Private foundations have been the dynamo of social change since their invention at the beginning of the last century. Yet just over 10 percent of the public knows they even exist; and for those who are aware of them, as well as even those who seek grants from them, their internal workings remain a complete mystery. Joel Fleishman knows the sector like few others, and in this groundbreaking book he explains both the history of foundationswith their fledgling beginnings in the era of the robber barons seeking social respectabilitythrough to the present day. This book shows how, why foundations matters, and how the future of foundations can provide a vital spur to the engine of the American, and the world’s, economyif they are properly established and run.

乔尔·L.弗雷施曼，1960年开始其职业生涯，最初是耶鲁大学沃尔特.E.梅耶法律研究所所长助理。1961-1965年间，担任北卡罗来纳州州长法务助理。之后回到耶鲁，最初担任耶鲁大学暑期学校负责人，随后担任城市研究项目的助理教务长。1969年，他成为城市及其环境研究中心副主席和耶鲁社会科学研究所所长助理。1971年，加入杜克大学法律系，担任公共政策和公共事务研究所——现在的桑福德公共政策学院——所长，并一直担任该职务到1983年。他现在是法律和公共政策教授，海曼道德、公共政策和职业中心的负责人。他也负责杜克基金会研究项目。他的主要著作涉及法律监管、政治活动融资和非营利组织监管。他现在是非营利组织自我监管委员会的联合主席和独立委员。