12 Common Criticisms of Philanthropy—and Some Answers

Since January, I’ve been traveling around the United States talking to audiences about my new book, "The Almanac of American Philanthropy," and how private giving affects our nation. During these sessions I’ve collected 12 broad criticisms of charitable action that people sometimes raise. From the lessons of my almanac research, I offer responses below.

1. Charitable aid should focus on the poor; too much giving today goes to other causes!

This increasingly common argument is supported by the so-called “effective altruism” movement, which complains that a dollar spent on a university or park or music school could instead have headed off a dire problem, such as, say, river blindness for an impoverished African.