November 2008
On the occasion of the historic election of Barack Obama to the presidency of the US I was asked, as an American heading a British organisation, to comment on how the new president might harness the power of the US charity sector. I provided the following remarks to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the premier weekly newspaper on US philanthropy, and am pleased to share them with you here:
The United States is on the precipice of very exciting and very promising change. After eight years of a failed administration that oversaw the dismantling of the economy, the Constitution and the country’s standing in the world, the new President has much to do. Fortunately, he will have a very engaged citizenry and nonprofit sector behind him – in fact, the very sector that shaped his early career and influenced his thinking. Here are three suggestions for what the President might do to promote philanthropy, volunteerism and the non-profit sector:
1. This election cycle has seen unprecedented levels of citizen engagement. In fact, my British colleagues are amazed at the vibrancy of the debate, the 50+ primaries that lead to a nomination and the passion of the population for their candidates. This is democracy at full throttle and it has been nothing short of inspirational. It has been particularly encouraging to see the involvement and activism of young people across the country. I hope that the President will continue to harness that energy for the public good, calling attention to programs such as Young People for the American Way and Teach for America, and encouraging philanthropists to support local efforts that engage young people in community service and all citizens in civic life.
2. As a nation we have much work ahead of us to repair the tattered state of our international relations. American generosity has always been a powerful antidote to anti-Americanism – and now more than ever we need that antidote. Whilst the President can achieve part of that goal via increased foreign aid, a re-engagement of the discussion around trade rules (to benefit producers in the developing world), and a more balanced and enlightened foreign policy there is a very powerful role that private philanthropy can play as well. My hope is that the President will lead a call to action to inspire American philanthropists to spread their generosity and their know-how abroad via increased international giving – and that he will encourage the International Revenue Service to simplify the rules on cross-border giving.
3. Finally, whilst philanthropy is deeply engrained in American culture and values, he would do well to keep a strong focus on promoting this wonderful aspect of US culture. To that end, I encourage him to establish the White House Office on Philanthropy, Volunteerism and Civic Engagement. That office would serve to convene donors around the country to share new ideas and best practices for solving some of our communities’ problems, to promote charitable giving and volunteering across the society, and to celebrate and honor those citizens who give of their time and their treasure to strengthen our global community.