Seattle Schools Community Forum

And you'd think he would know as he explains in this op-ed .  He doesn't just take on philanthropic giving and investing - he takes on capitalism.  (Bold mine) Early on in our philanthropic journey, my wife and I became aware of something I started to call Philanthropic Colonialism . I noticed that a donor had the urge to “save the day” in some fashion. People (including me) who had very little knowledge of a particular place would think that they could solve a local problem. Whether it involved farming methods, education practices, job training or business development, over and over I would hear people discuss transplanting what worked in one setting directly into another with little regard for culture, geography or societal norms.  Inside any important philanthropy meeting, you witness heads of state meeting with investment managers and corporate leaders. All are searching for answers with their right hand to problems that others in the room have created ...

First off, bless Melinda and Bill Gates for being willing to give away money for world health and public education in the U.S.  I applaud anyone who steps up to help.  They are likely helping many people. However, we all know, as citizens in a city where we have more than one billionaire, that while philanthropy is a great thing, these people giveth...and they taketh.   The new mantra is " venture philanthropy" - they expect a return on their investment.