U.S. Foundations and International Giving

Many of you are aware of the Foundation Center's research studies on the international giving trends of U.S. foundations. These include:

International Grantmaking III (October 2004)
International Grantmaking Update (October 2006)

For those of you who are seeking more background information on the topic, Transaction Publishers has released a new book by Joseph C. Kiger, Philanthropists & Foundation Globalization. The volume presents a biographical-historical account of international giving by twenty-four well-known philanthropists including Andrew Carnegie, George Soros, and Bill Gates.

A chapter of the book discusses foundation investigations and studies since 1912, citing examples where foundations were criticized for funding programs abroad. Kiger concludes, however,

“Overall they are so diverse in all respects that they present an infeasible target for their critics…[and their diversity] is probably one of the most important factors in their emergence today as a most respected institution, both in this country and globally.”

Search the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature for more readings and resources on international philanthropy.