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May 06, 2008

Council on Foundations
Who Can Name a Foundation?

Even with all the attention the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has received — especially after Warren Buffett pledged most of his fortune to the philanthropy — even some of the best-informed Americans cannot summon to mind the name of a single foundation.

A poll of community leaders discussed at a session here found that 56 percent of community leaders cannot name a foundation on their first try, and only 15 percent can cite examples of a foundation’s impact on their city or town.

But even though community leaders can’t cite specifics about foundations, they have favorable views of philanthropy. Slightly more than half of the community leaders surveyed as part of the Philanthropy Awareness Initiative — an effort supported by several big foundations to make influential Americans aware of how foundations work — said it would be a significant loss to their community if foundations no longer existed.

That is a good sign, Kevin Klose, president of National Public Radio, told grant makers at the meeting.

“There is a wealth of good feeling about nonprofits and about public service in this country, regardless of what the exact identities are.”

— Cassie Moore

Tuesday May 6, 2008 | Permalink

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