Carlos

This week was quite interesting in terms of learning various aspects and different approaches to philanthropy. We first examined 5 very different philanthropists in American history (Jane Addams, Andrew Carnegie, Julius Rosenwald, John D. Rockefeller, and the Lakota Tribe). Addams approach was very hands on and she delved right into a problem area and got on the level of those who needed aid. Carnegie was very adamant about giving away almost all of a person’s fortune while being alive and refrain from leaving to heirs or giving away money after passing. Rosenwald was against perpetual endowments and again was similar to Carnegie in believing one should be philanthropic before they pass. Rockefeller’s philosophy on philanthropy was based on the idea of “scientific giving.” He wanted to know as much information as possible and know that he was giving to a worthy cause before donating to a particular organization. The Lakota Tribe considered philanthropy giving to their immediate community and instead of giving what they had left over they gave everything they had. The philosophy I found to be the most effective was Rockefeller’s idea on “scientific giving.” It seems that by knowing as much information about a cause and organization as possible, you and the organization can get the most out of a donation.

On Thursday, February 18 we welcomed Ms. Terri Freeman and Ms. Angela Jones Hackley, president and vice president of the Community Foundation National Capital Region. They informed us a little on their organization and how a community/public foundation works. They stressed some points about the surrounding regions of Montgomery County and Prince George’s County and how their philanthropic and community needs can be addressed. They also made a very good point that “philanthropy alone will not fix a public problem, but it can be catalytic and leverage more money.” We as a class must realize that once this process of giving a grant away is completed, we are still indebted to the community and the receiving organization to remain active in trying to better whatever aspect of the community we target to fund. A great idea was also brought up during class about possibly being able to have another organization or various people and businesses to match our $10,000 grant and increase the impact we have on our community. This is an interesting opportunity that we as a class can discuss and decide on whether this is an attainable goal to pursue (Ms. Freeman said it was!). Keep brainstorming on ideas for what problems we want to address with our grant and I’ll see you Tuesday.