August 4, 2010; Source: Boston Globe | Why would a Jewish donor give to a Catholic school? This article looks at the reasons why a number of well-known Jewish philanthropists in Boston give to local Catholic schools and, quite frankly, it is one of the more uplifting articles I have seen on giving in quite a while. Why do they give to these venerable institutions, which are, after all, rooted in another faith community? There are a number of reasons given by various donors and observers in the article. Barry Shrage, president of Combined Jewish Philanthropies, says giving to Catholic Schools is attractive to Jewish donors because they see their support for Catholic schools as an expression of Jewish values—promoting education, providing opportunity for the disadvantaged and new immigrants, and building institutions that benefit the community. This article is well worth the read for a grounded understanding of the motivations of these donors.—Ruth McCambridge
About The Author
Ruth is Editor in Chief of the Nonprofit Quarterly. Her background includes forty-five years of experience in nonprofits, primarily in organizations that mix grassroots community work with policy change. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Ruth spent a decade at the Boston Foundation, developing and implementing capacity building programs and advocating for grantmaking attention to constituent involvement.
