Why the Wealthy Give: The Culture of Elite Philanthropy
- Book Review,
by Francie Ostrower
Leslie Lenkowski, The Wall Street Journal
With cutbacks in government spending looming, the leaders of America's charities are voicing concerns that they will be hardpressed to pick up the slack. Whether this turns out to be the case depends in part on whether their wealthy supporters are ready to contribute more generously than before. Are they?... Why the Wealthy Give... helps to answer that question.
Brooke Astor
I have found Why the Wealthy Give fascinating reading. Anyone involved in philanthropic foundations should read this book.
Stanley N. Katz, Choice
Ostrower's book is one of the finest pieces of social science research to emerge from the new academic field of philanthropic studies.... This important book demonstrates that the most professionally rigorous forms of social science analysis can be presented in lucid prose and easily comprehended ideas.
From Booklist
Harvard sociology professor Ostrower explores elite philanthropy's nature, sources, and results--and the functions it performs within upper-class culture--based on interviews with nearly 100 New York City area donors during 1987^-88. Elites, she argues, justify philanthropy in terms of widely shared American beliefs about pluralism, individualism, and distinct spheres for governmental and private action but structure their philanthropic involvements in ways that strengthen class cohesion and maintain exclusivity. At the same time, analysis of factors other than class (like ethnicity, religion, gender) suggests that, within the elite, "philanthropy grows out of the donor's sense of identity." Exploring the effect of the 1980s explosion of wealth on New York City philanthropy, Ostrower demonstrates that although the city's social elite accepted newcomers on prestigious institutions' boards, the elite's traditional values--especially the exclusivity of donors' interactions with the groups they support--" have been universalized and institutionalized within the larger elite." Provocative insights for fund-raisers--and for readers interested in the significance of class in the U.S. Mary Carroll
Review
Ostrower's book is one of the finest pieces of social science research to emerge from the new academic field of philanthropic studies. . . . This important book demonstrates that the most professionally rigorous forms of social science analysis can be presented in lucid prose and easily comprehended ideas.
Book Description
Through a series of candid personal interviews with nearly one hundred donors, Why the Wealthy Give offers an in-depth look at the world of elite philanthropy. Francie Ostrower focuses on the New York City area, with its high concentration of affluent donors, to explore both the motivations of individual donors and the significance of philanthropy for the culture and organization of elite groups. In so doing, she offers an account of why the wealthy give that also provides insight into the nature of elite culture, status, identity, and cohesion. Emphasizing the diversity of philanthropy, the book also shows how and why different types of donors support different causes. It further demonstrates how, in the face of considerable change, elite philanthropy has adapted and therefore endured. A timely discussion explores the ways in which elite donors view the respective roles of government and philanthropy. Why the Wealthy Give shows that elite philanthropy involves far more than writing a check. The wealthy take philanthropy and adapt it into an entire way of life that serves as a vehicle for the social and cultural life of their class. This is reflected in the widespread popularity of educational and cultural causes among donors. At the same time, Ostrower finds divergent patterns of giving that reflect alternative sources of donor identity, such as religion, ethnicity, and gender, and explains why certain kinds of donors are more or less likely to diverge from the prestige hierarchy of their class in their philanthropy.
Download Description
Through a series of candid personal interviews with nearly one hundred donors, Why the Wealthy Give offers an in-depth look at the world of elite philanthropy. Francie Ostrower focuses on the New York City area, with its high concentration of affluent donors, to explore both the motivations of individual donors and the significance of philanthropy for the culture and organization of elite groups. In so doing, she offers an account of why the wealthy give that also provides insight into the nature of elite culture, status, identity, and cohesion. Emphasizing the diversity of philanthropy, the book also shows how and why different types of donors support different causes. It further demonstrates how, in the face of considerable change, elite philanthropy has adapted and therefore endured. A timely discussion explores the ways in which elite donors view the respective roles of government and philanthropy. Why the Wealthy Give shows that elite philanthropy involves far more than writing a check. The wealthy take philanthropy and adapt it into an entire way of life that serves as a vehicle for the social and cultural life of their class. This is reflected in the widespread popularity of educational and cultural causes among donors. At the same time, Ostrower finds divergent patterns of giving that reflect alternative sources of donor identity, such as religion, ethnicity, and gender, and explains why certain kinds of donors are more or less likely to diverge from the prestige hierarchy of their class in their philanthropy.
From the Back Cover
"I have found Why the Wealthy Give fascinating reading. Anyone involved in philanthropic foundations should read this book."--Brooke Astor "A milestone in the study of giving. . .Casts fresh light on aspects of donors' philanthropic careers and motivations."--Paul DiMaggio, Princeton University
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