How philanthropy has shaped America in the twentieth century
American philanthropy today expands knowledge, champions social
movements, defines active citizenship, influences policymaking, and
addresses humanitarian crises. How did philanthropy become such a
powerful and integral force in American society? Philanthropy in
America is the first book to explore in depth the twentieth-century
growth of this unique phenomenon. Ranging from the influential
large-scale foundations established by tycoons such as John D.
Rockefeller, Sr., and the mass mobilization of small donors by the Red
Cross and March of Dimes, to the recent social advocacy of individuals
like Bill Gates and George Soros, respected historian Olivier Zunz
chronicles the tight connections between private giving and public
affairs, and shows how this union has enlarged democracy and shaped
history.
Demonstrating that America has cultivated and relied on philanthropy
more than any other country, Philanthropy in America examines how
giving for the betterment of all became embedded in the fabric of the
nation's civic democracy.