Publishing information:
Kenneth Prewitt, Mattei Dogan, Steven Heydemann and Stefan Toepler
New York: Russell Sage Foundation, October 2006. 294pp, Hardback. ISBN 978-0-87154-696-8 $45.00
Though privately controlled, foundations perform essential roles that serve society at large. They spearhead some of the world's largest and most innovative initiatives in science, health, education and the arts, fulfilling important needs that could not be addressed adequately in the marketplace or in the public sector. Still, many people have little understanding of what foundations do, what their goals are and how they continue to earn public endorsement. The Legitimacy of Philanthropic Foundations provides a thorough examination of why foundations exist and the varied purposes they serve in contemporary democratic societies. The book is a joint project of the Mattei Dogan Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation and Social Science Research Council. Contributors are largely US-based but include academics based in the UK, Germany, Italy and Denmark.
