Private Philanthropy, Public Problems, and Power

Catalog description

In 2019, Americans gave $449.64 billion to charity. This is a lot of money! Yet, many students know little about charitable giving, often called private philanthropy, its attempt to solve public problems and the increasing power it yields in the U.S. and globally. Private philanthropy and the nonprofit organizations it often funds, play a growing role in public life. The purpose of this course is to examine private philanthropy in 21st century public problem solving--both its wins and its limitations. Philanthropists fund causes ranging from public health initiatives in Africa and community arts projects in New York City to international campaigns for LGBTQ rights and U.S.-based welfare reform. We will scrutinize the issues of power that emerge in private philanthropic giving and its social change objectives. The course analyzes the implications of philanthropy on U.S. and global communities by addressing questions that include: What motivates people to give philanthropically? What do specific types of private philanthropy mean for democracy, collective action and pluralism? What public problems are on the minds of philanthropists? Additionally, this course introduces undergraduate students to philanthropy through an experimental learning exercise. We have several thousand dollars of REAL money to give to a local nonprofit organization. Students enrolled in the course will come up with a process, create giving criteria and through evaluation will reach a collective decision about nonprofit organizations they wish to support and fund.