literature because it documents an
often misunderstood phenomenon in charitable giving."-Mary Stewart
Hall President and Trustee Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation
?In this valuable book Rabinowitz focuses on the estimated 200 to
300 million dollars of philanthropic funds devoted to progressive
social change' out of the approximately 253 billion dollars
available to the nonprofit sector of American society. Although
they receive less than .12% of available funds, it is these
grantees who are committed to creating progressive social change in
society, literally improving the societal system by making it more
fair. Often they are organizations dedicated to empowering weaker
groups and freeing the political process from domination by the
financial needs of the media.' While putting the social change
advocacy in context, the author effectively describes the current
field of philanthropy, identifies the functions of the Foundation
Center and the independent sector within the networks of
philanthropy, and analyzes the need for new rationales in charity.
From his database, he provides brief descriptionsof 91 prototypical
project grants from social change philanthropists. The book is well
researched and provocatively written.?-Choice
"In this valuable book Rabinowitz focuses on the estimated 200 to
300 million dollars of philanthropic funds devoted to progressive
social change' out of the approximately 253 billion dollars
available to the nonprofit sector of American society. Although
they receive less than .12% of available funds, it is these
grantees who are committed to creating progressive social change in
society, literally improving the societal system by making it more
fair. Often they are organizations dedicated to empowering weaker
groups and freeing the political process from domination by the
financial needs of the media.' While putting the social change
advocacy in context, the author effectively describes the current
field of philanthropy, identifies the functions of the Foundation
Center and the independent sector within the networks of
philanthropy, and analyzes the need for new rationales in charity.
From his database, he provides brief descriptionsof 91 prototypical
project grants from social change philanthropists. The book is well
researched and provocatively written."-Choice
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