Putting Wealth to Work: Philanthropy for Today or Investing for Tomorrow?

Summary

During the next twenty years, more than $500 billion is expected to pour into the philanthropic sector. Some of it will come from retiring baby boomers, but even more will come from newly rich Silicon Valley billionaires. Since 2006, the idea of "giving while living" has grown in its appeal such that many philanthropic donors now expect not just to give money during their lifetimes, but to create organizations or ventures—some for profit, others not for profit—whose missions are expected to be completed within the lifetime of the donors. The combination of these two trends has transformed the not-for-profit sector in scale and dynamism, attracting some skeptical scrutiny along the way.

Joel Fleishman is one of the wisest of wise men in philanthropy whose advice is routinely sought by organizations and individuals across the country. In Putting Wealth to Work, he tells the story of a uniquely American financial sector, all but created by Andrew Carnegie's example, that since 1995 has become more dynamic with every passing year.