# Foundations for Social Change

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/books/foundations-for-social-change/
- Published: 2005-09-01T11:25:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Critical Perspectives on Philanthropy and Popular Movements.**

Do philanthropic foundations genuinely support social change, or do they quietly
constrain it? This collection brings together leading scholars and practitioners
to examine the complex, sometimes uncomfortable, relationship between organised 
philanthropy and popular movements for justice.

_Foundations for Social Change_ is a multi-disciplinary collection that blends broad
overviews and case studies to critically examine the relationship between US philanthropic
foundations and movements for social change. Scholars and practitioners examine 
how foundations support and, in some cases, thwart popular social movements, and
address how philanthropic institutions can become more accountable and democratic.

## Social change philanthropy

The collection covers the full spectrum of social change philanthropy: from the 
legacy of progressive social justice funding, to the strategic philanthropy of conservative
foundations; from the challenges of racial justice funding, to the role of foundations
in the environmental movement. Individual chapters examine specific questions including
whether liberal foundations are ultimately impediments or supports for social change,
how grantees can be active agents rather than passive recipients in social movement
philanthropy, and how wealth discourse shapes the identity of social change philanthropists
themselves.

Although rooted in the US context, the questions this collection raises – about 
power, accountability, and the proper role of foundations in democratic societies–
are directly relevant to UK fundraisers, grant-makers, and charity leaders grappling
with the politics of philanthropic funding today.

## **About Daniel Faber** and Deborah McCarthy

**Daniel Faber** is Professor of Sociology at Northeastern University, where he 
specialises in the sociology of philanthropy, the political economy of the environment,
and globalisation. **Deborah McCarthy** is Professor of Sociology at the College
of Charleston, South Carolina. Together they have written extensively on the relationship
between philanthropy, social movements, and environmental justice.

## **Reviews**

> “Fascinating collection of essays on the role foundations have played, primarily
> in the US, in supporting social movements.” **Rhodri Davies, Founder and Director,
> Why Philanthropy Matters**

**Buy the book from [Amazon.co.uk](https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0742549887?tag=219).**

**Book Cover Image:** Source from Rowman & Littlefield: [https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780742549883/Foundations-for-Social-Change-Critical-Perspectives-on-Philanthropy-and-Popular-Movements](https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780742549883/Foundations-for-Social-Change-Critical-Perspectives-on-Philanthropy-and-Popular-Movements)