The Future of Foundations in an Open Society

The forces of globalization affect the world of politics and business in powerful ways. Electronic media, instant communication, and the free flow of goods and services exert pressure on societies to adapt to new ways of life. But they also allow for the rapid dissemination of new ideas and perspectives, and have made possible the spreading of democratic values and open societies. This new environment presents both challenges and opportunities for foundations. They are called upon to adopt new roles that were once the domain of state and governmental institutions. At the same time, they are asked to perform them in better and more efficient ways. In addition, international integration mandates that their perspectives and strategies transcend national borders. This book contains the proceedings of an international symposium hosted by the Bertelsmann Foundation. It documents the growing consensus that-in the open society-it is not enough for foundations to do good; they have to do it well.

The contributors are Dieter Feddersen, Caio K. Koch-Weser, Reinhard Mohn, Kenneth Prewitt, John Richardson, and Dorothy S. Ridings.