Rebalancing The Playing Field

To the Editor:

I applaud the sentiments of Gary A. Tobin in your My View article on megagifts (“Getting Megagifts to the Neediest Causes,” May 1).

Mr. Tobin calls for donors to reassess their motives when contemplating giving the megagifts to icons of higher education. Although these institutions are most worthy and play a critical role in our society, donors need to be encouraged to ponder the value of adding to the coffers of these well-endowed institutions when there are so many other nonprofit organizations competing for the increasingly diminishing dollar.

Public policies, the lack of resources of smaller organizations to access these type of donors, and donor concerns that can be intertwined with issues of social prestige and individual “benefit” all serve to perpetuate an imbalanced playing field between the haves and the have-nots.

What can we do as committed professionals to facilitate the re-examination of this dynamic? What obligation do we have to expand the dialogue about changing this paradigm? Who cares to influence this process and promote change to alter this insidious but real injustice in our field of philanthropy?

I hope Mr. Tobin’s article gives those in leadership positions in foundations, associations, and corporations or even as potential donors pause to reconsider their role in maintaining the status quo.

Rhonda Goldstein
Principal
R. Goldstein & Associates
Evanston, Ill.