THE RIGHT WING VS PUBLIC EDUCATION

From dependence to resilience: How philanthropies can better support private schools

 providing donor-development boot camps and school-building tool kits are two ways to more effectively support private Christian schools for long-term success.

American Enterprise Institute

January 12, 2022

Key Points

• The current popularity of private schools cannot be denied. Alternative schools and educational settings need to prepare for an influx of students.
• Philanthropies are right to help private schools during this period of growth, but they should be helping private school leaders prepare for decades of success.
• Providing donor-development boot camps and school-building tool kits are two ways that philanthropies can more effectively support private schools for long-term success.

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Introduction

As the proverb goes, “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” Philanthropy is not a new concept. In fact, the word “philanthropy” derives from the ancient Greek word philanthropia, meaning “to love people.” True philanthropy and love for others are displayed by helping individuals become more self-sufficient. Yet, too often, philanthropies have created dependent communities and cultures.

More than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations are registered in the United States.¹ In total, these organizations raise hundreds of billions of dollars per year. In 2020, charitable giving reached a record high of $471 billion.² Unfortunately, a large percentage of these charitable dollars is not being used in new or creative ways and may be creating dependencies in the recipients they claim to help.

Take food banks for example. The US has more than 200 food banks.³ In 2020, these organizations distributed six billion meals nationwide. That’s enough food to provide every US resident with breakfast, lunch, and dinner for just over six days.⁴ Despite these impressive numbers, hunger persists in the United States.

Foundations should focus on “feeding” private schools for a lifetime—not just a fleeting moment. Private schools have experienced record enrollment growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.⁵ Whether you attribute this to public school shutdowns or political pressure on public school curricula, private schools’ current popularity cannot be denied.

Alternative schools and educational settings need to prepare for an influx of students. Otherwise, current enrollment levels will be only a temporary phenomenon. As schools grow, so do their needs. If schools suddenly have more students, then they need more teachers and classrooms. Unless a generous donor or philanthropic organization steps in, schools are often faced with an uncomfortable choice: raise tuition or go out of business.

Philanthropies are right to help private schools during this period of growth. But to fulfill only present needs does a great disservice to these schools. Philanthropies should be helping private school leaders prepare for decades of success. To do this, they must think beyond supporting traditional funding models and start focusing on long-term training and development. For example, The Stanley M. Herzog Foundation has found that providing donor-development boot camps and school-building tool kits are two ways to more effectively support private Christian schools for long-term success.

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Notes

1. National Center for Charitable Statistics Team, “The Nonprofit Sector in Brief,” Urban Institute, June 18, 2020, https://nccs.urban.org/project/nonprofit-sector-brief.
2. Haleluya Hadero, “Charitable Giving in the U.S. Reaches All-Time High in 2020,” Associated Press, June 15, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/philanthropy-health-coronavirus-pandemic-business-94cac51d5caf18f48a7827de04e017c0.
3. Feeding America, “Delivering Food and Services,” https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/food-bank-network.
4. Paul Morello, “The Food Bank Response to COVID, by the Numbers,” Feeding America, March 12, 2021, https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/food-bank-response-covid-numbers.
5. Ruth Graham, “Christian Schools Boom in a Revolt Against Curriculum and Pandemic Rules,” New York Times, October 19, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/19/us/christian-schools-growth.html.