The Givers: Wealth, Power, and Philanthropy in a New Gilded Age
An inside look at the secretive world of elite philanthropists, and how they’re quietly wielding ever more power to shape American life in ways both good and bad.
While media attention focuses on famous philanthropists such as Bill Gates and Charles Koch, thousands of donors are at work below the radar promoting a wide range of causes.
David Callahan charts the rise of these new power players and the ways they are converting the fortunes of a second ‘Gilded Age’ into influence. He shows how this elite works behind the scenes on education, the environment, science, LGBT rights, and many other issues – with deep impact on government policy.
Above all, he shows that the influence of the Givers is only just beginning, as new waves of billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg turn to philanthropy.
Based on extensive research and interviews with countless donors and policy experts, this is not a brief for or against the Givers, but a fascinating investigation of a power shift in American society that has implications for us all.
About David Callahan
David Callahan is founder and editor of Inside Philanthropy, published since 2014, which covers the world of giving by wealthy donors and foundations.
He co-founded Demos, the national think tank, where he held various leadership positions and conducted research on a wide range of issues related to economic and political inequality, as well as writing on moral values, professional ethics and business.
Reviews
“David Callahan has performed a public service by assembling a striking body of information on a fundamental aspect of 21st-century America.”
Robert G. Kaiser, The Washington Post
“Callahan offers a peek inside a rarefied, poorly understood world with ever greater power to remake the broader world.”
Michelle Cottle, The New York Times Book Review
“A convincing argument… Callahan is intimately familiar with today’s living donors and how they are spending their money, and his book is replete with examples of philanthropists that are upending the democratic process.”
Alana Semuels, The Atlantic
WATCH: David Callahan on wealth, power and philanthropy in a gilded age
WATCH: The Givers: Wealth, Power, and Philanthropy in a New Gilded Age
