Nov 18, 2011

Foundations Hold Money for the 1%. How Can We Stand With the 99%?

Our friends at the Quixote Foundation have been spending time thinking about the Occupy Movement and what it means for foundations and the work that we do. Below, an excerpt:
What do foundations have in common with the 1%? We’re organizations, not individuals, it’s true; but our raison d’ĂȘtre is using untaxed wealth to carry out the wishes of its “former owners.” As long as we stick to a few regulations, only the founders or their heirs and appointees can have a say in what we do. If this tax break can pay for itself by channeling riches into the public good, why is there no equivalent deduction for ordinary folks who make nonprofit gifts, unless they have sufficient income or assets to itemize? Why are foundations allowed to hold $672 billion in assets—often invested in companies that help create the problems our programs try to solve—while spending as little as 5% per year no matter how well our portfolios have performed?
The Quixote Foundation has nine suggestions on how we can support the movement, besides spending beyond the 5% (what Quixote calls "spending up"). Here are a few examples - but click here to read the complete article.

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