Giving Compass' Take: 

• Paul Sullivan discusses how charitable giving has become concentrated among the wealthy and how their politics are impacting philanthropic organizations.

• Should politics be left at the doors of philanthropies? Should nonprofits be held accountable for their donors involvement in controversial politics?

• Read about whether philanthropy is anti-democratic.

Not so long ago, philanthropy was an area where politics were left at the door. Conservatives and liberals on a philanthropic board could agree to disagree behind closed doors, but the public paid little attention as hospitals, cultural institutions and universities expanded thanks to gifts from the wealthy.

But at a time of heightened tensions over partisan views, charitable organizations can find themselves targets of vocal dissent.

Consider Stephen Ross, who hosted a $250,000-a-plate fund-raiser at his Hamptons estate for President Trump. Mr. Ross is the biggest donor to the University of Michigan, which scrambled to respond after students and alumni protested his ties to Mr. Trump.

“This fits into the larger question of charitable organizations being judged by their donors and board members,” said Ray Madoff, director of the Forum on Philanthropy and the Public Good at Boston College Law School.

“The problem is exacerbated because charitable giving has become concentrated among the wealthy,” Ms. Madoff added. “Twenty years ago, it was a lot of small donors providing the essential support for the institution. Now, charitable organizations have become overly reliant on the big donors.”

The world of philanthropy has seen a few protests. After Mr. Koch paid $65 million to renovate the entrance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2014, it was named for him. The reopening drew protesters, who were largely focused on Mr. Koch’s stance against climate change.

For smaller philanthropic institutions, though, a board member’s politics might matter more. One donor’s money can have outsize influence on an organization, which might not have the heft to stand up to the donor.

Read the full article about philanthropic beneficiaries coming under fire by Paul Sullivan at The Mitchell Foundation.