UPADM-GP 224.001 - NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public ...



UPADM-GP 224.001 Philanthropy, Advocacy & Social ChangeFall 2019Instructor InformationYossi PragerAdjunct Assistant Professor of Public ServiceNew York UniversityCell: 917-545-4200Email: jp197@nyu.edu Office Hours: By AppointmentCourse InformationClass Meeting Times: Wednesdays, 9/4 – 12/11, 6:20 pm – 8:50 pmClass Location: ?60FA_261PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CLASSES OF 9/18 AND 10/9 WILL BE CANCELED AND THERE WILL BE ONE MAKEUP CLASS ON 12/18 AT 8 PM.Course DescriptionWith nearly $900 billion in assets and grant making exceeding $75 billion/year, private charitable foundations are a source of concentrated social and political influence in American society. Despite the fact that their giving represents only 18% of the $425+ billion given to U.S. charitable causes annually, many believe that foundations exert a disproportionately large degree of influence on the political and social development of our country due to their institutional approach to grant making and long-term commitment to specific issues and approaches. Through this course, students will gain an understanding of the roles and influence of foundations on political advocacy and social change movements in the US (with differing views on the appropriateness of this influence); the scope and diversity of the philanthropic sector; and examples of current philanthropic involvement in advocacy and social change efforts across the political spectrum. Course PurposeThis course provides an introduction to the influence of foundations on social change in the United States. It examines the scope and diversity of the philanthropic sector, tracing its impact on social change movements. This course will also introduce students from a range of disciplines to the complex role of different types of foundations in US society and culture; encourage them to examine further the intersections of philanthropy with policy, business, law, and society; and provokes thinking about the policy implications of foundations’ influence on society.Course AudienceThis course is available to undergraduate students.Course Instructor Yossi Prager is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service. ?He is also?the Executive Director for North America of The AVI CHAI Foundation, a philanthropy founded by Zalman C. Bernstein.? Under Mr. Prager’s leadership since 1994, AVI CHAI has invested over $450 million to benefit the field of Jewish education.? Mr. Prager led the North American operation as the Foundation developed its strategic priorities, hired staff and developed philanthropic programs.? With AVI CHAI spending down by 2020, Mr. Prager’s leadership shifted in recent years to building collaborations with other funders, capacity building at key grant recipients and non-profit cooperation and consolidation.A graduate of Yeshiva College and Yale Law School, Mr. Prager practiced law at Debevoise & Plimpton in Manhattan before joining AVI CHAI.? In addition to Mr. Prager’s work at AVI CHAI, he serves on the boards of communal and public policy organizations.? Mr. Prager served on The Governor’s Study Commission on New Jersey’s Nonpublic Schools, which produced recommendations for greater state support for New Jersey private and parochial schools.Mr. Prager edited a book on Judaism and philanthropy entitled “Toward a Renewed Ethic of Jewish Philanthropy” and has been published in Philanthropy Magazine, and other publications.?Course Learning ObjectivesTo understand what a foundation is, how it operates and how it can maximize impact.2.To review the context of foundations and how they have evolved into the organizations they are today.3. To analyze and debate the roles and responsibilities of foundations in society.4. To investigate the effect of philanthropy on nonprofits, social movements, and political change.5. To connect readings and discussions to real‐life through interactions with practitioners.6. To formulate and support an individual opinion on the subject of the effectiveness and public policy issues surrounding foundations in the United States.7. To develop critical analytical thinking, oral presentation and writing skills.Learning Assessment TableCourse Learning Objective CoveredCorresponding Assignment Title#1Article ReviewTestResearch Paper#3Response to Robert Reich.#4Article Review#6Article ReviewPersuasive Public Policy Essay #7Oral PresentationWritten assignmentsCourse Organization and DesignThe course is designed to provide context for understanding the role of philanthropic organizations in social change. We will move from the historical to the contemporary role of philanthropic organizations to examine in‐depth the current practice and trends in grant making locally and nationally.The course includes rigorous reading assignments, active discussions and meetings with current leaders in the field. In addition to classroom discussions, students are expected to engage with the topic through written assignments and individual investigation. Expectations of StudentsTake responsibility for your learning.Attendance. Every student benefits from the viewpoints of other students. If you need to miss a class for unforeseen reasons you are responsible for getting all information covered in class. It is preferable to inform me of any previously scheduled conflicts no later than the first week of the course. I understand that occasionally family and health emergencies necessitate missing class, but please email me in advance of a class that you will be absent OR email immediately afterwards for follow‐up. If you miss more than two class sessions, your participation grade will be affected.Participation.Participate actively in class discussions, demonstrating what you learned from doing the readings for class. You will not be graded on what you say but on your willingness to engage intelligently and respectfully with the material and your fellow students. Preparation for Class. Read ALL assigned materials and make note of questions, inconsistencies, areas of interest, and connections you find to other readings.Weekly Discussion Question Submitted the Night Before.Before each class, please submit one question for discussion. These should not be factual questions but rather questions about themes from the readings. These are due the night before class and should be submitted to me by email at jp197@nyu.plete ALL Course Assignments. All assignments should be turned in on time and in compliance with all criteria listed in the assignment instructions.Technology.It is expected that you will use an active NYU e‐mail account and NYU Classes.All cell phones, laptops and other electronic devices must be turned off during class, unless you receive in writing a recommendation for laptop use or other devices from the Moses Center. Abide by the Wagner Academic Code.These expectations include the application of academic integrity and honesty in your class participation and assignments.Academic IntegrityAcademic integrity is a vital component of Wagner and NYU. All students enrolled in this class are required to read and abide by Wagner’s Academic Code. All Wagner students have already read and signed the?Wagner Academic Oath. Plagiarism of any form will not be tolerated and students in this class are expected to?report violations to me.?If any student in this class is unsure about what is expected of you and how to abide by the academic code, you should consult with me.Accommodations.Henry and Lucy Moses Center for Students with Disabilities at NYUAcademic accommodations are available for students with disabilities. Please visit the Moses Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) website and click on the Reasonable Accommodations and How to Register tab or call or email CSD at (212-998-4980 or mosescsd@nyu.edu) for information. Students who are requesting academic accommodations are strongly advised to reach out to the Moses Center as early as possible in the semester for assistance.Questions about class. If you have any questions/comments/concerns about readings, about anything said in class (particularly by me or a guest speaker), about the tone or content of class discussion, about your papers and their grades, or, in short, about anything having to do with this course, please talk with me. This course requires the participation of each and every student to be successful.Course EvaluationsAs this course is evolving based on ongoing student feedback, your input will make a great deal of difference in the development of the content and structure. You will have opportunities throughout the semester to provide comments and suggestions and I will appreciate your honest and candid feedback.Required ReadingsThis is a reading intensive course, so please plan your reading schedule appropriately. All readings are listed under the day when we will be discussing them and should be completed before class.We will use two books in this course and extensive readings posted to the NYU Classes site. The two assigned books are:Fleishman, Joel (2007) The Foundation: A Great American Secret. Public Affairs: New York, NY.Russakoff, Dale (2015) The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools. Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt. New York, NY.These books have been ordered for the NYU Bookstore and are also available for purchase online and at most major bookstores. All other readings are available on the web or have been uploaded to Resources in the NYU Class site for this course. Recommended Readings You are encouraged to conduct further investigation on contemporary issues in philanthropy raised in class through periodic reading of relevant publications such as The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Philanthropy Magazine. You are also encouraged to explore the websites of various philanthropic organizations to remain abreast of trends in the field.Assignments and GradingYour grade in this course is based on five components. More details will be provided in class as we near each deadline. I am happy to discuss any of these assignments with you before they are due, please email me to schedule an appointment. Assignments will be docked one half grade (B+ becomes a B) for every day late.Class Participation – 20% Your participation grade is yours to lose. You will be evaluated based on your attendance, submission of discussion questions on the evening before class, attentiveness in class, active engagement in class discussions, and demonstration of the knowledge you gained from the readings. Please feel free to ask questions about the readings or challenge them. I anticipate that the class will provide opportunity for differences of opinion to emerge. Foundation Initiatives in History – 10% ‐ Oral Presentation Beginning on September 25, each class will include an oral presentation of up to ten minutes by a different student (with PowerPoint slides if you wish) of one historical case involving a foundation initiative generating social change. I will develop a schedule of presentations in advance, so you know when your turn will be. Cases can be drawn from Casebook for the Foundation: A Great American Secret () or Korten, Change Philanthropy, (2009, Center for Community Change) and should be updated based on simple web research. Please refer back to this syllabus and the main Fleishman book to make sure that your case is not already being used in this course. (If you would like to check the case with me, feel free to send me an email.) In reporting to the class, please explain the problem being addressed, the strategy, the philanthropic investment (amount granted), the outcome, the impact and any thoughts the case suggested to you about how foundations can be effective.Article Review – 15% – 3‐4 pages Due on October 2, you will select an article published in the last 10 years that is not on our reading list and is connected to institutional philanthropy and social change, and prepare a short summary and critique of the article. Ideally, the article will be from a peer-reviewed academic journal; given the limited number of academic journals that seriously explore philanthropy, once you have learned what you can from peer-reviewed articles, you may also turn to publications such as the Stanford Social Innovation Review, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Alliance Magazine or Philanthropy Magazine to supplement the academic article. You may submit the article citation and abstract in the week before the review is due to get feedback on whether it fits the assignment requirement.One In-class Test – 15% The test will be on November 6. I will provide additional information in advance of the test.Persuasive Public Policy Essay – 15% ‐ 3-4 pages Due on December 4, you will write a persuasive essay setting forth your views on the public policy issues that were raised over the course of the semester, particularly in the readings for the classes on November 6 and 13. Specifically, do you believe that foundations should benefit from the tax exemptions and deductions, and the overall legal structure, that currently applies. If so, why, and how do you respond to the critics of foundations today? If not, what changes would you recommend to the applicable laws?You will be graded on the clarity of your writing, the strength and depth of your argument and the evidence you provide, rather than on the public policy position you take. Feel free to draw on readings or case studies from this course and beyond.Research Paper – 25% ‐ 10‐15 pages Due on December 11, a research paper of approximately 10-15 pages will take the place of a final examination. A 1-2 paragraph proposal should be presented to me by October 23. For your research paper, you should pick 1) a specific foundation/philanthropist attempting to generate social change, 2) an important initiative (successful or failed) of a foundation or group of foundations that affects public policy and social change or 3) an issue within contemporary philanthropy that is generating discussion. In the case of a foundation/philanthropist or initiative, your analysis should include the strengths and weaknesses of the approach in taking a philanthropic approach to scale. If you are addressing an issue, your analysis should include the factual background and the arguments in favor and against proposals being suggested. Among the relatively recent themes and approaches you might consider are donor experimentation with for-profit entities to carry out their philanthropic endeavors; alliances between foundations and governments (public/private partnerships); and collaboration among foundations to achieve shared objectives. It will be very important for your topic to be sufficiently narrow for you to be able to research and write within the time available and the page constraints.It is essential that you think about possible topics as soon as possible and clear topics with me before beginning research. For your own benefit, I need to be certain that you are not taking on more than you can manage and are framing your topic in a way that makes sense in the context of this course. You should clear your topic with me no later than October 23. I will be happy to talk if you seek help in finding a topic. Some DetailsObjective: This is a research paper. While you are not expected to present original ideas, you are expected to present your ideas and information in an original way. That implies that you do more than rephrase someone else’s writing. Moreover, you are expected to:Use multiple sources.Limit direct quotations. (When you do quote, use quotation marks).Use primary and/or secondary sources. (Each source should be indicated either in a footnote or endnote.)If you are uncertain whether you should document a source or statement, do so. Plagiarism is serious breach of trust and according to NYU regulations can result in a failing grade for the course. By contrast, over-documentation is merely distracting for the reader. General structure: Introduction (? - 1 pg); Body (10 – 12 pgs); Conclusion (1 - 2 pgs)Writing: Your paper is expected to be written in grammatically-correct English, with the words spelled correctly. Take advantage of NYU’s Writing Center.Submission Guidelines for AssignmentsHard copies of all written assignment are to be submitted in class on the due date. Electronic copies should be submitted via NYU Classes prior to the start of class on the due date.Assignment Due DatesBeginning September 25 - Foundation Case Study Oral ReportsOctober 2 - Article Review October 23 - Research Paper ProposalsNovember 6 - In-class examinationDecember 4 – Persuasive Public Policy EssayDecember 11 - Research PaperDetailed Course OverviewSeptember 4: Introductions, Course Overview, and First Discussion of Philanthropy Reading:Fleishman, Joel (2007) The Foundation: A Great American Secret. Public Affairs: New York, NY. Pgs. 57-89. (page numbers in this syllabus refer to the revised paperback edition) Please be prepared to talk from a personal perspective:Why are you taking this course? Do you have any experience interacting with or studying about non-profits or philanthropies? How do you perceive the role of foundations?Why are you interested in learning more about the foundation sector?To what non-profits do you volunteer time or give money, or would you like to volunteer time or money? What do you hope that your time and/or money will accomplish?Also, can you think of an example of a great philanthropic or foundation program that has improved society?September 11: The Non-profit/Civic Sector and Introduction to FoundationsReadings:What Is the Most Daring, Audacious, and Successful Grant of the Past 100 Years?A symposium of philanthropic leaders, Philanthropy Magazine, Winter 2011.Brief excerpt from Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America: Freedom and Utility.” From Kass, A., The Perfect Gift (2002). Giving USA 2019 HighlightsHaynes, E. and Theis, M., “A Tough Year for Giving,” Chronicle of Philanthropy, July 9, 2019Wallace, N., “Where Are My Donors?” Chronicle of Philanthropy, June 5, 2018.Callahan, D. The Givers – Wealth, Power, and Philanthropy in a New Gilded Age. Pgs. 16-33.Fleishman – Chapters 3-4, Pgs. 91-116.Optional:Philanthropy in America ‐ Glossary of Terms in Philanthropy: Glossary of Philanthropic Terms(Useful reference for all semester) Zinmeister, K., “How Philanthropy Fuels American Success”, Philanthropy Magazine. Winter 2016, 15-35.September 18: NO CLASSSeptember 25: Introduction to Foundations and Foundation Strategy Readings:Fleishman – Chapters 5-6. pgs. 117-147.Salamon, L.M. Leverage for Good: An Introduction to the New Frontiers of Philanthropy and Social Investment. Oxford University Press. 2014. Foreword, Pgs. xv-xix.Callahan, D. “A Foundation Gives $1 Billion in One City and Things (Mostly) Get Worse. What’s the Lesson?” Inside Philanthropy. August 18, 2017.Madoff, R.D. “Charities and Taxpayers Deserve More from Donor-Advised Funds”. The Chronicle of Philanthropy. November 2016.Fishman, J., Schwartz, S. and Mayer, L., Nonprofits Organizations: Cases and Materials, “Private Foundations.” pgs 657-672 and 731-738. 2015. Schadler. B.H., “The Connection: Strategies for Creating and Operating 501(c)(3) s, 501(c)(4) s and Political Organizations.” Bolder Advocacy (2012), pgs. 1-7.October 2: How Foundations Have Impact Part I – Research, Advocacy & LitigationGuest: Allison Jafin, who manages the operations of Bloomberg PhilanthropiesReadings:Fleishman – Chapters 5-7, pgs. 127-147“Annual Letter on Philanthropy” and “CEO Letter” in Bloomberg Philanthropies Annual Report, pgs. 10-19. Miller, J.J., “Strategic Investment in Ideas: How Two Foundations Reshaped America”. The Philanthropy Roundtable (2003), pgs. 9-33. Miller, J.J. and Zinsmeister, K., “Working Through the Courts.” in Agenda Setting. Philanthropy Roundtable (2015) pgs. 107-114.Fleishman – pgs. 206-210 (case study on Tobacco Use Program)Fleishman – pgs. 179-188 (case study on the Green Revolution)Optional:Mayer, J., “Beachheads: John M. Olin and the Bradley Brothers.” Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right. pgs. 92 – 119.October 9: NO CLASSOctober 16: How Foundations Achieve Impact Part II – Advocacy continued, Pilot Programs & Building Human CapitalReadings:“Hearts and Minds,” Case Study of the Civil Marriage Collaborative. Proteus Fund, 2015. Hearts and Minds Case Study (). Kowal, J.F., “The Improbable Victory of Marriage Equality”. Legal Change: Lessons from America’s Social Movements (edited by Weiss-Wolf, Plant-Chirlin). The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School, pgs. 25-44.Marquis, C., Rangan, V.K., Ross, C., “Goldman Sachs: The 10,000 Women Initiative. Harvard Business School. June 20, 2009.Goldman Sachs Reading ()Fleishman, J., Kohler, J.S., and Schindler, S., “Case 77 – Charter Schools Funding”. Casebook for the Foundation (2007) Casebook for the Foundation Reading ()Fleishman, J., Kohler, J.S., and Schindler, S., “Case 99 – A Model for the New Inner-City School: KIPP Academies”. A Model for the New Inner-City ()Fleishman, J., Kohler, J.S., and Schindler, S., “Case 42 – Emergency Medical Services”. Emergency Medical Services () Semuels, A. “How Silicon Valley Has Disrupted Philanthropy.” The Atlantic, July 25, 2018.October 23: How Foundations Have Impact Part III - Public Private PartnershipsReadings:Husock, H. The Pension Grand Bargain – A New Reform Model for Cities. Manhattan Institute. April 2016. Introduction pgs. 5-8.Williams Walsh, M., “Puerto Rico?s Bankruptcy Plan Is Almost Done, and It Could Start a Fight”, New York Times, July 14, 2019.Central Park Conservancy – 2017 Press Kit. Central Park Conservancy Press Kit () Walls, M. Private Funding of Public Parks – Assessing the Role of Philanthropy. Resources for the Future. January 2014. Private Funding of Public Parks () October 30: How Foundations Achieve Impact Part IV (Prize Philanthropy) & Some Critiques of Contemporary PhilanthropyReadings:Fleishman – Chapters 9 & 12, pgs. 215-232, 261-283Reed Wasson, R. “The Future of Prize Philanthropy,” Stanford Social Innovation Review, Summer 2016.Foster, W., “Making Big Bets for Social Change”, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Winter 2016.Kramer, L., “Against Big Bets”, Stanford Social Innovation Review, May 2017.Masaoka, J., “The Founding Fathers Write a Grant Proposal”. Founding Fathers Write Grant Proposal Reading Lindsay, D. and Koenig, R. “Who’s at the Board Table?” The Chronicle of Philanthropy. May 2017.November 6: Test & The Ethics and Public Policy of American Foundations Readings:Goss, C., “Policy Plutocrats: How America’sWealthy Seek to Influence Governance.” PS, July 2016, pp. 442-448.Walker, D., “Toward a New Gospel of Wealth ”(Ford Foundation website 2015)Kolbert, E. “Gospels of Giving for the New Gilded Age”. The New Yorker, August 27, 2018. Semuels, A. “The Problem With Modern Philanthropy.” The Atlantic, March 28, 2017.Optional:Giridharadas, A., Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World, pp. 154-200November 13: Philanthropist Visit and The Ethics and Public Policy of American Foundations, Part II Guest: David ShapiraChairman, Board of Directors, Giant Eagle, Inc.Chairman, Shapira FoundationReadings:Reich, R., Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy and How It Can Do Better, pp. 135-168Callahan, D. The Givers – Wealth, Power, and Philanthropy in a New Gilded Age. Pgs. 283-313.November 20: When Things Don’t Go According to the Plan: Case Study of Zuckerberg Grant to Newark SchoolsReadings:Russakoff, D., The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools (2015), pgs. 1-218 and Appendix II.December 4: Impact Investing I Guest:Patrick Briaud, Philanthropic Advisor, Rockefeller Philanthropy AdvisorsReading:“Impact Investing: An Introduction.” Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.“Impact Investing: Strategy and Action.” Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.Taitel, S., “Mission Investing: A Framework for Family Foundations.” April 2018. “How Can Philanthropy Help the Working Class?” The Chronicle of Philanthropy. April 2017. Chu, M. and Barley, L. “Omidyar Network: Pioneering Impact Investment.” Harvard Business School. January 2013. pgs 1-7Bannick, M., Goldman, P., Kubzansky, M. and Saltuk, Y. “Impact Investing: Across the Returns Continuum,” Stanford Social Innovation Review. Winter 2017.December 11: Impact Investing Part II and Spend-Down Foundations Readings:McCoy, E. “A Date Certain – Case Studies of Three Limited Life Foundation.” The Center for Effective Philanthropy. 2017.Florino, J. “Going for Broke: How Foundations Sunset, and the Reasons It’s Becoming Popular,” Philanthropy Magazine, Fall 2015.Fleishman, J. (2017) Putting Wealth to Work. Public Affairs. New York, NY. pgs. 139-187 and 207-215.Fleishman, J. (2018) The Saving Remnant Is Shining Bright, Its Fire Now Spreading Renewing Light: Year Seven Report on the Concluding Years of The AVI CHAI Foundation. pgs. 1-8.December 18: Reflections: Looking Back and Looking Forward Readings:Piereson, J. and Schaefer Riley, N., “Philanthropy Booms in the Trump Era but It Also Gets Political”. The Wall Street Journal. November 17, 2017.Moore, S., “George Soros’s $18 Billion Tax Shelter”. The Wall Street Journal. November 23, 2017.Watson, T., “3 Key Ideas on the Power of the Zuckerberg-Chan Pledge”. The Chronicle of Philanthropy. December 2015. “Is the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative the Future of Philanthropy?” Stanford Social Innovation Review. Summer 2018.“Profit with Purpose”. The Economist. January 2013.Daniels, A and Di Mento, M., “Jeff Bezos Says Helping the Neediest Now May Be Where His Philanthropy Goes”. The Chronicle of Philanthropy. June 2017.Brooks, D. “Giving Away Your Billion”. The New York Times, June 2017.“CAF World Giving Index 2018: A Global View of Giving Trends”. Charities Aid Foundation, October 2018. pgs. 10-24. NYU’s Calendar Policy on Religious HolidaysNYU’s Calendar Policy on Religious Holidays states that members of any religious group may, without penalty, absent themselves from classes when required in compliance with their religious obligations. Please notify me in advance of religious holidays that might coincide with exams to schedule mutually acceptable alternatives.I look forward to teaching you, learning with you, and learning from you this Fall! ................
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