In an increasingly individualistic society in which the economic forecast has been uncertain for the past several years, independent schools have struggled to understand donors' motivations for giving. In addition, schools continually examine the way their annual giving campaigns articulate how donors' gifts align with the schools' missions and…

Background/Context: Government support for higher education has decreased over the past few decades. In turn, institutions are seeking alternative sources of funding and increasing reliance on alumni giving. Although trust is important to social institutions and nonprofits, we know little about the role of trust in alumni engagement.…

Background/Context: The business and philanthropic sectors have been a persistent force in shaping U.S. schools. Recently, they have used their resources to advance policies that embody newer principles of industry--reforms that suggest that competition, choice, and deregulation can spur improvement and effectiveness. This has most notably…

Background/Context: Research on the patterns of philanthropic funding of charter schools has largely focused on the behavior of major foundations. This work has documented how the once diffuse giving by these major foundations has become increasingly concentrated on a small number of jurisdictional challengers in the form of charter schools,…

Explores the impact of grantseeking on urban public school teachers, examining how it introduced them to the central tenets of the privatization movement, discussing how specific assumptions about urban teachers have influenced the development of grant competition, and describing the exclusion of minority teachers. A case history illustrates the…

A major achievement of women in higher education since the 1960s has been the growth of women's studies as a formal area of teaching and research. Philanthropy played a key role, with the Ford Foundation the source of much of the funding that helped accelerate the process of change. (SM)

The massive increase in private support of public education improvement brought important changes in the relationship between donors and applicants. The article describes the changes, noting the range of donor interests and decision-making processes. A section on lessons, trends, and dilemmas explains where the philanthropic field is headed and…

Examines decentralization of the development function in research universities and the impact decentralization has on the balance of power among university academic leaders; the ability of universities to set their own priorities; the communication between academic units and the central development office; and the relationship between faculty and…

Introduces a series of articles on philanthropy and the nature of education, suggesting that serious study of philanthropy in education is nowhere near sufficient as a result of insufficient theory and suspiciousness characterizing attitudes and relationships between philanthropists/foundation administrators and outside scholars and investigators.…

Growing academic interest in philanthropy, voluntarism, and nonprofit organizations illustrates efforts by industry to redefine its public presence by influencing universities and scholars. The paper examines efforts to evaluate the changing place of universities in public life, the processes of university change, and the effectiveness of…

Discusses efforts by charitable foundations to improve educational quality for at-risk youth. Most grants for at-risk youth are for direct services, though research/evaluation and advocacy receive considerable funding. Some foundations provide technical assistance and brokering. Recently, entrepreneurs have entered the field of educational…

Reprints a 1979 article that responded to a request from the Rockefeller Archives Center for an analysis of one foundation's activity with public schools over time. The original article traced the Ford Foundation's role in public education from 1960 through the 1970s. An addendum traces its role through the 1980s. (SM)

The Panasonic Foundation made the improvement of elementary and secondary education its primary mission. The article describes its partnership program which involved it in long-term, intensive relationships with urban school districts. Evaluation of the partnership indicates it has been central in promoting reflective thinking and educational…

Discusses philanthropy and President Bush's America 2000 education reform package, suggesting its focus on the economic imperative of education is insufficient regarding U.S. ethical, social, and spiritual challenges. It notes philanthropy must calibrate its efforts to widen the discourse of reform and reinvigorate a sense of community in U.S.…

Describes how the San Diego Unified School District has worked with numerous philanthropic organizations for educational reform and provides suggestions for school districts and foundations interested in working together for public school reform. Provides pertinent information on the foundations that worked with San Diego. (SM)