NCRP Responds to Myths about Philanthropy at Its Best
Washington, D.C., March 19, 2009 — The new report by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) has sparked a lively discussion in the world of philanthropy. Unfortunately, a number of groups have sought to discredit Criteria for Philanthropy at Its Best: Benchmarks to Assess and Enhance Grantmaker Impact by perpetuating misinformation regarding the content of the report and the intent of the organization. NCRP is pushing back to dispel those myths and refocus the debate on the important issues raised in Criteria.
"It's great that Criteria has inspired some passionate reactions," said Aaron Dorfman, executive director of NCRP. "But it's imperative that fabrications not get in the way of real discussions about the difficult issues philanthropy is facing today-issues we addressed substantively in Criteria."
In "Top Myths about Criteria for Philanthropy at Its Best- Busted!" NCRP identifies five recurring falsehoods, which include ignoring donor intent and calling for mandates, and responds to these distortions.
Niki Jagpal, primary author of Criteria and research and policy director at NCRP, also responds directly to Wall Street Journal deputy Taste editor Naomi Schaefer Riley and Paul Gigot of Fox News in "Philanthropy's Real Enemy." In this spirited commentary, she debunks Riley and Gigot's politicized assertions with a point-by-point rebuttal on issues such as diversity, poverty and priorities of charitable giving.
David R. Jones, chair of NCRP's board and president and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York earlier countered Riley's Journal opinion piece in "Why Charities Will Have to Change." He wrote, "It's far easier to mischaracterize this work as 'political' or 'misguided' than to take a critical look at why there are mounting pressures for change across the charitable sector."
NCRP has received tremendous feedback, both in support of and in disagreement with, Criteria and plans to continue engaging directly with foundations, nonprofits, academics, the media and lawmakers. It sent the executive summary to 25,000 of the country's grantmaking organizations last week. It will hold online discussions tackling the myths, as well as each criterion and benchmark through its blog Keeping a close eye ...
Criteria for Philanthropy at Its Best is available for free download at www.ncrp.org, where you can also view the video of the report unveiling, check out the list of endorsers and order your copies. For media copies, contact Yna Moore at ymoore@ncrp.org.
