A blog by William Schambra, Daniel Schmidt, and Michael Hartmann. Learn more->

08
Mar
2021
Ken Dayton on good nonprofit-board governance

John Tuso’s new book recalls his advice succinctly: simply support and supervise management. CEOs shouldn’t surrender, and boards shouldn’t usurp, power. In the nonprofit context particularly, directors should also be willing to do more when asked.


01
Mar
2021
Philanthropy in The Dictatorship of Woke Capital

Stephen R. Soukup’s straightforward explanation of increasing, and increasingly destructive, “wokism” in the country’s for-profit sector necessarily includes the role of some who are also in, and/or are acting through, the nonprofit sector.


11
Feb
2021
God, mammon, and philanthropy

Lance Morrow’s new book provides an historically and religiously informed contextual overview for considering how money should be organized to do good.


09
Feb
2021
God and Man at Yale at 70, William Rogers Coe 50 years after his death, and manipulable elites’ “naïveté and effrontery”

Which may be permanent, and thus still relevant—including in the higher-education context.


05
Feb
2021

06
Jan
2021
Lessons about community-driven, grassroots efforts to deal with social ills

From Charles Koch and Robert L. Woodson, Sr., decades’ worth of accumulated wisdom, but differing perspectives.


22
Dec
2020
What givers can learn from Clarence in It’s a Wonderful Life

An important charitable lesson from the classic Christmas film.


07
Dec
2020
From history, a defensive and disdainful response to Congressional interest in and scrutiny of Big Philanthropy

Several could perhaps play Robert M. Hutchins’ role today. Any potential B. Carroll Reeces?


05
Nov
2020
How to Educate a Citizen is timely, given America’s identity crisis

“Farewell book” by E. D. Hirsch, Jr., underscores role of history and civics education in developing shared knowledge necessary to be a nation. Philanthropy can and should help.


02
Nov
2020
The Upswing describes, and laments, America’s move from “I” to “we” and back to “I”

In philanthropy, for example, personal giving almost doubled from 1929 to 1964, then turned back downward from 1964 to 1996, according to new book by Robert D. Putnam with Shaylyn Romney Garrett. What to do about all this? Where to turn?