On Monday, April 6, 2015, former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg laid out his philanthropic principles in a “Letter on Philanthropy,” published on the Bloomberg Philanthropies website.
Modern philanthropy began as a substitute for government. Where government failed, philanthropists stepped in, providing food for the poor, hospitals for the sick, and libraries, museums, and colleges for the masses. Philanthropy continues to play a vital role in all of these areas. But some still see philanthropy as an alternative to government. I see it as a way to embolden government. In so many areas, governments represent our best hope for making the broad-based societal changes that philanthropic organizations are devoted to bringing about. Governments have the authority to drive change in ways that philanthropic organizations cannot. By leveraging our resources, and forming partnerships with government, philanthropic organizations can help push those changes forward.Click here to continue reading on the Bloomberg Philanthropies website.