logo
    • Magazine
    • Membership
    • Donate
  • Racial Justice
  • Economic Justice
    • Collections
  • Climate Justice
  • Health Justice
  • Leadership
  • CONTENT TYPES
  • Subscribe
  • Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Complimentary Webinars
    • Premium On-Demand Webinars
  • Membership
  • Submissions

Who’s Afraid of a Small Blue Pill?

Phil Anthrop
June 21, 2002
Share
Tweet
Share
Email
Print

Foundation staff and trustees were the subject of one of the most surprising (some would say shocking) drug trials in recent memory, described in the May issue of the British medical journal Lancelot.

Over a seven-year period (1992-1999), 22 American and British charitable foundations took part in a double blind study of Ritalin to treat adult onset attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and improve the foundation’s ability to focus and stay on topic. The hallmark symptoms of ADHD—distractibility, impulsivity and high activity—are so commonly associated with philanthropy that the diagnosis is often not considered, until “Foundation Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” (FADHD) was proposed as a condition. Announcement of the Foundation Attention Project and its funding source immediately brought criticism from both mental health advocates and foundation organizations.

Nevertheless, participants in the study have been outspoken in their praise. “I would have been the last one to have thought this would work,” said Terry G_______, president of a major U.S. Foundation. “I still can’t believe the researchers talked us into this, let alone that it completely transformed our grantmaking.”

“When taken as prescribed, methyl-phenidate is a valuable medicine,” said Dr. Seymour Wallach, medical director of the Attention Institute and project manager for the study. “The mode of action in humans is not completely understood, but methylphenidate presumably activates the brain stem arousal system and cortex to produce its stimulant effect, and paradoxically allows the brain to relax and focus for long-term thinking.”

In the study, the program officers, managers and trustees of 11 foundations were prescribed drugs used to treat ADHD, primarily 10 mg doses of methylphenidate (the generic equivalent of Ritalin); 11 other foundations were given identical blue sugar pills. Within a few days of initiating the drug trial researchers documented substantial improvements in the subjects’ ability to stay on task, participate in extended conversations, keep appointments and develop long-term trusting relationships.

The most notable results appeared between 18 and 36 months into the study, where it reduced the frequency
of preference shifting, amendments to guidelines and sudden unexpected initiatives. While philanthropic institutions periodically adjust their focus (particularly after a management change or when a primary donor switches therapists), there is a tension between new and newsworthy contributions and deeper involvement and impact on an issue.

In the four-year outcomes evaluation phase of the research, a content and activity analysis of the subject foundations’ priorities, focus and productivity was conducted, supplemented with focus groups, in-depth interviews and public opinion polling. Particularly striking were responses from both investment companies hired by the foundations to manage their assets, as well as charitable organizations that receive contributions from the foundations, who independently observed
a striking increase in long-term goal-oriented behavior.In addition to lengthening span of attention, foundation evaluators documented increased payout, faster turnaround, quicker delivery of checks, reduced administrative overhead and operating expenses, sitting patiently and quietly in meetings in communities, reduced grandstanding and reports of greater humility.
Like any significant change, the Foundation Attention Project has been challenged by people who see a downside, from its underlying premise and use of behavior changing drugs to its financing by the drug’s manufacturer. “This is an outrageous abuse of stimulant pharmaceuticals in the workplace,” said Melissa Wilson-Stuart, Secretary General of PharmWatch, a London-based advocacy organization. “I have never heard of this so-called ‘Foundation Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder’ (FADHD). Even if this new syndrome does exist, which I doubt, there are natural vegetable products that can have the same stimulant calming result without the Ritalin side effects of dry mouth, loss of appetite and weight loss, insomnia and itchy fingers.”

Foundation representatives were also critical, most notably Yusef Arak, President of the Association of Large Foundations, Washington, D.C. “I’m not convinced that these people knew what they were getting into, and the fact that they don’t disclose which foundations took part in the experiment throws the supposed results into question,” Arak said. “I can’t tell you how offensive it is to suggest that our flexibility, nimbleness on issues and willingness to dive into the cutting edge of society’s possibilities is somehow a problem.”

Sign up for our free newsletters

Subscribe to NPQ's newsletters to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

Every aspect of the Foundation Attention Project drug trial was unusual—its time span, industrial application and trans-Atlantic locus. Rumors about the existence of the project had been floating among nonprofit organizations and foundations for years, but surprisingly little information leaked to the public (other than at a Scientology Web site).

“I know there are people who think we’re crazy, but of course that’s what they said about Columbus, Harriet Tubman and John Forbes Nash, Jr. [the subject of the film A Beautiful Mind],” said Terry G_______, as she rubbed her ring finger. “There is no way we could have anticipated how revolutionary our outlook could be if we were able to stay in our chairs long enough to truly understand what is happening in communities and how nonprofits get work done. Frankly, before this started, we were easily bored, lost interest quickly and spent more time at foundation conferences than we did meeting with the public.”

Ms. G_______, whose trustees and staff received active methylphenidate, now urges other foundations to give it serious consideration: “This place has changed. Who would have thought that our trustees would approve 10-year grants? It’s as if a veil has been lifted from in front of our eyes. I’ll take a dry mouth for this any day. We can still think big thoughts, which I think is important, but now we are able to apply ourselves for the long run.”

“This is such a pile of piffle-poffle,” countered Mr. Arak, “Philanthropy is not a disease of the mind—this is a professional undertaking requiring sophistication and skill. If these people were really serious about improving grantmaking, they would form a grantmaker affinity group.”

Thus far “Foundation Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” has received limited acceptance in the medical and foundation establishments, but judging from the number of new foundation grants on both sides of the controversy, a great deal more is going to be heard about FADHD (at least for a while).

About the Author

Phil Anthrop is a consultant to foundations in G-8 countries.

Share
Tweet
Share
Email
Print
About the author
Phil Anthrop

Phil Anthrop is a consultant to foundations in the G8 countries.

More about: Philanthropy

Become a member

Support independent journalism and knowledge creation for civil society. Become a member of Nonprofit Quarterly.

Members receive unlimited access to our archived and upcoming digital content. NPQ is the leading journal in the nonprofit sector written by social change experts. Gain access to our exclusive library of online courses led by thought leaders and educators providing contextualized information to help nonprofit practitioners make sense of changing conditions and improve infra-structure in their organizations.

Join Today
logo logo logo logo logo
See comments

Spring-2023-sidebar-subscribe
You might also like
The Nonprofit Sector and Social Change: A Conversation between Cyndi Suarez and Claire Dunning
Claire Dunning and Cyndi Suarez
Nonprofits as Battlegrounds for Democracy
Cyndi Suarez
Sankofa Philanthropy: Hip Hop’s Sixth Element
Jason Terrell
Why Social Change Films Matter
Cyndi Suarez and Saphia Suarez
Philanthropy Must Move from Charity to Solidarity
Son Chau
Eliminating Biphobia Through Breath, Brotherhood, and the Arts
H. “Herukhuti” Sharif Williams

NPQ Webinars

April 27th, 2 pm ET

Liberatory Decision-Making

How to Facilitate and Engage in Healthy Decision-making Processes

Register Now
You might also like
The book "Nonprofit Neighborhoods" leaning against a wall
The Nonprofit Sector and Social Change: A Conversation...
Claire Dunning and Cyndi Suarez
Nonprofits as Battlegrounds for Democracy
Cyndi Suarez
An image of four men, from the waist down in athletic wear. The man in the front is wearing red sweatpants and holding a boom box.
Sankofa Philanthropy: Hip Hop’s Sixth Element
Jason Terrell

Like what you see?

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

See our newsletters

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

NPQ-Spring-2023-cover

Independent & in your mailbox.

Subscribe today and get a full year of NPQ for just $59.

subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Copyright
  • Careers

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

 

Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.