“Inside the painfully polite, frequently conservative world of mainstream U.S. philanthropy, the term ‘social justice philanthropy’ often suggests an unwholesome radicalism in one’s approach to grant making,” writes Albert Ruesga on his blog White Courtesy Telephone.

Why is the world of philanthropy so shaken by the idea of social justice?

Mr. Ruesga, vice president of programs and communications at the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, examines what he sees as the biggest objections foundations give for not supporting social-justice work.

For starters, he says that too many foundation leaders think their trustees wouldn’t approve of social-justice grant making. But Mr. Ruesga isn’t convinced. “Remove the rhetoric, the partisanship, the unpleasant associations, and you’re left with an idea—justice as fairness—that all good people can embrace,” he says.

Among his other arguments: Plenty of approaches to successful social-justice grant making are available; such work can be evaluated; and that foundations too often fail to see how their programs touch on social-justice work.

What do you think?