# ARNOVA magazine reviews “Why the Wealthy Give”

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/1996/04/11/arnova-magazine-reviews-quotwhy-wealthy-givequot/
- Published: 1996-04-11T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector Quarterly, the quarterly journal published by ARNOVA(
the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organisations and Voluntary Action), is
featuring a review of Francis Ostrower’s ‘Why the Wealthy Give: The Culture of Elite
Philanthropy”.**

The February issue of the Booknotes section of the newsletter by Peter Dobkin Hall
includes reviews of three philanthropy-related books.

![Why the wealthy give, by Francie Ostrower. Book cover.](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.
cloud/2026/03/why-the-wealthy-give-francie-ostrower-cover.jpeg)

_Why the Wealthy Give_

Harvard sociologist Francis Ostrower’s ‘[Why the Wealthy Give: The Culture of Elite Philanthropy](https://fundraising.co.uk/books/why-the-wealthy-give-the-culture-of-elite-philanthropy/)”
was published in 1995 and is based on nearly 100 personal interviews.

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It “provides an in-depth view of the motivations of elite donors and the significance
of philanthropy for the culture and organisation of elite groups.” The review continues:“
emphasising the diversity of philanthropy, the book also shows how and why donors
support different causes and the ways in which elite philanthropy has changed and
endured over time.”

The review concludes: “the volume is especially valuable for the attention it gives
to the importance of ethnic and religious factors in shaping giving by the wealthy”.

 * **[Why don’t the wealthy give more?](https://fundraising.co.uk/2001/03/21/why-don039t-wealthy-give-more/)(
   21 March 2001)**