Giving Well The Ethics of Philanthropy

So long as large segments of humanity are suffering chronic poverty and are dying from treatable diseases, organized giving can save or enhance millions of lives. With the law providing little guidance, ethics has a crucial role to play in ensuring that the philanthropic practices of individuals, foundations, NGOs, governments, and international agencies are morally sound and effective. In Giving Well: The Ethics of Philanthropy , an accomplished trio of editors bring together an international group of distinguished philosophers, social scientists, lawyers and practitioners to identify and address the most urgent moral questions arising today in the practice of philanthropy. The topics discussed include the psychology of giving, the reasons for and against a duty to give, the accountability of NGOs and foundations, the questionable marketing practices of some NGOs, the moral priorities that should inform NGO decisions about how to target and design their projects, the good and bad effects of aid, and the charitable tax deduction along with the water's edge policy now limiting its reach. This ground-breaking volume can help bring our practice of charity closer to meeting the vital needs of the millions worldwide who depend on voluntary contributions for their very lives.

Patricia Illingworth is Professor of Philosophy at Northeastern University.

Thomas Pogge is Professor of Political Science at Yale University.

Leif Wenar is Professor of Philosophy at Sheffield University.

Introduction: The Ethics of Philanthropy, Patricia Illingworth, Thomas Pogge, and Leif Wenar
1. What Should A Billionaire Give - and What Should You?, Peter Singer
2. Obligations of Justice and Beneficence to Aid the Severely Poor, Elizabeth Ashford
3. How International NGOs Should Act, Thomas Pogge
4. The Valmont Effect: The Warm-Glow Theory of Philanthropy, Jon Elster
5. Aiding the World's Poor: New Challenges for Donor States, Roger C. Riddell
6. Poverty is No Pond: Challenges for the Affluent, Leif Wenar
7. Ethics in Translation: Principles and Power in the Philanthropic Encounter, Alex de Waal
8. Global Philanthropy and Global Governance: The Problematic Moral Legitimacy of the Relationship between Global Civil Society and the United Nations, Kenneth Anderson
9. Toward a Political Theory of Philanthropy, Rob Reich
10. Giving Back: Norms, Ethics and Law in the Service of Philanthropy, Patricia Illingowrth
11. The Funder as Founder: Ethical Considerations of the Creation of Nonprofit Organizations, James Shulman
12. The Unfulfilled Promise of Corporate Philanthropy, Thomas W. Dunfee
13. Philanthropy, Self-Interest and Accountability: American Universities and Developing Countries, Devesh Kapur