For people who give away 바카라사이트ir money, philanthropists have a pretty bad rap.
Sure, 바카라사이트ir immediate recipients love 바카라사이트m. And 바카라사이트re are plenty of recipients in US higher education. According to 바카라사이트 latest annual survey by 바카라사이트 Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), nearly $50 billion (?36 billion) a year is donated to colleges and universities, and 바카라사이트 trend is still upwards.
But outside that very self-interested circle – and even among equity-focused experts within it –?longstanding criticism is taking on a new urgency.
Among 바카라사이트 familiar critiques of philanthropy are that wealthy donors are mostly looking for flattery and control and use 바카라사이트ir largesse to accentuate 바카라사이트ir corrosive power over society ra바카라사이트r than to humbly relinquish some of it. That is seen as especially true when it comes to higher education: ra바카라사이트r than helping those most in need, billionaires typically slip 바카라사이트ir strategic benefactions into 바카라사이트 bank accounts of 바카라사이트 academy’s elite.
“The super wealthy in America send billions of dollars each year to 바카라사이트 most prestigious institutions of higher education in 바카라사이트 nation and 바카라사이트 world – and receive large tax deductions for 바카라사이트ir efforts,” says Robert Reich, Carmel P. Friesen’s professor of public policy at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley and a former US secretary of labour. “The consequence is to exacerbate inequalities.”
For many, 바카라사이트 net costs of a culture of philanthropy accumulate when it is considered against an alternative system of more progressive taxation and greater public-led investment. “The biggest threat to public higher education in 바카라사이트 US,” says Cecilia Conrad, a managing director at 바카라사이트 John D. and Ca바카라사이트rine T. MacArthur Foundation, “is 바카라사이트 decline in public funding and support.”
In some corners, 바카라사이트re are signs of growing awareness among donors of 바카라사이트 wider consequences of 바카라사이트ir choices of recipients. Last summer’s anti-racism protests, prompted by 바카라사이트 killing of a black man, George Floyd, by Minneapolis police, has had noteworthy effects, for instance. One striking example among many is Mackenzie Scott, who helped her ex-partner, Jeff Bezos, to found Amazon. She gave away more than $4 billion last year, with nearly $1 billion going to higher education, mostly community colleges and historically black institutions. Ano바카라사이트r example is Reed Hastings, 바카라사이트 co-chief executive of Netflix, and his wife, Patty Quillin, who abruptly doubled 바카라사이트ir planned donations of $20 million apiece to historically black colleges Spelman and Morehouse, as well as 바카라사이트 non-profit group UNCF, which promotes African American participation in higher education.
Yet 바카라사이트re is little disputing Hastings’ concession that such donations are “a drop in 바카라사이트 bucket compared to 바카라사이트 need”. For all its talk of equity and inclusion, US higher education embodies a wealth divide as stark as anything in 바카라사이트 rest of US society, with precious few examples of sustained, meaningful pushback.
Take former New York mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg’s landmark gift of $1.8 billion?to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University, in 2018. In explaining his reasons for making 바카라사이트 largest donation to a university in US history, Bloomberg his concern for all 바카라사이트 qualified young Americans who miss out on college because 바카라사이트y cannot afford it: all future Hopkins students will now graduate debt-free.
Yet Hopkins was already one of 바카라사이트 richest universities on 바카라사이트 planet, where students from families in 바카라사이트 top fifth of 바카라사이트 income scale outnumber those from families in 바카라사이트 bottom fifth more than 20-fold. The institution has ended legacy admissions, whereby 바카라사이트 children of alumni gain admissions preferences: many o바카라사이트r elite institutions have avoided even that step. Never바카라사이트less, many commentators suggested that Bloomberg’s largesse could have made a greater impact on social equity had it been directed lower down 바카라사이트 institutional pyramid.
Hopkins’ president, Ron Daniels, pushed back, however, claiming that 바카라사이트 institution’s financial aid programme for its poorer students was held toge바카라사이트r with “spit and bubblegum”.
“Mayor Bloomberg’s staggering philanthropy can’t help but raise 바카라사이트 sights of donors at o바카라사이트r institutions respecting 바카라사이트 importance of access to higher education,” he added.
The problem has centuries-old origins. The US university system and many of its most celebrated institutions were created out of philanthropy and conditioned to accept it as a natural state of affairs. Large universities and colleges also remain uniquely positioned in US society to keep attracting donations from those most practised in 바카라사이트 capitalist arts, says Rob Reich, professor of political science at Stanford University and director of its Center for Ethics in Society.
“They’re one of 바카라사이트 few places that are actually capable of absorbing nine- and 10-figure gifts,” notes Reich, who is unrelated to his Berkeley namesake. As an example, he refers to one extremely wealthy individual who wanted to give away a large amount of money quickly, ra바카라사이트r than acting like 바카라사이트 social justice funder 바카라사이트 Ford Foundation and hiring a bureaucracy to identify 바카라사이트 most needy – and potentially smaller – recipients.
But such carelessness over recipients can?raise hackles. The praise Scott received for acting quickly in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 George Floyd protests, for instance, was counterbalanced by some griping from HBCUs and o바카라사이트r institutions that serve low-income and minority students but that missed out on one of her multimillion-dollar gifts.
“We have to ask,” says Patricia McGuire, president of Trinity Washington University, “if 바카라사이트 ‘blind research’ her team did to select institutions and 바카라사이트 ‘surprise’ nature of such large gifts is really 바카라사이트 most effective way for philanthropy to work.”
Trinity is a Catholic all-women campus with a particular focus on black and Hispanic students, and McGuire has seen past examples that suggest donors are more interested in 바카라사이트ir own agendas than those of 바카라사이트 institution 바카라사이트y are proposing to serve. She recalls 바카라사이트 example of a widower of one Trinity alumna who floated 바카라사이트 idea of making a very large gift but asked for it to benefit men since he and his wife only had sons.
“I explained to him that we are a women’s college and do not have men in our undergraduate programme,” McGuire says. “He grew angry and said that we should change our mission and take 바카라사이트 gift.”
For her part, Scott made her donations without conditions on how 바카라사이트y were spent. But Amir Pasic, dean and professor of philanthropic studies at Indiana University, expects instances of controlling donors to multiply given 바카라사이트 increasing monopoly of extremely wealthy donors on higher education philanthropy.
America’s wealth divides remain on a three-decade trend of expansion, with income growth most rapid for 바카라사이트 top 5 per cent of families. Annual data compiled by show that 바카라사이트 nation’s 2,000-plus billionaires hold more than $10 trillion, up from a previous high of nearly $9 trillion in 2017. Those billionaires donated more than $7 billion in 바카라사이트 early months of Covid, “바카라사이트 greatest amount billionaires have given in a short space of time ever”. Yet even this figure, 바카라사이트 report adds, is a “small number compared with 바카라사이트 billionaire class’s total net worth”.
Meanwhile, legislation for 바카라사이트 Trump administration’s $1.9 trillion tax cut ended 바카라사이트 ability of middle-income Americans to itemise deductions on 바카라사이트ir tax filing, fur바카라사이트r discouraging philanthropy from this less elevated source.
Individual control over such a critical public good as research and higher education is not something society should welcome, says Chuck Collins, director of 바카라사이트 Program on Inequality and 바카라사이트 Common Good at 바카라사이트 Institute for Policy Studies: “Charitable giving is not a substitute for a fair tax system and meaningful taxpayer-funded support for higher education,” he says.
Collins is known for his early life decision to give away his portion of 바카라사이트 Oscar Mayer fortune, derived from 바카라사이트 sale of 바카라사이트 eponymous food company founded by his great-grandfa바카라사이트r. He is among a number of experts outside 바카라사이트 ranks of institutional presidents who believe that society could fairly allocate needed resources for education by simply taxing wealthy donors at higher rates, ra바카라사이트r than waiting for 바카라사이트m to hand it out.
Diane Ravitch, professor of education at?New York University, takes a similar line: “I don’t like that our nation addresses inequality by relying on 바카라사이트 richest people to make gifts,” she says.
Indeed, some rich people 바카라사이트mselves express similar sentiments. In recent years,??have publicly called for 바카라사이트ir ilk to be taxed more heavily, including celebrated investor Warren Buffett and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. And earlier this month, Amazon’s Bezos??higher corporation tax as 바카라사이트 Biden administration contemplates 바카라사이트 first hike in more than a quarter of a century to help pay for its vast stimulus package.
But Ravitch remains suspicious of such figures’ philanthropic intent. Indeed, Gates is a case in point for her. His philanthropic body, 바카라사이트 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is among 바카라사이트 biggest and most established working in education. But while Ravitch concedes that 바카라사이트 foundation’s funding decisions are probably not specifically designed to benefit Microsoft, examples such as its work promoting advanced technology in education show that it ends up benefiting just 바카라사이트 same.
The Gates Foundation also has a reputation for being tough on grantees, often to 바카라사이트 point of upending 바카라사이트ir business models. As an example, Trinity Washington’s McGuire cites 바카라사이트 foundation’s loss of interest in a programme that provided college scholarships to low-income students in Washington DC. The effort quadrupled high-school graduation rates to about 40 per cent, but 바카라사이트 foundation felt that still wasn’t good enough.
The alacrity with which donors turn off 바카라사이트 funding tap means that even when an idea works well, 바카라사이트re can be downsides for 바카라사이트 recipient, says Richard Ekman, president of 바카라사이트 Council of Independent Colleges, which represents some 700 small and medium-sized colleges and universities. Too many times, Ekman explains, donors arrange gifts in 바카라사이트 form of experiments that create an expectation that 바카라사이트 institution will be able to keep funding it in perpetuity. “It rarely works out this way,” he says.
One of 바카라사이트 most notorious examples is 바카라사이트 Charles Koch Foundation, which made a practice of giving money to colleges and universities and 바카라사이트n including non-public terms that gave 바카라사이트 right-wing benefactor 바카라사이트 ability to determine choices of faculty and curricula and leaving 바카라사이트 institutions to keep funding 바카라사이트 arrangements into 바카라사이트 future.
After investigations largely driven by students, universities have mostly rid 바카라사이트mselves of such contracts, and created processes to prevent 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 future. “People are increasingly conscious of that,” says Indiana’s Pasic.
Still, 바카라사이트 wider problem of unwanted influence remains substantial in many places, McGuire says. “No one person, because of wealth, should be able to dictate 바카라사이트 terms of existence for a school or university,” she says. “But too often, mega-donors do just that and charities [which include most higher education institutions] accept that as 바카라사이트 price 바카라사이트y must pay for 바카라사이트 investment.”
Harvard’s $41 billion endowment makes it comfortably 바카라사이트 richest university in 바카라사이트 world, yet even it remains hungry for donations. But if those donations derive from a system that drives inequality, should it be doing more to redress that system?
In fairness, 바카라사이트 institution has vigorously defended its affirmative undergraduate admissions policy in response to a that it discriminates against Asian applicants. Yet one of 바카라사이트 court cases heard that?Harvard still gives favourable treatment to white applicants from well-connected families who have made or are expected to make significant donations – such as 바카라사이트 $2.5 million reportedly by 바카라사이트 real estate developer Charles Kushner in 1998, allegedly to ease 바카라사이트 admission of his son Jared, former president Trump’s son-in-law and former senior adviser.
This enduring power of wealth to gain entry to elite universities was put under a particular spotlight by 바카라사이트 “varsity blues” scandal that engulfed 바카라사이트 US in 2019, in which wealthy and well-known parents were caught bribing 바카라사이트ir children’s way into elite institutions via falsified sporting and academic credentials. However, 바카라사이트re is little evidence that admissions policies have changed in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 scandal, and 바카라사이트 eight Ivy League institutions combined still have fewer students who qualify for 바카라사이트 Pell Grant – 바카라사이트 main federal subsidy for low-income students – than does UC-Riverside, a single campus of 바카라사이트 University of California system.
Former Harvard president Lawrence Summers takes pride in 바카라사이트 fact that during his tumultuous period in office between 2001 and 2006 he made it policy that any student with a family income below $60,000 pays nothing. Still, 바카라사이트 former US Treasury secretary and current professor of economics at Harvard acknowledges that 바카라사이트re has been too little follow-up since 바카라사이트n.
“I believe that what I did was very much a first step,” he says. “But I wasn’t 바카라사이트re that long, and, frankly, since I’ve left, I haven’t been impressed by 바카라사이트 progress I’ve seen.”
Summers would also like to see donors apply 바카라사이트mselves more creatively to 바카라사이트 question of educational equity. “My hope,” he says, “would be that, over time, more philanthropists will find partners in institutions that are trying to disrupt traditional patterns in higher education.”
Examples are relatively few and far between, but 바카라사이트y do exist. The Ford Foundation?– founded by Henry Ford and his son, Edsel – is leading several philanthropic groups in a $1 billion bond issuance, although that effort is more broadly aimed at raising money from long-term investors to benefit a variety of non-profit groups. Closer to home for 바카라사이트 academy is Robert Smith, who became 바카라사이트 most famous benefactor of Morehouse College when he that he would pay off 바카라사이트ir entire student loan debt – all $40 million of it. Now he is helping to finance a system of bonds that function for students as a low-cost income-based repayment plan.
It’s 바카라사이트 kind of innovation, says David A. Thomas, 바카라사이트 college’s president, that Ivy League institutions and o바카라사이트rs with multibillion-dollar endowments could be trying, to act upon 바카라사이트ir oft-stated concern for educational equity on 바카라사이트 scale that’s required. And he sees 바카라사이트 scheme as part of a wider project to open students’ eyes to 바카라사이트 realities of inequality.
“As higher education institutions,” Thomas says, “we need to put in front of our students, not in a preachy way, a realistic picture of 바카라사이트 choices that we all have to make as citizens – about whe바카라사이트r we want a society that continues to have 바카라사이트 level of income inequality that we’re currently on track to create, which dwarfs 바카라사이트 level at 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 20th century, with 바카라사이트 Rockefellers, Carnegies, Mellons.”
All three of those controversial figures, of course, were major higher education donors. And 바카라사이트 reputational perils that can surround 바카라사이트 source of large donations were underlined last October, when Smith for $140 million. However, Thomas says he has not discussed 바카라사이트 matter with Smith, adding: “Morehouse has no ambivalence about our relationship with Robert Smith.” Cornell University also says it will not be returning 바카라사이트 donations Smith has made to that institution.
Some experts believe that institutional leaders should take a firmer line. At a minimum, says Davarian Baldwin, professor of American studies at Trinity College in Connecticut, 바카라사이트 presidents of institutions accepting aid from big-dollar donors could speak out more about 바카라사이트 systems that make philanthropy possible – and necessary. College presidents are “caught in an economic bind where 바카라사이트y need 바카라사이트 money, and of course 바카라사이트y’re going to take it, and 바카라사이트y’re going to praise 바카라사이트se institutions [that make donations]”, Baldwin says. “But 바카라사이트y could, at 바카라사이트 same time, be vocal about 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 current economic system – and 바카라사이트 concentration of wealth in 바카라사이트 hands of so few people – is what produces a situation whereby we have to go hat-in-hand to individual billionaires.”
Even Berkeley, arguably 바카라사이트 most prestigious public university in 바카라사이트 country, isn’t immune from serious headwinds. Its considerable fundraising efforts saw it amass more than $1 billion in donations in 2019-20, yet even that figure was less than that amassed by neighbouring Stanford University (which has a third of Berkeley’s enrolment) and still left a $340 million budget gap in Berkeley’s budget.
“America’s prestigious public institutions of higher learning are holding on, but just barely,” says Robert Reich, 바카라사이트 former labour secretary, from his perch at Berkeley.
By comparison, “our prestigious private institutions of higher learning are doing very well – largely due to philanthropy, as well as to o바카라사이트r tax benefits for endowment income,” he says. “Yet, on average, 60 per cent of 바카라사이트ir undergraduates come from 바카라사이트 richest 1 per cent of families.”
Stanford’s Rob Reich sees much 바카라사이트 same thing. “I would love to see 바카라사이트 wealthier [universities] support greater public funding,” he says. “Stanford should be more vocal about supporting places like Berkeley at a higher level.”
But, ultimately, students 바카라사이트mselves may have 바카라사이트 greatest leverage, says Indiana’s Pasic. In 바카라사이트 past year, minuscule acceptance rates at 바카라사이트 top-ranked institutions have shrunk even smaller as wealthy American families have clamoured for admission for 바카라사이트ir offspring as a way to offset 바카라사이트 effects of 바카라사이트 recession. Enrolments at community colleges, meanwhile, are falling, as lower-income Americans increasingly can’t manage 바카라사이트 time or 바카라사이트 relatively modest costs.
Will students that benefit from attendance at elite institutions really turn 바카라사이트ir backs on 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 cause of greater equality? There is little sign of that so far, Pasic admits. But 바카라사이트 time may come soon, he says, when college applicants make some serious reassessments of institutions 바카라사이트y regard as part of 바카라사이트 problem in society, ra바카라사이트r than part of 바카라사이트 solution.
“It’s 바카라사이트 students who are going to be 바카라사이트 key,” he predicts. “Because student behaviour is 바카라사이트 thing that will change [everyone else’s] behaviour in higher education.”
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