When foundations reduce their support to a field, they generally offer brief explanations for their actions, citing a record of past achievement, a new constellation of social needs, and a consequent reconfiguration of priorities. Other rationales for the foundations' recent rift with higher education include friction between foundation agendas…

The Danforth Foundation in St. Louis is moving away from national higher education assistance to concentrate on local universities' financial problems. (PG)

A discussion of philanthropy as a field of study reviews major books and essays on the subject and lists academic centers and programs and national philanthropic organizations. (MSE)

Most of the federal agencies that support postsecondary education use a quasifoundation model. The agencies that support educational activities can be divided into categories depending on the focus of the grants awarded: direct support to institutions, agencies with a mission, and special concerns. (MLW)

Small regional foundations, endowments often formed by an individual or family, represent a capillary network among colleges and universities, funneling smaller amounts of money to projects and programs out of the reach of the national foundations. A few foundations are identified and described. (MLW)

Two-year institutions are looking to the private sector as alternative funding sources, and the role of foundations is becoming more prominent. Suggestions are offered for setting up a foundation. (LBH)

Charts compiled by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching show the pattern of support by foundations and how foundation support compares with support from the federal government. American foundations are seen as an important counterweight to government influence in higher education. (MLW)

Several top grant givers and getters were asked for how-to advice on getting a grant. Their tips are provided for allowing sufficient time for working on a proposal, developing proposal elements, and writing the proposal. Some of the best books on grantsmanship and some essential reference tools are listed. (MLW)

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation combined its concern that few top flight scholars are choosing the humanities for careers and its awareness of the current oversupply of humanities faculty to create a $24 million fellowship program to direct talented graduate students into English and comparative literature, American studies, history, classics,…

Higher education reference tools, including a fact book, encyclopedia, and directory are listed in this 16-item bibliography that also reports the standard indexing and abstracting journals, information and referral centers, automated search services, and other resources.

New trend of the National Science Foundation is for more support of science education for all students, and for individual research projects, especially those dealing with national problems. (IR)

Surveys and interviews identified individuals who have achieved national recognition for college and university leadership and individuals from outside higher education who have had particularly strong influence on it. Profiles of former group (n=21) include deans, presidents, and heads of associations, foundations, and policy centers; profiles of…

The development of the Russell Sage Foundation, devoted to social science research, is reviewed with emphasis on its outlook under the new president, Aaron Wildavsky, and his expertise in policy analysis. (LBH)

Corporate philanthropy has become a standard practice in the business world, allowing corporations to serve the broader and longer-term interests of the society while at the same time promoting corporate prosperity. Strengthening of the humanities and social sciences is discussed by the president of the Exxon Education Foundation. (MLW)