 First edition | |
| Author | David Callahan |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
Publication date | 2017 |
| Pages | 343 |
| ISBN | 9781101971048 |
| OCLC | 1036844219 |
| Preceded by | Fortunes of Change [1] |
The Givers: Wealth, Power, and Philanthropy in a New Gilded Age is a 2017 non-fiction book by David Callahan published by Alfred A. Knopf. [2]
Prior to writing The Givers, Callahan wrote seven nonfiction books, including his 2010 publication, Fortunes of Change: The Rise of the Liberal Rich and the Remaking of America, in which he described the emerging upper class of "cosmopolitan elite", "super-educated" "professionals and entrepreneurs" who adopt "key liberal ideas as multiculturalism and active government" and who work in "knowledge" industries. [1] [3] In The Givers, which is based on extensive research and interviews, Callahan described a "secret world" of a new wave of philanthropists, people like Mark Zuckerberg, who are elite philanthropists involved in what he calls "big philanthropy." He calls them "grandmasters", "super-citizens", "disrupters", the "new Medicis", and "agents of wealth". Some have inherited wealth and are powerful networkers, advocating for progressive causes, including education, the environment, science, and LGBT rights. [2] He writes that thousands of donors are able to promote their causes "under the radar" as the focus falls on Bill Gates and Charles Koch. Callahan writes that the new Givers are using their money to influence public policy in what he calls, the second Gilded Age. He cautions that this "power shift" has implications for all of American society. [2]
In his April 14, 2017 The New York Times review, author and Wealth Matters columnist, Paul Sullivan, described The Givers as a book that investigates the "power of philanthropists to shape America." [4] It reveals the private world of high-profile philanthropists who hold great influence in American life and politics." [4]
Callahan cautions that everyone should be at "least a teensy bit nervous" about the rise of this "new breed of megadonors", according to Michelle Cottle, her April 28, 2017 Times review. Cottle, who is a contributing editor at The Atlantic wrote that these donors are "more numerous, more aggressive and vastly richer than their forebears" and that their ability to "reshape American society" is "unprecedented". [5] '
The April 2017 Washington Post review said that Callahan had "performed a public service by assembling a striking body of information on a fundamental aspect of 21st-century America, a century when the wealth of the average family has stagnated while the wealth of the rich has soared." [6] Callahan predicts that in within the "foreseeable future", philanthropic spending could increase to the point that it would supplant the federal government in "social programs, medical research", and assistance for the poor among many other areas." This would mean that private citizens private citizens would direct the spending, "unsupervised by any public authority", according to Post. [6]
The Time review cites Callahan saying, that an unintended consequence of "megafoundations" spending "massive amounts of money" to cure disease or to redesign public education, is that it can undermine the democratic process. [7] Callahan says that "government incentives" related to philanthropy and advocacy, are "outdated" which means that the wealthiest people have a greater influence than ordinary citizens in public policy making. [7]
The Atlantic March 28, 2017 review reiterated Callahan's point, that philanthropists are replacing and supplanting government in decision-making, regarding which "scientific issues are researched, what types of schools exist in communities, and what initiatives get on ballots." [8]
The Wall Street Journal called it a war on philanthropy with the Kochs, Waltons, Bill Gates, Eli Broad and others "treated as punching bags for ideological reasons." [9]
The Financial Times, [10] and The Atlantic. [11] also reviewed the book.
Callahan's book tours included events held at the New York Public Library, [12] and the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco. [13]
In his NPR Weekend Edition interview, Callahan noted that the number of billionaires on Forbes 400 richest Americans, had increased from 13 in 1982 to 400 by 2017. [14]
He also participated in interviews on several local public radio stations, including WNYC. [15]
In a lengthy interview with Paul Shoemaker in the Town Hall Seattle on April 25, 2017, Callahan described ways in which this new wave of philanthropists differed from previous generations. Particularly those engaged in the knowledge industry, want to be disrupters—capable of enacting real changes. [16] Shoemaker, who is the founding president of international philanthropy group Social Venture Partners, asked Callahan about the power leveraged by philanthropists. [16] Callahan described how as economic inequality has increased since the late 1980s, this translated into "civic and political inequality." [16]
A plutocracy or plutarchy is a society that is ruled or controlled by people of great wealth or income. The first known use of the term in English dates from 1631. Unlike most political systems, plutocracy is not rooted in any established political philosophy.
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.
"Wealth", more commonly known as "The Gospel of Wealth", is an article written by Andrew Carnegie in June of 1889 that describes the responsibility of philanthropy by the new upper class of self-made rich. The article was published in the North American Review, an opinion magazine for America's establishment. It was later published as "The Gospel of Wealth" in the Pall Mall Gazette.
Tides Foundation is a left-leaning donor advised fund based in the United States. It was founded in San Francisco in 1976 by Drummond Pike. Tides distributes money from anonymous donors to other organizations, which are often politically progressive. An affiliated group, Tides Advocacy, is a "massive progressive incubator." Tides has received substantial funding from George Soros.
David Callahan is an American writer and editor. He is the founder and editor of Inside Philanthropy, a digital media site, and Blue Tent Daily, which offers in-depth reporting on progressive organizations and the Democratic Party. Previously, he was a senior fellow at Demos, a public policy group based in New York City that he co-founded in 1999. He is also an author and lecturer. He is best known as the author of the books The Givers and The Cheating Culture.
The Atlantic Philanthropies (AP) was a private foundation created in 1982 by American businessman Chuck Feeney. The Atlantic Philanthropies focused its giving on health, social, and politically left-leaning public policy causes in Australia, Bermuda, Ireland, South Africa, the United States and Vietnam. It was among the largest foreign charitable donors in each of the countries in which it operated, and was the single largest funder of programs that encouraged the civic engagement of older people and of comprehensive immigration reform in the United States. With the single largest advocacy grant ever made by a foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies committed $27 million to win passage of the Affordable Care Act in the United States. About half of the Atlantic Philanthropies' grants were made in donations that allow lobbying.
Alida Rockefeller Messinger is an American philanthropist who is an heir to the Rockefeller family fortune.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a progressive American think tank that analyzes the impact of federal and state government budget policies. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Center's stated mission is to "conduct research and analysis to help shape public debates over proposed budget and tax policies and to help ensure that policymakers consider the needs of low-income families and individuals in these debates."
Jean Case is an American businesswoman, author, and philanthropist who is chair of the board of National Geographic, CEO of Case Impact Network, and CEO of the Case Foundation. She is married to AOL co-founder Steve Case.
The Democracy Alliance is a network of progressive megadonors who coordinate their political donations to groups that the Alliance has endorsed. It has been described by Politico as "the country's most powerful liberal donor club".
Foster Stephen Friess was an American investment manager and prominent donor to the Republican Party and to Christian right causes. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for governor of Wyoming in the 2018 election, losing in the primary to State Treasurer Mark Gordon.
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.
Donors Trust is an American nonprofit donor-advised fund. It was founded in 1999 with the goal of "safeguarding the intent of libertarian and conservative donors". As a donor advised fund, Donors Trust 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, and has been characterized as the "dark money ATM" of the political right.
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.
Richard Ellis Uihlein and Elizabeth Uihlein are American billionaire businesspeople, founders of Uline and conservative donors. Richard is also an heir to the Schlitz brewing fortune.
Inside Philanthropy is a news website about large philanthropic foundations and wealthy donors, created by David Callahan in 2013.
The Almanac of American Philanthropy is a reference book published by the nonprofit Philanthropy Roundtable in 2016 to capture the history, purpose, effects, and modern direction of private philanthropy in the United States. 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. 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.
Cari Tuna is an American nonprofit businessperson. Formerly a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, she co-founded and works for the organizations Open Philanthropy and Good Ventures.
The Healthy Democracy Coalition is an American national non-profit organization dedicated to cross-partisan philanthropic learning and collaboration. Founded by Jonah Wittkamper, the Coalition manages a network of philanthropists, convenes events, and develops strategies for collective action. Catalyzed years earlier, the group formally launched in 2017 with support from the Hewlett Foundation and the Fetzer Institute. The organization has local chapters in dozens of cities across the country. The group was developed over years of coalition building through events at the White House and the United States Congress that were facilitated by NEXUS in collaboration with a Council of Advisors from across the political spectrum, representing several of the most influential partisan donor networks in the country. In 2020, the organization redirected its membership to join forces with the Leadership Now Project to invest in the integrity of US democracy.
Laura Arnold is an American philanthropist and co-founder of Arnold Ventures LLC. In addition to serving as co-chair of Arnold Ventures, Arnold also hosts the podcast “Deep Dive with Laura Arnold” and serves as member of the Board of Directors for the REFORM Alliance, an organization that aims to transform probation and parole systems through legislative change. Prior to her work in philanthropy, she was a mergers-and-acquisitions lawyer and an executive at Cobalt International Energy.