April 2009

ONE OF THE JOYS OF DIRECTING the Sillerman Center is the opportunity it affords me to read provocative commentary on philanthropy.  Sifting through important ideas that advance social justice philanthropy has been especially heartening during this time of economic uncertainty.

Robert '69 F. X. Sillerman, and his wife Laura Sillerman, who endowed the Sillerman Center, like to say, "Content is King", meaning that high quality content trumps all else.

Content is also king when it comes to promoting change by using philanthropic muscle.

For example, The Annie E. Casey Foundation pioneered content (data) with their KidsCount project, which has continued to publish state and local indicators of child, youth and family well-being for over 25 years.  This tool in the hands of advocacy groups in every state drives policy change and reform efforts.

Content and philanthropy also intersect in discussions about where philanthropy writ large is going as a field.  At the macro level, controversy about social justice philanthropy, has surfaced in new and old media alike in response to the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy's (www.ncrp.org) publication of "Philanthropy at its Best."  Consider the following illustrative questions suggested by NCRP that the donor community should ask:

• What values underlie our philanthropy?

• What grant making practices encourage effectiveness and social change?

• Who should grant makers be accountable to in return for favorable tax treatment?

• What level of transparency should be required of foundations?

• Should mandated targets exist to channel charitable gifts towards anti-poverty programs

Another contribution to content supported by foundations are tools that can guide philanthropy's work.  An example of this type of content is www.racialequitytools.org, a new website designed to support people who are working for inclusion, racial equity and social justice.  It provides ideas, strategies and tips, a clearinghouse of resources and links to many resources.  The Charles Stuart Mott Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Everyday Democracy (formerly Study Circles) supported the formation of this content-rich set of tools for advancing social justice.

Content can influence or even set organizational structure.  In mid April, The New York Times carried an article about the venerable Ford Foundation which under new leadership is collapsing 200 "lines" of work into eight major content areas.  One of the eight was a focus on social justice philanthropy, the mission of the Sillerman Center.

Books and reports are of course the most traditional forms for conveying content on philanthropy.  One example is the Foundation Center's newly published "Foundations and Public Policy" that captures a growing interest and energy amongst foundations who are boldly investing in social policy change and encouraging macro solutions that hold promise to impact greater numbers of vulnerable populations.  The Sillerman Center is also engaged in examining how policy work is a consideration in small family foundations.  Our soon to be released paper developed with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation uses case studies and interviews to ascertain how small foundations connect - or don't - with relevant social policy developments in their fields and communities.

The Sillerman Center's education, research and practice activities emphasize exploration and leadership development in the areas of social justice and public policy.  We are proud to be in the middle of a movement motivated from within that is steering the giant ship of philanthropy towards new waters - a content rich field filled with effective social justice and policy change strategies.

Andrew Hahn, PhD

Professor and Director

The Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy