In this classic 2002 essay on “Building a Foundation for Faith and Family Philanthropy,” James A. Joseph explores how religion shapes both what people give and why people give.  Joseph, who served as president of the Council on Foundations from 1982-1995 and as U.S. Ambassador to South Africa from 1995-1999, argues that giving in Black religious institutions is at once distinctive and consistent with wider giving practices, and he suggests that, when philanthropy and religious communities work together, giving can transform society and the givers as well. This essay was originally published by the National Center for Family Philanthropy in 2001 in its National Center Journal (vol.4), in a special issue titled Faith and Family Philanthropy: Grace, Gratitude, and Generosity.

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