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

28
Oct
2020
A good egghead, messily making omelettes

More of Irving Kristol’s kind of counter-establishment insurgence, as described in Michael J. Brown’s new book, might now be needed again—including in philanthropy.


26
Oct
2020
Fred Siegel’s The Crisis of Liberalism shows how its “clerisy” has now come to fully trump evidence with ideology

Collection of essays from Manhattan Institute senior fellow, once a man of the left, lays out a century’s worth of instances in which elite experts—and, in at least one case, philanthropy—have failed the citizenry.


08
Oct
2020
A “push off the starting gate” for strategic ultra-high-net-worth philanthropists ends with a little “pull”

Into an existing “philanthropic ecosystem” about which they should be wary.


30
Sep
2020
What conservative philanthropy should have seen coming, and how it should look at what’s next

Gerald F. Seib’s new book skillfully overviews what’s happened to conservatism since 1980 and helpfully frames its forthcoming challenges and opportunities.


03
Sep
2020
“Calling bullshit” in philanthropy

Relearn the art of skepticism, and improve grantmaking.


02
Sep
2020
Conspicuous giving garners rich more respect than conspicuous consumption, study finds

But can giving be so conspicuous that it’s as bad as extravagant consumption?


12
Aug
2020
On George Soros’ 90th birthday, again noting some similarities in strategies and tactics

His caution about “pitfalls and paradoxes” in philanthropy seems quite familiar.


30
Jul
2020
Benevolence, philanthropy, and identity in Civic Gifts

Elisabeth S. Clemens impressively details questions about proper roles of, and relationship between, public and private sectors in meeting social challenges through American history.


06
Jul
2020
Contemporary philanthropy as part of a First Estate “clerisy”

Joel Kotkin’s new book on the coming “neo-feudalism”—comparing current class conditions to those of the Middle Ages—correctly characterizes the current status and a current role of foundations.


28
May
2020
Recognizing symptoms of groupthink in philanthropy

Wondering whether there may be symptoms of groupthink, of heavy-handed treatment of dissent, in philanthropy.