Anonymous philanthropy has much appeal to one who's been to a couple too many 'charity events'.
But leaving aside my dyspeptic views on that subject, I would argue that in philanthropy as in all fields leadership styles and strategies must vary with the donor's skills, visibility and mission.
Not long ago, I read David Nasaw's Andrew Carnegie. It's a pretty good biography of a man for whom I had little sympathy when I began reading. For the record, and not to be argumentative, Nasaw confirmed for me that Carnegie's business ethics didn't reach average in his benighted era and that his labor policies were considerably worse than I'd been brought up to believe. That from a sympathetic biographer.
In contrast, the story of Carnegie's philanthropic efforts is inspiring and tragic, immensely successful and devastatingly failed. From libraries and education to world peace and disarmament, Carnegie put his mouth where his money was. I came away convinced that it was Carnegie's personal force that led to his successes. He put his reputation and his money into the cause of avoiding the world war he foresaw in the 1890s. He fought American imperialism in Cuba and the Philippines. He spent his last years (he died in 1919) in a profound depression.
It is difficult for me to see how Carnegie could have left the positive legacy he did as an anonymous actor. From his earliest days, he strove to be a philosopher baron. His name, the power that lies in being the richest man in the world -- possibly, the richest who ever lived -- and his civic presence brought the philanthropic successes he scored. His willingness to suffer intense, public humiliations for all-important but hopeless causes was noble.
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Peter D. Kinder
RiskMetrics Group
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Principle is the safe precedent. -Frank Lloyd Wright (1931)
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-----Original Message-----
From: Organizations and the Natural Environment Discussion [mailto:
ONE-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU] On Behalf Of Jon Entine
Sent: Sunday, February 14, 2010 8:29 AM
To:
ONE-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: Is Gates a 'true' philanthroplst
Please, Debbie..on reflection I'm sure you'd like to take what you wrote back...you're too thoughtful a person to write something like that.
Who is Gates going to give his money to--money of that magniture? To others to squander? There was no infrasctructure to handle $30 billion, let alone the additonal $20 billion he's coaxed out of Buffett.
Gates is not only interested in giving away his fortune to help people, he is interested in changing the paradigm of charity so it actually is accountable, which has historically not been the case. He's literally pioneering/leading a revolution in the philanthropic world which is no less important than the revolution the computer brought to modern society....you can ask almost anyone in the philanthropy world, and they would agree. This is an historic moment in philanthropy, and Gates is the first mover.
Jon
-----Original Message-----
From: Debbie de Lange [mailto:
ddelange@SUFFOLK.EDU]
Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 09:35 PM
To:
ONE-L@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
Subject: Re: FW: Why Bill Gates knows what he's talking about...
A great philanthropist doesn't give so as to gain power and influence.
A truly great philanthropist gives anonymously.
Dr. Debbie de Lange
Strategy and International Business
Suffolk University
Sawyer Business School
8 Ashburton Place
Boston, MA
USA 02108-2770
617-573-8794
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