Through an examination of the Chicago Initiative, a local collaboration created by foundations and corporate funders following the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, Silver analyses how elite philanthropists exercise social control over community organisations that do work in poor neighbourhoods.

Through an examination of the Chicago Initiative, a local collaboration created by foundations and corporate funders following the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, Ira Silver analyzes how elite philanthropists exercise social control over community organizations that do work in poor neighbourhoods. Silver's book investigates how community-based organizations strategically attempt to assert influence over foundation funding priorities. The book draws upon several years of qualitative research about comprehensive community initiatives undertaken by philanthropic foundations during the eighties and nineties; initiatives that aimed to give community based organizations unprecedented access to foundation's purse strings. A chief dilemma built into these initiatives, was that despite their novelty, foundations still maintained a vested interest in retaining control over the kinds of neighbourhood revitalization reforms that community-based organizations would receive funding to undertake. These research findings are of timely significance given how extensively policymaking responsibility for mitigating poverty has shifted over the past two decades from the public to the philanthropic sectors. M

This multi-disciplinary collection blends broad overviews and case studies as well as different theoretical perspectives in a critique of the relationship between United States philanthropic foundations and movements for social change. Scholars and practitioners examine how these foundations support and/or thwart popular social movements and address how philanthropic institutions can be more accountable and democratic in a sophisticated, provocative, and accessible manner. Foundations for Social Change brings together the leading voices on philanthropy and social movements into a single collection and its interdisciplinary approach will appeal to scholars, students, foundation officials, non-profit advocates, and social movement activists.

This multi-disciplinary collection blends broad overviews and case studies as well as different theoretical perspectives in a critique of the relationship between United States philanthropic foundations and movements for social change. Scholars and practitioners examine how these foundations support and/or thwart popular social movements and address how philanthropic institutions can be more accountable and democratic in a sophisticated, provocative, and accessible manner. Foundations for Social Change brings together the leading voices on philanthropy and social movements into a single collection and its interdisciplinary approach will appeal to scholars, students, foundation officials, non-profit advocates, and social movement activists.

We hear a lot these days about the growing rich-poor gap and how it is undermining the American dream. A telling indicator is that hard work is no longer the sure-bet ticket to getting ahead it once was. Millions who struggle to make ends meet have little realistic chance of achieving a better life. And for the rest of us, it's all too easy to believe there's little we can do to mitigate this hardship. We often sigh at the magnitude of inequality, seeing personal stories of misfortune as tiny drops within a huge ocean of need. Giving Hope is an antidote to this pessimism. It outlines ways that your giving can offer second chances to Americans who have dim prospects for moving their lives forward without outside help. Its powerful stories of personal transformation illustrate how giving can dramatically improve the lives of those experiencing hard times, enabling them to embark on a path toward success. This timely book offers tips about where to donate so that you can give gifts that keep on giving. It identifies 75 nonprofits from coast to coast that efficiently use their donations and have track records of creating access to housing, employment, and educational opportunities. Each of us has the power to help people in need achieve successes that would be unimaginable were it not for the unsung work of so many nonprofits across the U.S. Supporting these nonprofits isn't only the right thing to do; it's also a wise investment. Economists estimate that every dollar spent on providing an enriched early childhood education to those who can't afford one saves at least $13 in the long run. More kids grow up with the skills needed to become productive contributors to society. Consequently, there is less need to spend on crime prevention, imprisonment, special education, public assistance, and health care. Whereas several other books identify ways charity can transform the lives of people living in developing countries, Giving Hope is the first to outline specific ways personal giving can restore the American dream. This practical guide is for those who make relatively modest donations of money or time and who want to know that their giving is having an impact. Even small donations can significantly improve the lives of those experiencing hard times. Although the charities chronicled in this book are instrumental in helping needy people turn their lives around, these organizations rarely get the exposure they deserve. They're small and lack the resources to do the sort of publicity that would enable you to know about them already.