Giving in Time : Temporal Considerations in Philanthropy

Within the philanthropic sector, as never before, time is of the essence. That is, temporal considerations―questions of intergenerational ethics, of the merits of giving now versus giving later, of the benefits and perils of perpetuity―have gained greatly in prominence. Bringing together the most esteemed contemporary scholars of philanthropy, Giving in Time provides the first sustained analysis of the complex issues surrounding the temporal dimensions of voluntary giving. Incorporating the perspectives of political scientists, historians, legal scholars, and philosophers, the contributors tackle critical questions confronting a new generation of philanthropists in a way that will appeal to academics and practitioners. They take on questions such as:



What are the historical and moral foundations for establishing perpetual foundations? What are the leading challenges to philanthropic perpetuity?
What is the significance of the recent trend toward “Giving While Living,” the calls to give not through bequests but in one’s lifetime?
What are the ethical arguments for giving now rather than giving later?
What is a giver’s responsibility to his current moment in time versus his obligation to the future?
How does the legal framework supporting and structuring philanthropic practice shape approaches toward giving in time? How should it?

Ray Madoff is a Professor at Boston College Law School where she teaches and writes in the areas of philanthropy policy, taxes, property and estate planning. Professor Madoff is the author of: Immortality and the Law: The Rising Power of the American Dead (Yale), which looks at how American law treats the interests of the dead and what this tells us about our values for the living. The Financial Times called it "a sparkling polemic. "Professor Madoff is also the lead author on one of the top treatises on estate planning: Practical Guide to Estate Planning (CCH) (published annually from 2001-2017).Professor Madoff is the Co-founder and Director of the Boston College Law School Forum on Philanthropy and the Public Good, a non-partisan think tank that convenes scholars and practitioners to explore questions regarding whether the rules governing the charitable sector best serve the public good. She is a nationally recognized expert on matters of philanthropy tax policy.

Benjamin Soskis is a Research Associate at the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute and the co-editor of HistPhil, a web publication dedicated to the history of the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. He has also served as a consultant to the Open Philanthropy Project’s History of Philanthropy program. Soskis is a frequent contributor to the Chronicle of Philanthropy and the Atlantic; his writing on philanthropy has also appeared in the Washington Post, New Yorker.com, the Guardian, the American Prospect, Stanford Social Innovation Review, and Nonprofit Quarterly. He is the co-author of The Battle Hymn of the Republic: A Biography of the Song that Marches On (Oxford, 2013) and Looking Back at 50 Years of US Philanthropy (Hewlett Foundation, 2016). Soskis has taught at the George Washington University and the University of California, Washington Center and received his PhD in American history from Columbia University.