272 pages | ISBN 978-1-892934-12-3


History, Philanthropy

Press: Capital Research Center
Paperback


The Great Philanthropists and the Problem of “Donor Intent”

By Martin Morse Wooster

The Great Philanthropists and the Problem of “Donor Intent” is a must-have book for anyone working in the philanthropic sector–especially anyone planning to establish a grantmaking foundation. Wooster provides fascinating case studies of influential entrepreneurs and philanthropists–including Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and the Pew family–who established foundations that strayed from the ideals and intentions of their benefactors. He contrasts their foundations with foundations that have stayed true to their donors’ intentions, such as the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Duke Endowment, and Conrad Hilton Foundation. Wooster surveys precedent-setting legal cases, including the recent and much publicized case of the Robertson family vs. Princeton University, that have upheld, compromised, or overturned donor intentions, and he explains what donors can do to make sure their intentions are honored by those who administer their requests.

Martin Morse Wooster, a Senior Fellow at Capital Research Center, received his undergraduate degree in history and philosophy from Beloit College.  He is a contributing editor of Philanthropy and a columnist for the Washington Times. He has been an associate editor of The American Enterprise, Washington editor of Reason, an associate editor of The Wilson Quarterly, and Washington editor of Harper’s Magazine. He is also the author of Should Foundations Live Forever?: The Question of Perpetuity, Return to Charity?, The Foundation Builders, and By Their Bootstraps. He has also contributed articles on the history of philanthropy to The Encyclopedia of Civil Rights, The Encyclopedia of Philanthropy, The Encyclopedia of the Victorian Era, and Notable American Philanthropists.