Diana Leat – författare

Philanthropy and endowed foundation are vitally important institutions of modern society, yet in recent years, they''ve faced new threats such as declining resources and questions of accountability and performance. To address these questions, individual philanthropists and foundation leaders have looked to strategic philanthropy to become more effective and efficient.

Essential reading for all those who study or work in foundations, philanthropy and non-profit organizations, this volume clearly navigates a path through this significant yet highly complex subject area.

Philanthropy and endowed foundation are vitally important institutions of modern society, yet in recent years, they''ve faced new threats such as declining resources and questions of accountability and performance. To address these questions, individual philanthropists and foundation leaders have looked to strategic philanthropy to become more effective and efficient.

Essential reading for all those who study or work in foundations, philanthropy and non-profit organizations, this volume clearly navigates a path through this significant yet highly complex subject area.

Thisbook discusses a series of related but independent challenges faced byphilanthropic foundations, drawing on international, contemporary andhistorical data.  Throughout the world,private philanthropic foundations spend huge sums of money for public goodwhile the media, policy-makers and the public have little understanding of whatthey do and why. Diana Leat considersthe following questions: Are philanthropic foundations more than warehouses ofwealth? Where does foundation money come from, and is there a tension between afoundation’s ongoing sources of income and its pursuit of public good? How arefoundations regulated and held accountable in society? Is there any evidencethat foundations are effective in what they do? Is it possible to have too muchphilanthropy? In posing these questions, the book explores some of the keytensions in how foundations work, and their place in democratic societies.

The growth of philanthropic foundations in numbers and significance raises two immediate questions. First, what makes for success and failure of foundations’ projects and activities? Second, what yardsticks or benchmarks are used to measure performance and track goal attainment? The purpose of this book is to delve deeper into the complex set of issues that lie behind the performance and wider impact of philanthropy.

Performance Measurement in Philanthropic Foundations looks at the strengths and weaknesses of philanthropic foundations, which are independent of both the market and ballot box and yet open to signal and incentive deficiencies. The authors use in-depth case studies from different countries to illustrate the problems and challenge much of the conventional wisdom on foundation "success" and "failure." The book also outlines the main contours of a proactive governance and management style to address those problems.

The growth of philanthropic foundations in numbers and significance raises two immediate questions. First, what makes for success and failure of foundations’ projects and activities? Second, what yardsticks or benchmarks are used to measure performance and track goal attainment? The purpose of this book is to delve deeper into the complex set of issues that lie behind the performance and wider impact of philanthropy.

Performance Measurement in Philanthropic Foundations looks at the strengths and weaknesses of philanthropic foundations, which are independent of both the market and ballot box and yet open to signal and incentive deficiencies. The authors use in-depth case studies from different countries to illustrate the problems and challenge much of the conventional wisdom on foundation "success" and "failure." The book also outlines the main contours of a proactive governance and management style to address those problems.

When disaster strikes, our instinctive response is to make things better, not only as individuals but also as groups, organisations, communities and major institutions within society.

With increasing climate-related disasters and the potential for future global pandemics, philanthropy will continue to play an essential role. Yet our knowledge of how philanthropic responses to disasters are motivated, organised and received is fragmented.

This book is a step toward curating our existing knowledge in the emerging field of ‘disaster philanthropy’ and to building a robust base for future research, practice and public policy.

The authors highlight unknowns and ambiguities, extensions and unexplored spaces, and challenges and paradoxes. Above all, they recognise that philanthropic responses to disasters are complex, conditional and subject to change.