MoMA R&D

Salon 12 On Philanthropy

On Philanthropy was emblematic of our simultaneously inductive and deductive process, in which a topic that is crucial to MoMA’s own existence becomes a way to discuss crucial issues in the world at large. Peter Singer’s inflammatory 2013 “Good Charity, Bad Charity” New York Times op-ed condensed an apparent moral conundrum—comparing the relative value of giving to the arts with giving to charities that are actively working to cure physiological blindness. There are, however, many other nuances worth addressing, from the problem of the word “charity” to crowdsourcing, online fundraising, and new formats like nonprofit investment funds and benefit corporations.

Watch the videos from the salon and explore some of these questions: What are the roots and rationales of philanthropy in the U.S., past and present? How do the priorities of millennial philanthropists differ from the as-yet-not-so-old guard? How is the Internet having an impact on philanthropic infrastructure? In the absence of effective metrics and with a rhetorical deficit, what can cultural institutions do to prove their impact?

The salon took place on January 13th, 2015.

Speakers

Reading Resources