Philanthropy, Feminism and the Ford Foundation

A month or so ago I mentioned meeting a wonderful young woman who was writing her thesis on "Philanthropy as an Expression of Feminism" for Hood College in Maryland.  Yesterday I heard from Betsy Diehl that her thesis had not only been accepted but she had received an A from her graduate school committee.  I asked Betsy to write a summary of her thesis and I am proud to include it in this blog.  Should you want to contact Betsy directly, her email address is diehl@hood.edu and I know she would be delighted to share the entire thesis with you.  It is a very different twist on women and philanthropy and quite frankly, one I had never considered.  I'm sure you will find it extremely interesting as well.
From Betsy:

"My research arose from what I have observed over the years as a professional college fundraiser – the fact that some people, particularly women, do not give simply because they do not consider themselves to be philanthropists. I began to suspect that people who felt this way were basing their views on a stereotypical image of philanthropy that has persisted since the days of Andrew Carnegie and John Rockefeller; i.e., that philanthropy is a masculine pursuit associated with power, money and ego. For those who identify with feminist values, such an interpretation renders philanthropy to be problematic. As a result, those who might otherwise be involved in efforts towards social reform and community uplift choose not to participate in what they perceive to be an oppressive, power-based practice.

Through extensive research, however, I discovered a provocative truth: that philanthropy and feminism are not only aligned, but that philanthropy, in its purest form, may in fact be considered a powerful expression of feminism.

To come to this revelation, I eradicated the stereotypes and whittled down philanthropy and feminism to their cores. In doing so, three key congruent features were revealed. First is the shared desire for social reform. In addition, both recognize the need to challenge and change the existing system in order to fix problems. Finally, there is the overarching requirement of inclusive collaboration between those who are involved in the funding, designing and implementing social reform activities along with those who are directly affected by those efforts.

To test this thesis, I conducted a case study of one of the largest philanthropic foundations in the world, the Ford Foundation. This study reveals some significant, and perhaps surprising, truths about using philanthropy to promote feminist objectives. While the Ford Foundation since its inception has been committed to upholding “democratic” values, it has, probably unintentionally, gravitated towards a feminist approach to fulfilling its mission, particularly since the 1970s.

This paper illuminates the fact that understanding philanthropy as a vehicle for expressing feminist objectives has important implications. First, fundraisers may have greater success attracting female donors to their causes if women are comfortable identifying with philanthropy. Additionally, women may have increased opportunities to exercise greater influence on the areas of society that are touched and shaped by philanthropy. Finally, viewing philanthropy as a means to achieve feminist objectives is likely to resonate with the next generation who seek to “be part of something” in order to make a difference in society and the world a better place for all."

Betsy Diehl

Director of Annual Giving

Hood College

Frederick, MD 

How Much is Enough?

Jacki Zehner

A couple of weeks ago, one of my co-author's of Women and Philanthropy: Boldly Shaping a Better World, Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, sent a quick question asking what I would recommend for reading for a diverse group of high worth women who have formed an informal discussion group about the topic of philanthropy.  The women want to have a discussion on "how much is enough" - both to have and to give.  Here is an excerpt from our new book about this topic.
     "As for how much money is enough, Linda Basch, president of the National Council for Research on Women says, "For women it's not just the thrill of making money, it's the social purposes that the money can be used for.  What we've seen with some women in our research about women in fund management is that they have a sense of when they've made enough and they cash out."
     Basch points to Jacki Zehner as an example.  In 1996 Zehner was the youngest woman and the first female trader to be invited into the partnership of Goldman Sachs.  After leaving the firm in 2002 at the age of 35, and having done well, she is now committed to doing good through her philanthropy concerning the economic empowerment of women."
I sent Buffy's question out to some friends and the following represent their replies.  

From Anne Ellinger and Bolder Giving

• Download (or order hard-copy) the Bolder Giving Workbook, which has quite a bit about "How Much Is Enough?".  Also, look through the "inspiring stories" section of www.boldergiving.org, especially those with "simplicity" as the motivation.
• More Than Money:  Scroll down the archives to issue #4 "How Much Is Enough?"
• Vicki Robin's website, book, online articles and teleclasses: Your Money or Your Life.
• Kathy LeMay's new book, The Generosity Plan.  
• Kevin and Hannah Salwens book, The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back. 

Jacki Zehner from The Purse Pundit blog recommended:

• Kathy LeMay's new book, The Generosity Plan. 
• Tracy Gary's books, Inspired Legacies. 

Others that I would recommend:

• Margaret May Damen and Niki McCuistion, Women, Wealth and Giving: The Virtuous Legacy of the Boom Generation.
• Lynn Twist's, The Soul of Money.
• Charles W. Collier, Wealth in Families.
• Joanna Krotz, The Guide to Intelligent Giving: Make a Difference in the World--and in Your Own Life.
• Douglas M. Lawson, Give to Live: How Giving Can Change Your Life.
• An older but very wise book is the late Claude Rosenberg, Jr's Wealthy and Wise, How You and America can get the Most our of Your Giving.
• And finally, one that is sure to elicit ideas and dialogue is Amy A. Kass' book, The Perfect Gift: The Philanthropic Imagination in Poetry and Prose.

I surely hope that this list sparks more of these discussions among both women and men of all ages and wages and that you will add more to the list as well.  Perhaps if more of these discussions had gone on, there would be no reason for like limiting CEO pay or financial reform bills.  

I don't mean to leave anyone out but it does seem that athletes, music and film stars do have philanthropic role models but not so corporate executives.  Perhaps they don't get the same kind of attention with their philanthropy as a Bono, Madonna, Magic Johnson or Brad Pitt.  But perhaps it's also time for them to let us know what they are doing to make the world a better place.  Not just through their corporate contributions, but through their personal gifts as well.  Thank you Jacki Zehner for taking the time to step back and think through the question of how much is enough, and then becoming a strong philanthropist.  

Mary McAleese, President of Ireland: Flying With Two Wings

Ireland’s President, Mary McAleese used a rather unique analogy comparing the current economic crisis to being given a bird with two wings and insisting on flying it with one.  Speaking at a Women and Philanthropy symposium in Dublin April 14^th, McAleese said the current economic situation was “pretty much testosterone driven.”   

A “toxic amalgam of cultural norms, stereotypes, laws and attitudes” has excluded women from many spheres over generations and “pulling it apart is still a major work in progress.  We are only at the beginning,” she said.  Wow!  And she’s been president of Ireland since 1997 where, when she was a little girl she was told by a priest that she couldn’t be a lawyer because she was a girl.  She showed him.  Not only did she get her law degree, in 1975 she was appointed Professor of Law at Trinity College. 

Now, I do understand her getting a law degree.  What I don’t understand is that she’s the second woman president Ireland has had (she succeeded the first one and that too was a first in the world, ever).  But Ireland has only had eight presidents.  Conclusion: we are so far behind in the United States.

But back to the subject of women and philanthropy.  The event called “Realizing the Power and Potential of Women in Philanthropy,” was hosted by the Community Foundation of Ireland (CFI) and Philanthropy Ireland.  A new philanthropic Women’s Fund for Ireland was launched at the event and the CFI pledged one hundred thousand pounds to begin the fund.  Another wonderful spread of women’s philanthropy world-wide.

Again, referring to a bird using both its wings, i.e. resources. instead of just one of them, McAleese says, if the “special constituency of private philanthropy by women flourishes, Ireland will flourish.” I take the meaning to be, if women's philanthropy becomes half of all philanthropy in Ireland (which it currently is not), the country will flourish.  Just as others have said in different ways, when women have and give their half, the world will be a better one.

I was also intrigued with the fact that McAleese grew up a Catholic in Northern Ireland in an area that was mostly Protestant.  She first hand saw battles in her neighborhood where her father’s store was hit with machine gun fire and a bomb left for him (instead it killed a young mother).  Not surprisingly, peace is of utmost importance to her.  She encourages “creating a new culture of consensus,” “reconciliation of all classes and creeds,” and quotes her grandmother as teaching her very early to be “respectful of the uniqueness of each person.”

But perhaps the most interesting part of my learning more about McAleese was her take on women’s leadership.  In an interview she gave in 1999, she said women have an advantage because we come to problems conceptually, “quite different from men.”  She believes that women can “seedbed” and aren’t particularly worried about being around for the “full flowering” of their solutions.  This she attributes to the fact that women have been out of the traditional mainstream and have had to look in the nooks and crannies and find ways through very difficult spaces.  This “has been the gift of women to the world,” she says.

An amazing woman who represents the very essence of women's philanthropy as she, "uses the present moment to craft the kind of future I want for my children and for my life.”

“Opening Their Hearts and Their Suitcases”

Svetlana Sussman

One of Merriam-Webster's definitions of "purse" is "resources," and that's just what MIT administrator, Svetlana Sussman is... "resource"ful.

Svetlana's late father, a professor of physics at St. Petersburg State University, had been blind since the age of 2.  In his memory, his daughter has partnered with American organizations to provide over 500 white walking canes to students and young professionals living in Russia.  

All of the donations are transported to Russia by business people and college students (Dartmouth and Brandeis among them),  because of the hefty taxes applied to gifts sent through the mail. The M.N. Adamov Fund for the Blind also donates digital recorders for students to use during lectures and collects used computers.  Sussman says they rely on people, “opening their hearts and their suitcases.” The Boston Globe. 4/9/10