Ford Foundation President Says Giving Back Isn’t Enough

"Darren Walker" by Joi Ito licensed under CC BY 2.0
Darren Walker” by Joi Ito licensed under CC BY 2.0

Source: New York Times

In his New York Times op-ed, president of the Ford Foundation Darren Walker says that he plans to actively participate in this season of giving. However, he adds, “…I worry that through these acts of kindness I absolve myself of asking deeper questions about injustice and inequality.”

Walker is commenting on the insidious tendency of charity to normalize inequality. In doing so, the Ford Foundation president wants donors and volunteers to consider if their contributions are truly making an impact for larger social change. Specifically, he asserts that older models of philanthropy have been outpaced by the staggering size of modern social issues.

To catch up, Walker believes that individuals and foundations (including his own) must make it a priority to support the nonprofit organizations run by the people most affected by social ills, like the poor, ethnic minorities, or LGBT communities.

Read full story at: New York Times

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