by Akosua Adomako Ampofo
If most private foundations (in the US) have endowments of less than $50m, indeed more like $10m, and most, despite this, ‘give’ more than the legally-required minimum (5%), and are increasing in their giving, then why aren’t we ‘feeling’ them as much as we did in the 1980s and 1990s? Where are they working? What are they giving and to whom? Are they spreading philanthropy in increasingly smaller sizes, and if so, does this matter? Or are their overheads increasing? The Ghanaians (Akans) have a saying, “ketwa bia enswa” (nothing is too small), but also, “ye de nam ne kye nam” – we need fish to catch fish. Not worms. How can we really share the wealth equitably?
“You Think You Know Private Foundations? Think Again”
by King McGlaughon in the Stanford Social Innovation Review