DOI
10.9707/1944-5660.1698
Key Points
Editor’s Note: This article, first published in print and online in 2015, has been republished by The Foundation Review with minor updates.
This article argues that philanthropic endeavors should be undergirded by a theory of philanthropy. Articulating a theory of philanthropy is a way for a foundation to make explicit what is often only implicit, thereby enabling internal and external actors to pose and resolve significant questions, understand and play important roles more fully and effectively, and improve performance by enhancing alignment across complex systems.
A theory of philanthropy articulates how and why a foundation will use its resources to achieve its mission and vision. The theory-of-philanthropy approach is designed to help foundations align their strategies, governance, operating and accountability procedures, and grantmaking profile and policies with their resources and mission.
Some 30 elements that can feed into a comprehensive theory of philanthropy represent a customizable tool for exploring the issues foundations face. A foundation can use the tool to gather data and perspectives about specific aspects of its heritage and approach; what is learned in addressing the elements can then be synthesized into a succinct and coherent theory of philanthropy.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Patton, M., Foote, N., & Radner, J. (2024). A foundation’s theory of philanthropy: What it is, what it provides, how to do it – With 2024 prologue. The Foundation Review, 16(1). (Original work published 2015.) https://doi. org/10.9707/1944-5660.1698
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