PHLN 530 - Philanthropic Foundations & Public Policy

3 Credits (Every semester)
Prerequisite(s): PHLN 501, PHLN 510, PHLN 520 and PUAD 630. This course defines and explores philanthropic foundations in society, including their grantmaking patterns and trends in the United States, their roles and influence in society, and their historic and contemporary ability to shape public policy. Questions explored in the course include: What is the role of philanthropic foundations in society? How do they fulfill these roles? To whom are foundations accountable? How do foundations relate to their grantees and communities? How do foundations wield power and on whose behalf do they use that power? Further, students will explore the professional experiences and positionalities of people of color in the philanthropic foundation sector as it grapples with its history of exclusion and its conflicting record of funding both oppressive and liberatory activities regarding communities of color.