In 2002 we introduced “Promoting Philanthropy” as a new field in philanthropy, though not a new activity. From time to time there have been various special projects to promote philanthropy, whether giving or volunteering or both. Community foundations have existed since 1914, but they tend to think of their missions as community enhancement through fundraising and grantmaking, and fundraising for themselves and their own pools of endowments, rather than focusing on promoting philanthropy in general as the best way strategically to enhance quality of life in their communities.

See also: 2006 Progress Reports: Promoting Philanthropy

At the close of the last century two new historical influences on philanthropy encouraged its promotion: First, the rise of “new and emerging donors” (NEDs) with the economic boom of the ’90s, created a need for various forms of donor education—the Catalogue’s own explicit mission. Second, technological transformation evoked a growing variety of programs to strengthen charities by bringing them up to speed with new information technology. A third influence, not new, was the fashionable “capacity-building” movement, which was newly energized by the NEDs’ turning their entrepreneurial attention and skills to philanthropy. Together, these influences precipitated a clearly distinct new field of activity: strengthening and promoting philanthropy itself — including donors, charities, volunteers and professionals.

This new field, conceived as such, has the potential to do enormous good. Almost everyone agrees that charitable giving can and should increase. Even in America, the most generous nation on Earth, giving has been flat for the past half-century, at about 2% of GDP and income; especially in higher income brackets there is enormous room for growth without impairment of lifestyles.

In field after field of philanthropic activity, we have described how philanthropy has provided leadership to government in sensing and defining public problems, in developing and testing possible responses and solutions, and in advocating whether and how government might best be involved. Almost all charities feel the need to grow, to expand and improve their services, to meet needs and opportunities they see every day. Philanthropy provides clear education and training in values, for everyone. So: do we need more and better civic leadership in America and the world today? Are we meeting our public service needs? Do we need stronger values as a nation, in our communities and social groups, as well as in our families and in our own lives? Are government and business providing these things sufficiently?

Ten years ago the back cover of the first Catalogue asked a question: What would the world be like without philanthropy? For these past 10 years the Catalogue has provided the most complete and detailed description of “philanthropy” available anywhere. Armed with that knowledge, we can now ask, Should there be more philanthropy? That is the question, and what is your answer? In this section you will find institutions that stand ready to help promote more of the kinds of activities presented throughout the Catalogues over these past 10 years — to help philanthropy grow. You can be a multiplier, too.