Responding to the Unexpected

As I begin my 28th message for a Mott Foundation annual report, organized philanthropy — along with much of the nonprofit world — is struggling for equilibrium in an environment punctuated by questioning, mistrust and increased scrutiny. The current round of public examination began a year ago when several newspapers wrote stories about compensation practices and alleged acts of self-dealing by a number of private foundations. Since then, the coverage about foundations' missteps, misdeeds, lack of sound governance practices and poor judgment has spread from coast to coast in the media. Unethical practices and outright illegal activities in the corporate world, the broader nonprofit sector, the media and organized religion have shaped an environment marked by a loss of public trust in our nation's institutions. (fragment)