Philanthropic Foundations, Public Good and Public Policy

By: Diana Leat

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Synopsis: Thisbook discusses a series of related but independent challenges faced byphilanthropic foundations, drawing on international, contemporary andhistorical data. Throughout the world,private philanthropic foundations spend huge sums of money for public goodwhile the media, policy-makers and the public have little understanding of whatthey do and why. Diana Leat considersthe following questions: Are philanthropic foundations more than warehouses ofwealth? Where does foundation money come from, and is there a tension between afoundation's ongoing sources of income and its pursuit of public good? How arefoundations regulated and held accountable in society? Is there any evidencethat foundations are effective in what they do? Is it possible to have too muchphilanthropy? In posing these questions, the book explores some of the keytensions in how foundations work, and their place in democratic societies.