June 28, 2007
Philanthropy's Misguided Focus on 'Root Causes'
Most foundations are driven by the conviction that they must not waste money on charity, which simply puts Band-Aids on society's problems. Rather, they must try to get to the problems' root causes, thereby solving them once and for all. After a full century of efforts to follow this rule, it's time to ask: Is it anything more than a mindless mantra?
The question arose recently when Susan Berresford, president of the Ford Foundation, took umbrage in an essay in the Seattle
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