Daniel Hemel On Why Foundations May Be Accelerating or Slowing Their Giving

Should Foundations Give Now or Later? There Is No Right Answer

The Ford Foundation announced last week that it would raise the share of its endowment that it spends annually from a little more than 5 percent to 10 percent for the next two years.

That came soon after the progressive Institute for Policy Studies and a coalition of prominent philanthropists called on Congress to require that foundations go a step further and distribute at least 10 percent for the next three years.

This push for higher payouts is motivated by genuine compassion for individuals and communities hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic.

But the moral force of the argument for higher payouts should not stop us from critically examining the reasons why foundations might choose to accelerate their spending — and the reasons why they might not.

Read more at The Chronicle of Philanthropy