From Booklist
The editor, who is the associate executive director at Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy, gives in his preface what the essence of American philanthropy is: "very much a story about the interests of others as well as self-interests." This work shows the tension between interests of others and self-interests in donating money to influence society. Its 250 entries in volumes 1 and 2, the work of scholars in various disciplines, cover the people, events, organizations, and ideas of American philanthropy and are supplemented by the 75 diverse primary source documents that comprise volume 3. The A-Z entries include a number of biographical profiles for, among others, Jane Addams, Robert Brookings, Cesar Chavez, Dorothy Day, Henry Ford, and Bill Gates. Concepts and ideas are covered as well in entries such as E-philanthropy, Fundraising, Grantmaking, Reciprocity, and Social capital. Major philanthropic organizations are also discussed, with information on their missions and practices. All entries are signed and have bibliographies, which can be used for further references. The subtitle denotes that the encyclopedia is historical, and it does provide a historical context to philanthropy with discussions of traditions around the world and how American philanthropy has developed from these roots. For example, Law of charity talks about the institutionalization of charity beginning in fourteenth-century England and how English systems were adopted by the American colonies. The entries are supported by a glossary of philanthropic terms and a time line of key events. The documents in volume 3 are chronologically arranged from selections from Aristotle' writings to the summary of a position on a 2003 Supreme Court case involving the regulation of charitable solicitation. This book is an important addition to the growing field of philanthropic studies and fills a gap in the area. It complements Notable American Philanthropists: Biographies of Giving and Volunteering (Oryx, 2002) and is recommended for academic and large public library collections. Jerry Carbone
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FROM THE PUBLISHER

A landmark three-volume reference work documenting philanthropy and the nonprofit sector throughout American history, edited by the field's most widely recognized authority.

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