The American Foundations Oral History Project consists of a series of interviews with prominent American philanthropists, each of whom relates their background, the development of their values, and their philosophies of philanthropy. The purpose and state of American philanthropy, including those family foundations and corporate foundations, form a central topic, as do the recent trend of increasing diversity and opinions on grant evaluation and philanthropic assessment. In addition, many interviewees comment on the role of government in philanthropy and the system of ethics at play in American philanthropy.
John and Geraldine Kunstadter run their family foundation, the Albert Kunstadter Family Foundation. They discuss their respective backgrounds, educations, and the development of their values. Also discussed is the history of their family foundation, family foundations in general, and their process of grant making. Their foundation tends to emphasize international philanthropy. The Kunstadters speak of their beliefs about the role of organized philanthropy, diversity in foundations, the importance of annual reports, and the set of priorities they use in grant making decisions.
Place:
Chicago, Illinois, Middle East, and New York, New York
Benjamin R. Shute, Jr., the corporate secretary of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, discusses his childhood, family life, education, and how each of these influenced the development of the values which direct his judgement in his career in philanthropy. He speaks of the Rockefellers as a family and as a foundation, their special interests, international projects, focus on New York City, and diversification to include minorities in the grant making and grant receiving process. In addition, he discusses the creation of New Ventures, a nonprofit consulting organization.
Lorie Slutsky, president of New York Community Trust, speaks of her background and career as a philanthropist in this interview. She discusses the grant making procedures at the New York Community Trust as well as its priorities, which include children, youth, families, health, community development, and education. Additionally, she describes its mission, philosophy, and structure, and comments on the increasing diversity in the Trust, especially regarding the large number of women on the board and staff, the processes involved, and idea of philanthropy and grant evaluation.