Topic: Philanthropy & the Private Sector

In the late 20th century, the Ford Foundation’s attempt to translate microlending methods from Bangladesh to the United States revealed false assumptions about poverty, social context, and individual entrepreneurial spirit that undergirded microlending experiments.

In nearly a century of activity in the field of economics, the Foundation initiated new research centers and training programs around the world.

Partnering with public agencies to encourage efficient administration in state, county, and local governments.

Prompted by Reagan-era budget cuts, a new program serving low-income single parents receiving public aid failed to meet its constituents’ needs.

The nation’s parks, perhaps our most remarkable public resource, have a history of development through private giving.

Philanthropy helped architects and planners create a new kind of suburban community in the 1920s.

How a meeting of scientists and health experts sparked a new international campaign to find a way to prevent AIDS.

Is private wealth an obstacle to democracy? Fifty years ago, Congress thought so.

How a charismatic community activist from Watts challenged a foundation’s civil rights strategy through a jobs training program.

An early twentieth-century foundation tried using its endowment to support for-profit projects that also would achieve a social goal.