David Callahan
Inside Philanthropy
Santa Monica, CA, United States
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Past articles by David:
The Sandler Way: Where Big Philanthropy Meets the Art of Common Sense —
Herb Sandler—who passed away today at the age of 87—was emblematic of a cadre of living donors that has been reshaping philanthropy. In this 2015 profile of Sandler, IP editor David Callahan explored his strategies and his record of achievement. → Read More
Billionaires to the Rescue: What’s the Role of Philanthropy When Government Falls Short? —
A rising tide of local crises and public disinvestment is pulling private funders into roles once thought of as government’s domain. How are these dynamics playing out in different places? And how far should philanthropy go when public systems falter? → Read More
Inside the Omidyar Network, New Thinking About a Changed World —
The main philanthropic organization of eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam has gone through some big changes in the past year. With a new strategy, it’s looking to confront the rise of illiberal populism and "reimagine capitalism.” → Read More
When Philanthropy Is Not Enough: A Top Donor Couple Takes a Broader Approach to Impact —
Laura and John Arnold are well known for their foundation’s prolific grantmaking. But the couple has long been engaged in political giving, too. And now they’re bringing these two strategies together in a single organization, Arnold Ventures. → Read More
Inside Vulcan, a New Model for Solving Some of the World’s Biggest Problems —
Before he died last fall, the billionaire Paul Allen built up a powerful in-house capacity at his company, Vulcan Inc., to tackle urgent issues like wildlife protection and climate change. IP editor David Callahan takes an inside look at its unique strategy for impact. → Read More
"Impossible to Justify." A Political Scientist Takes on American Philanthropy —
Rob Reich has become one of the nation’s preeminent scholars of philanthropy by asking hard questions about the role of private giving in democracies. In an important new book, Reich deepen this critique. But just where, exactly, do his ideas lead? → Read More
Crystal Ball Check-In: How Did We Do at Forecasting 2018 Philanthropy? —
There's a lot going on in philanthropy right now. And last January, we made nearly 40 predictions about what might happen in the world of giving in 2018. We take a spin through the list and see how we did. → Read More
Not Just Philanthropy: For Top Charter School Backers, Political Giving Is Seen as Key —
A who’s who of billionaire philanthropists spent millions to elect a champion of charter schools to a key office in California. Such giving is a key strength of the charter movement. But is this any way to make K-12 policy? → Read More
These Billionaire Philanthropists Also Spent Big to Influence This Year's Mid-Term Election —
Donald Trump may be a billionaire, but no recent president has inspired fiercer opposition within the far upper class. Many top philanthropists are among those who’ve given record sums in the most expensive mid-term election in U.S. history. → Read More
Vision, Daring, and Compassion: Paul Allen's Legacy of Philanthropy —
Paul Allen, who died yesterday, exemplified the best of big philanthropy. He embraced risk taking and cared deeply, journeying to the outer frontiers of scientific knowledge and to the front lines of the world’s biggest challenges. IP editor David Callahan assesses his legacy. → Read More
Powerless: How Top Foundations Failed to Defend Their Values—And Now Risk Losing Everything —
There are many reasons the right is ascendant and conservatives now dominate the Supreme Court. But one part of the story is the abject failure of mainstream foundations to fight back against a decades-long attack on everything they cherish. → Read More
Enemies of the State? How Billionaire Philanthropists Think About Government —
Critiques of big philanthropy often cast wealthy donors as hostile to government. Today’s leading benefactors, we’re told, vastly prefer privatized solutions to social problems. As usual, though, the story is more complicated. → Read More
Jeff Bezos is Doing Smart Philanthropy. Now He Needs to Show Real Moral Leadership —
As Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos turn to large-scale giving, they’re targeting two urgent but neglected areas. That’s smart. But if Jeff is really worried about inequality, his real power lies in changing how Amazon operates. → Read More
“Build Capital.” Inside the World of Venture Philanthropy —
The field of venture philanthropy first emerged two decades ago, fueled in part by the spirit of the dotcom era. IP Editor David Callahan talks to its leaders about what they’ve achieved and how this movement has evolved. → Read More
Levers of Influence: How These Top Donors Back Conservative Causes —
Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein have drawn attention as leading mega-donors to the GOP. But they’ve been equally energetic in pushing their views through philanthropy. Here’s a quick primer. → Read More
It's One of Biggest Failures Yet in K-12 Philanthropy. What Are the Lessons? —
Risk is often a key to high-impact philanthropy. But experiments that go wrong can impose major costs on communities. A case in point: the Gates Foundation’s push to improve teacher effectiveness. → Read More
Asking for Trouble: Lessons from the Trump Foundation Lawsuit —
New York State’s suit against Trump spotlights the many ways that foundations can run afoul of regulators. We take a deep dive into the legal issues at play—and why donors should be paying close attention. → Read More
How Philanthropy Shapes U.S. Supreme Court Rulings: A Quick Primer —
Today’s SCOTUS ruling against public sector unions is a major victory for conservative legal philanthropy. But progressive donors have also scored some legal wins over the years. Here’s how this influence game works. → Read More
Here’s How Magazines Like Harper’s and Mother Jones Stay Afloat —
Most magazines of ideas and opinion would cease to exist without philanthropic support. Now, we have a better sense of just how much foundation money has been flowing to these publications in recent years. → Read More
You Never Give Me Your Money: Big Funders Neglect Peace and Security in a Dangerous Era —
Even as the international climate has grown ever more tense, most foundations remain uninterested in military and foreign policy. IP Editor David Callahan takes a deep dive into funding trends in this space. → Read More