Of all things rooted in the American character, philanthropy is the least understood and appreciated while its importance to society is growing rapidly. The nation's academic community has almost completely ignored philanthropy as a subject for scholarly inquiry. College presidents have a vital role in encouraging this scholarly interest. (MLW)

Private foundations in the United States are being asked to play a more vital role in training and encouraging new leaders. Universities are no longer seen as "the place for the training of leadership and public service in a free society." Identification of leaders is the core of successful grant-making. (MLW)

Philanthropy could give greater support for the kind of education that is hard to support by natural market forces--that is, liberal arts. However, higher education must not assume that corporations can or will solve all their financial problems. (MSE)

Argues that the Carnegie, Ford, and Rockefeller Foundations' overseas programs and development strategies after 1945 were frequently coordinated by intermediate organizations established or funded by one of the foundations and that these programs and strategies were neither exclusively humanitarian in purpose nor apolitical. (NEC)

Although the Tax Reform Act of 1969 changed the way in which many foundations operated and brought the foundation community closer together, it did not have the devastating effect that many foundation officials feared. (Author)

College and university development officers must take an active role in soliciting foundation support and marketing their institutions and priorities. They should also exercise good judgment and fund-raising understanding to determine where their participation is beneficial and has the potential for productivity. (Author)

In these closing remarks, the First Lady thanks the speakers and presenters at the White House Conference on School Libraries and announces the formation of, as well as major gifts to, the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries, which aims to bring books to inner-city and rural school and community libraries. (MES)

Reviews historical trends in U.S. philanthropy toward Native Americans, including the "missionary and chief making era" (1819-1940s), "political leadership era" (1940s-1960s), "issues and rights era" (1960s), "institutional era" (1970s), "self-sufficiency era" (1980s), and present day efforts. Highlights obstacles that prevented the success of…

The author asks whether higher education reform has run out of new things to say. The final two decades of the twentieth century were a remarkable period for innovation in undergraduate education. Many of higher education's earlier waves of reform had focused on curricular issues, on what should be taught. The new reformers by and large ignored…

Higher education for blacks in the United States is reviewed with attention to historical developments, college desegregation, and the role of philanthropic organizations. Two early, private universities in the North that were designed to provide higher learning for blacks were Lincoln University in Pennsylvania (1854) and Wilberforce University…

Presents an interview with Franklin Thomas, president of the Ford Foundation, a private, nonprofit foundation. Discusses the interests of this foundation, particularly those concerned with urban poverty. Focuses on its activities outside the U.S. and on those activities specifically targeted to the Black community. (JS)

A review of college courses on the philanthropic tradition includes descriptions of programs at Babson College, Chapman College, the City University of New York's Bernard Baruch College, Georgetown University, Illinois State University, Northwestern University, Regis College, and Seton Hall University. (MSE)

A foundation official offers practical advice for making a grant application more appealing. Pointers are given for the preparatory stage (planning a precise request, setting priorities, selecting proposal writers), making the presentation (precision, punctuality, polish), and preventing awkwardness in style and tone of writing. (MSE)

Many projects grow out of passion and minimal outside funding. One's own personal enthusiasm, together with non-monetary encouragement of others, can fuel a project for a while. On-going development of a project and sustainability however, often depends upon partnering with people and funding resources. In this article, the author shares ideas on…

Characteristics of liberal arts colleges that motivate AT&T and other business and industrial firms to provide financial support are discussed. AT&T believes that independent colleges emphasize teaching excellence, including instruction in small settings and face-to-face discussion. Students benefit by early emphasis on the liberal arts,…