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.
Leslie Lenkowsky, the president of the Hudson Institute, discusses his background and education, the neo-conservative movement, Judaism, and the strengths and weaknesses of American foundations in this interview. He speaks of the impacts of the nineteen sixties, including increased attention to social welfare. In addition, Lenkowsky comments on foundation assessment, the problems with family foundations, the philanthropic role of the government, the relationship between Judaism and neo-conservatism, and many of his fellow philanthropists and the institutions they represent.
Place:
Baltic Region, Indianapolis, Indiana, and Soviet Union
Robert L. Payton, a professor of philanthropic studies who was intensely involved with the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, discusses his family and childhood, and their contribution to his moral development, and eventual career and beliefs about philanthropy. He speaks of the so-called robber barons and the foundations created from their accumulated wealth, and the reasons or purposes of the wealthy who set up foundations. In addition, Payton discusses changes philanthropy and foundations have undergone, especially since World War II, and the role the government plays in philanthropy.