A case study in successful philanthropic investment
Once you process the vitriol, homophobia, sexist, and racist ideologies swapped back and forth among Scott Yenor, David Azerrad, and Heather Mac Donald, the New York Times exposé is a fascinating inside look of how philanthropy can be a vehicle of advancing seemingly unpopular and definitely harmful agendas. Without grant funding from foundations and smart donor-centered engagement and qualifying, the Claremont Institute may not have been able to build its case for its strategy to target higher education as fertile ground to test ant-DEI policies and legislative action. They built their case through publishing reports, essays, and opinion pieces and convening like-minded scholars and activists through summits and conferences. Such programs and initiatives are fundable darlings among a segment of donors.
Points I’m curious about from the article:
Why is it the states with the lowest educational outcomes (i.e. Florida, Texas) for students are the ones on the short list for Claremont Institute’s target campaign? Could there be a correlation between these outcomes, the divestment of public education, and the success of “anti-woke” legislation?
Who hurt them? There is disdain for LGBTQIA+, people of color, women – like all of these groups, all at once, tells a deeper story to me. Therapy might help.
“Patriarchy is necessary for a healthy society” Healthy for whom?
Ms. Mac Donald’s rant against working women is riddled with self-hatred and racism, but there is a salient point that I’ve often wondered about – is the true act of feminism to choose to do ONE thing and not have it all? The operative word here is “choose”.
If you are curious on how the anti-DEI laws came into being and would like a case study for successful outcomes as a result of philanthropic impact, this article is a must-read. You can download the article here if you don’t have an active NY Times subscription. Above all, this is a reminder for me: the power of philanthropy goes both ways and can serve two masters.
