The Lonely Profession
From PhilanthropyWiki
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This paper, an extract from the book Taking Philanthropy Seriously (eds. William Damon and Susan Verducci) examines the profession of grantmaking through interviews with leading figures in US traditional philanthropy. The authors report that most people entering philanthropy as staff do not see philanthropy as a profession or feel a particular calling for it, and do not plan to stay forever; they have "no collective sense that simply carrying out their daily work is enough to earn a respected position in professional society."
Horn and Gardner find that many people working in philanthropy do not identify with philanthropy, and often feel isolated from their grantees and from other grantmakers, and even within their own organisations. The nature of philanthropy contributes to confusion and isolation, as unlike other professions there is no required training and there are no shared norms regarding the principles and practice of philanthropy. Motivation and clarity of purpose are difficult to sustain under such conditions, and there is a danger that grantmakers may burn out and let their work suffer, or abandon the profession altogether. The article concludes by asking whether philanthropy as a profession must always be so divided, or whether a middle ground is possible between freedom and isolationism.
Related
The Hudson Institute conducted a discussion on this topic, in which the authors talked about the questions raised by the study with representatives from philanthropic foundations. The transcript of that debate can be downloaded from the Hudson Institute (PDF format).