Almanac of American Philanthropy

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Almanac of American Philanthropy
Almanac of American Philanthropy cover.png
Author Karl Zinsmeister [1]
LanguageEnglish
Subject Philanthropy in the United States
GenreReference book
PublishedJanuary 8, 2016 [2]
Publisher Philanthropy Roundtable
Publication place United States
Media typePrint
Pages1,342
ISBN 978-0-9861474-5-6
Website www.philanthropyroundtable.org/almanac

The Almanac of American Philanthropy is a reference book published by the Philanthropy Roundtable donors group in 2016 to capture the history, purpose, effects, and modern direction of private philanthropy in the United States. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

The author, Karl Zinsmeister, a vice president of the Philanthropy Roundtable, was formerly chief domestic policy advisor to President George W. Bush. [3] [7] [8] The writing has a libertarian lean. [3] [7] The almanac records the achievements of American philanthropy, profiles influential donors, presents statistics [3] [9] and polling results, [10] lists books and recommended readings in the field, provides a selection of philanthropy quotations, and summarizes modern approaches to charitable giving in the United States. [11]

Overview

The Almanac of American Philanthropy chronicles 380 years of private giving in America. Its sections include:

Philanthropy in the U.S. is a major part of the economy with $360 billion given every year and 8 billion hours of time volunteered. [15] [16] Philanthropy is a major cultural force in the U.S., handling many social responsibilities, thanks to individual giving levels that are two to twenty times higher than in other comparable nations. [17] [18]

Author

Karl Zinsmeister, vice president for publications at the Philanthropy Roundtable, is the primary author. [7] [8] He was chief domestic policy advisor to President George W. Bush, and the former editor of The American Enterprise magazine of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. [3] [8] He has authored eleven books, including works on charter schools and public policy philanthropy, embedded reporting on the Iraq War, and a Marvel Comics nonfiction graphic novel. He has written for publications including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Atlantic, and he produced a PBS documentary film. [19]

Distribution

Three thousand copies of the almanac were distributed to academic and public libraries and 13,000 copies were sent to donors and U.S. foundations worth at least $50 million. Hard copies of the book are available for sale and its content is also available for free online. [11]

Reception

Opinion columnist Jeff Jacoby of The Boston Globe called the almanac "the first definitive work on the history, variety, and impact of private giving in the United States." [4] The Orange County Register wrote that the almanac "shatters myths about the stinginess of the wealthy and bleeding-heart liberals’ monopoly on compassion." [5] Booklist , published by the American Library Association, recommended the almanac as a "comprehensive, current, accurate, well-organized reference on private giving in the U.S." [20] A review in Choice magazine of the Association of College and Research Libraries did not recommend the almanac, calling it "extensive" and "entertaining" but "greatly hindered by its subjectivity and political bias". [7]

Related Research Articles

Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material gain; and with government endeavors that are public initiatives for public good, such as those that focus on the provision of public services. A person who practices philanthropy is a philanthropist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donation</span> Gift for a cause

A donation is a gift for charity, humanitarian aid, or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including money, alms, services, or goods such as clothing, toys, food, or vehicles. A donation may satisfy medical needs such as blood or organs for transplant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azim Premji</span> Indian business tycoon, investor (born 1945)

Azim Hashim Premji is an Indian businessman and philanthropist, who was the chairman of Wipro Limited. Premji remains a non-executive member of the board and founder chairman. He is informally known as the Czar of the Indian IT Industry. He was responsible for guiding Wipro through four decades of diversification and growth, to finally emerge as one of the global leaders in the software industry. In 2010, he was voted among the 20 most powerful men in the world by Asiaweek. He has twice been listed among the 100 most influential people by Time magazine, once in 2004 and more recently in 2011. For years, he has been regularly listed one among The 500 Most Influential Muslims. He also serves as the Chancellor of Azim Premji University, Bangalore. Premji was awarded Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, by the Government of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philanthropy Roundtable</span> Non-profit organization advising U.S. conservative philanthropists

The Philanthropy Roundtable is a nonprofit organization that advises conservative philanthropists and advocates for donor privacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fundraising</span> Process of gathering donations

Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gather money for non-profit organizations, it is sometimes used to refer to the identification and solicitation of investors or other sources of capital for for-profit enterprises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spirit of America (charity)</span> American nonprofit organization

Spirit of America (SoA) is a US non-governmental and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works alongside American military personnel and diplomats to promote American values abroad by saving and improving lives. The organization provides material goods, programs, and personnel to help the United States Government achieve its objectives. Spirit of America was founded in 2003 by Los Angeles based venture capitalist, Jim Hake, who in the wake of the September 11th attacks sought to directly support conventional military and special operation teams performing reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Charity Navigator gave Spirit of America an overall 4-star rating for 2019 fiscal year.

Christy Ruth Walton is the widow of John T. Walton, who was one of the sons of the Walmart founder Sam Walton.

In the United States, a donor-advised fund is a charitable giving vehicle administered by a public charity created to manage charitable donations on behalf of organizations, families, or individuals. To participate in a donor-advised fund, a donating individual or organization opens an account in the fund and deposits cash, securities, or other financial instruments. They surrender ownership of anything they put in the fund but retain advisory privileges over how their account is invested, and how it distributes money to charities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charities Aid Foundation</span> International charitable organization

The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) is a registered UK charity that operates in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Canada. It works with companies, private philanthropists, regular donors, fellow foundations, governments, charities and not-for-profit enterprises to enable them to give more. Its stated purpose is to “accelerate progress in society towards a fair and sustainable future for all.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Zinsmeister</span> American journalist

Walter Karl Zinsmeister American journalist, researcher, and consultant. From 2006 to 2009, he served in the White House as President George W. Bush's chief domestic policy adviser, and Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. In 2016 he created the Almanac of American Philanthropy—the definitive reference on America's use of private resources to solve public problems—and is now an adviser and national authority on the power of voluntary action and civil society to spur innovation and social refinement in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charity (practice)</span> Voluntary giving of help to those in need

Charity is the voluntary provision of assistance to those in need. It serves as a humanitarian act, and is unmotivated by self-interest. Various philosophies about charity exist, with frequent associations with religion.

GiveWell is an American non-profit charity assessment and effective altruism-focused organization. GiveWell focuses primarily on the cost-effectiveness of the organizations that it evaluates, rather than traditional metrics such as the percentage of the organization's budget that is spent on overhead.

National Philanthropic Trust (NPT) is an American independent public charity that provides philanthropic expertise to donors, foundations and financial institutions. NPT ranks among the largest grantmaking institutions in the United States.

UK Community Foundations (UKCF) is a registered charity that leads a movement of community foundations committed to positive social change in the UK through the development of “community philanthropy”. Community philanthropy involves people from all parts of a community working together locally to use the financial and other resources available to them to improve others’ lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philanthropy in the United States</span> Overview article

Philanthropy in the United States is the practice of voluntary, charitable giving by individuals, corporations and foundations to benefit important social needs. Its long history dates back to the early colonial period, when Puritans founded Harvard College and other institutions. Philanthropy has been a major source of funding for various sectors, such as religion, higher education, health care, and the arts. Philanthropy has also been influenced by different social movements, such as abolitionism, women’s rights, civil rights, and environmentalism. Some of the most prominent philanthropists in American history include George Peabody, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, Herbert Hoover, and Bill Gates.

DonorsTrust is an American nonprofit donor-advised fund that was founded in 1999 with the goal of "safeguarding the intent of libertarian and conservative donors". As a donor advised fund, DonorsTrust is not legally required to disclose the identity of its donors, and most of its donors remain anonymous. It distributes funds to various conservative and libertarian organizations.

In philanthropy, donor intent is the purpose, sometimes publicly expressed, for which a philanthropist intends a charitable gift or bequest. Donor intent is most often expressed in gift restrictions, terms, or agreements between a donor and donee, but it may also be expressed separately in the words, actions, beliefs, and giving practices of a philanthropist. Donor intent is protected in American law regarding charitable trusts, and trustees' primary fiduciary obligation is to carry out a donor's wishes.

GivingTuesday, often stylized as #GivingTuesday for the purposes of hashtag activism, is the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It is touted as a "global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world". An organization of the same name is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports the global movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Christian Foundation</span> Organization

National Christian Foundation (NCF) is a US non-profit organization that assists donors in donating to charitable causes. NCF accepts non-cash assets and is the nation's largest provider of donor-advised funds focused primarily on Christian donors. Since 1982, NCF has granted over $14.5 billion to causes and charities.

References

  1. Hardy, Quentin (November 2, 2015). "Paul Allen's Philanthropy Mirrors His Passions and Business Approach". New York Times. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  2. Olasky, Marvin (February 6, 2016). "Love and charity". WORLD Magazine. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sullivan, Robert David (January 7, 2016). "Charitable giving is highest among the most religious". America . Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  4. 1 2 Jacoby, Jeff (January 28, 2016). "The extraordinary generosity of ordinary Americans". Boston Globe . Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "Americans feeling charitable". Orange County Register . January 26, 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  6. Lipsett, Peter (February 11, 2016). "Power of Philanthropy Shines Through in New Almanac". DonorsTrust . Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Johnson, S.L. (2016). "Zinsmeister, Karl. The almanac of American philanthropy". Choice Reviews Online . 31 (3): 356.
  8. 1 2 3 Zinsmeister, Karl (March 2016). "Philanthropy Provides the Fabric of America". USA Today Magazine . pp. 32–34.
  9. 1 2 Jackson, Kerry (January 19, 2016). "'Greedy' Rich Actually The Most Generous Among Us". Investor's Business Daily . Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  10. "Philanthropy Roundtable Touts Poll on Attitudes on Philanthropy". Philanthropy New York. January 12, 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  11. 1 2 Koenig, Rebecca (January 6, 2016). "First Philanthropy Almanac Provides a Wealth of Facts and Data". Chronicle of Philanthropy . Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  12. Zinsmeister, Karl (January 2016). "Charitable Giving and the Fabric of America". Imprimis. Hillsdale College. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  13. "In our opinion: Attempting to out-Christian others does not reflect well on the meaning and purpose of devotion". Deseret News. February 2, 2016. Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  14. Cornely, Tina (February 8, 2016). "Mediating Our Future: A Road Map For Deconstructing Poverty". Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  15. "Giving USA: Americans Donated an Estimated $358.38 Billion to Charity in 2014; Highest Total in Report's 60-year History". Giving USA. June 29, 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  16. "Volunteering and Civic Life in America 2015". Volunteering and Civic Life in America. The Corporation for National and Community Service. Archived from the original on 14 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  17. "Comparative Data Tables". Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies: 7. September 1, 2004. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  18. Bedard, Paul (January 19, 2016). "Americans are world's most charitable, top 1% provide 1/3rd of all donations". Washington Examiner . Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  19. Haley, Bill (January 11, 2016). "First time ever, Almanac of American Philanthropy serves all as a snapshot of US philanthropy". Philanthropy Daily. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  20. Zinsmeister, Karl (2016). "Amazon review page". ISBN   978-0986147456.