Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-12-2021
Journal Title
VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations
Volume Number
32
First Page
512
Last Page
523
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-021-00338-6
Version
Publisher PDF: the final published version of the article, with professional formatting and typesetting
Keywords
Giving Pledge, philanthropy, high-net worth individuals, Bill Gates, billionaires
Disciplines
Nonprofit Administration and Management
Abstract
This study investigates a discourse about billionaire philanthropy established in letters submitted by 187 of 209 signatories of the Giving Pledge. The philanthropy of the wealthy is gaining increasing public attention and is subject to growing criticism, which demands additional study of how the wealthy collectively explain their generosity. The mixed-method analysis finds a strong emphasis on education and health causes and identifies two distinct and coherent rationales for being generous. The majority of letters express a social–normative rationale, consisting of two prevailing explanations: an expressed gratitude and desire to “give back” (1) and references to family upbringing as a socializing force (2). A minority of letters articulate a personal–consequentialist rationale, highlighting three separate explanations: a large inheritance may harm offspring (1), giving as personal gratification (2), and an acknowledgment of excess wealth with no better use (3). An expressed desire to have impact and make a difference appears in both rationales. The overall dominance of a social–normative rationale projects a discourse emphasizing benevolence as well as a narrative in which billionaires are an exceptionally productive and grateful subset of society. While previous studies have primarily focused on identifying individual psychological motives, this study shows how the Giving Pledge letters reflect a philanthropic discourse among the wealthy going back to Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth.
Digital USD Citation
Schmitz, Hans Peter; Mitchell, George E.; and McCollim, Elena M., "How Billionaires Explain Their Philanthropy: A Mixed-Method Analysis of the Giving Pledge Letters" (2021). School of Leadership and Education Sciences: Faculty Scholarship. 16.
https://digital.sandiego.edu/soles-faculty/16
Notes
Original publication information:
Schmitz, H.P., Mitchell, G.E. & McCollim, E.M. (2021). How Billionaires Explain Their Philanthropy: A Mixed-Method Analysis of the Giving Pledge Letters. Voluntas, 32, 512–523. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-021-00338-6