May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less See less

FREE delivery February 3 - 6. Details

Or fastest delivery January 31 - February 4. Details

In stock

$$33.00 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Ships from and sold by ThriftBooks-Phoenix.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (17) from $9.91 + $3.99 shipping

Image Unavailable

Image not available for
Color:

To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Megan E. Tompkins-Stange

Follow

Policy Patrons: Philanthropy, Education Reform, and the Politics of Influence (Educational Innovations Series) First Paperback Edition

by Megan E. Tompkins-Stange (Author), Robert B. Schwartz (Foreword)

4.7 16 ratings

Part of: Educational Innovations (10 books)

See all formats and editions

Test InstaPay $10 off. Enter code INSTAPAY10 at checkout. Discount by Amazon. Terms off. Promo code INSTAPAY10 is saved to your account. Discount by Amazon. Terms

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$33.00","priceAmount":33.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"33","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"DBtHL3E5U1lmph7WxJjitJMBi3YPw31OZA0d4k5zUHzF%2BFl8THl9lYXgjzZspkLolxrPukAbVzmRk5b92H5jkF%2Fg%2Br10otEr7Qcb24yUMwhgvWsJtRKdF%2BxzDSXPuPA1S29I0oLalWleC4CQaWQ8kw%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$13.90","priceAmount":13.90,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"13","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"90","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"DBtHL3E5U1lmph7WxJjitJMBi3YPw31O3seWNeq7JaGnfe51dKZQ0YnT4XIe0svcbDU%2FKTsvdo%2F%2Fi%2Bp5REfIYImB5ca9ELG58%2BWwR1nj55MRk7H3qPybP0WYa3sbw7MbHttnETB2otZ0gBTY1XDBZxz4azOUXd4dBC6%2BwBfzRzl4nhC%2BqOVRpdDxaeZl3gjY","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Policy Patrons offers a rare behind-the-scenes view of decision making inside four influential education philanthropies: the Ford Foundation, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. The outcome is an intriguing, thought-provoking look at the impact of current philanthropic efforts on education.

Over a period of several years, Megan E. Tompkins-Stange gained the trust of key players and outside observers of these four organizations. Through a series of confidential interviews, she began to explore the values, ideas, and beliefs that inform these foundations’ strategies and practices. The picture that emerges reveals important differences in the strategies and values of the more established foundations vis-à-vis the newer, more activist foundations—differences that have a significant impact on education policy and practice, and have important implications for democratic decision making.

In recent years, the philanthropic sector has played an increasing role in championing and financing education reform. Policy Patrons makes an original and invaluable contribution to contemporary discussions about the appropriate role of foundations in public policy and the future direction of education reform.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Megan Tompkins-Stange provides a fascinating peek into staff mentalities at the Gates, Broad, Kellogg, and Ford foundations. This book provides an inside-look into the internal dynamics of four large philanthropies and their respective outlooks on American policy (and education policy reform more specifically). For the sake of philanthropic studies--and for American democratic life--let's hope that elite foundations respond to Tompkins-Stange's call for greater public engagement." - Maribel Morey, Assistant Professor, Clemson University; HistPhil, June 20, 2016

"A smart new book by Megan Tompkins-Stange unpacks some of the tension and confusion we see in philanthropy's stance toward government. It recaps the major differences between philanthropy and government, beginning with a useful distinction between two "different worldviews about the role of foundations in a liberal democracy"... The tension between these two strategies, Tompkins-Stange explains, "is rooted in the double-edged sword of foundation accountability to the public. On the one hand, foundations are fundamentally private organizations that influence policy priorities outside formal democratic deliberations--a critique that has generated concerns about plutocracy. On the other hand, foundations may benefit democracy as an efficacious alternative to the bureaucratic state." - Chester E. Finn, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Thomas B. Fordham Institute;Education Next, August 2, 2016

"In Policy Patrons, Megan E. Tompkins-Stange, one of the most impressive scholars to emerge from the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society program, has turned her doctoral dissertation into a brief, lively book on how mega-foundations go about trying to reform K-12 education in the United States....The book asks whether the widespread acceptance of a strategic, outcome-oriented approach to funding education among foundations constitutes a worrisome intrusion into the democratic process. Should we be concerned that elite institutions almost totally lacking in democratic transparency have used their wealth to influence public policy in a domain as crucial as public education? Tompkins-Stange is reluctant to make a judgment on this question, although she offers words of caution....I admire this book, but now I would like to read another Tompkins-Stange book that explains why mega-foundations' K-12 policies are a threat to democratic public education and suggests how to make elite institutions more accountable to the public. Tompkins-Stange sees that both the scale and the method of funding matter, and she hints that the public should be concerned about their convergence in mega-foundations. But she stops short of showing why this convergence is bad for public education in our democratic republic." - Stanley Katz, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University; Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fall 2016

"Policy Patrons is hardly a beach book. But unlike many university-press policy books, it is not laden down with jargon and obscure statistical analyses but instead features extensive quotations from large foundation staff, grant recipients, and foundation critics. By letting foundation staff and others speak for and against big philanthropy's role in public policy, and for and against greater expectations of transparency and accountability, Professor Tompkins-Stange lets the reader decide how to come down on these vexing questions." - Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill, Philanthropy Daily, July 21, 2016

From the Back Cover

Policy Patrons offers a rare behind-the-scenes view of decision making inside four influential education philanthropies: the Ford Foundation, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. Through a series of confidential interviews, Megan E. Tompkins-Stange explores the values, ideas, and beliefs that inform these foundations’ strategies and practices. The outcome is an intriguing, thought-provoking look at the impact of current philanthropic efforts on education policy.

“Policy Patrons takes us deep inside traditional and venture philanthropies to learn, in the unfiltered words of decision makers, about profound shifts affecting public education and the practice of democracy. Tompkins-Stange has delivered an eye-opening portrait of this fast-changing field.”
—Dale Russakoff, author of The Prize: Who’s in Charge of America’s Schools?

“Through extensive and candid interviews with grant makers, Tompkins-Stange examines how several large foundations try to change education policy in the United States. Philanthropists rightly earn our admiration, yet they also deserve our critical attention. Policy Patrons delivers on both counts.”
—Rob Reich, professor, political science, and codirector, Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, Stanford University

“Policy Patrons is excellent reading for philanthropic leaders and concerned citizens alike. Critical and richly informed, this book will help readers make up their own minds about the balance of danger and opportunity posed when multibillionaires devote themselves to education reform.”
—Michael McPherson, president, Spencer Foundation

“Megan Tompkins-Stange provides a brilliant and insightful account of philanthropic influence in education policy. Policy Patrons is an invaluable contribution to ongoing debates about the role of philanthropy in a democratic society.”
—Sarah Reckhow, assistant professor, political science, Michigan State University

“Policy Patrons delivers the gospel truth about how foundations differ in goals, partner preferences, and decision styles.”
—Joel L. Fleishman, director of the Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University

Megan E. Tompkins-Stange is an assistant professor at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. Robert B. Schwartz is a senior research fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Policy Patrons is a volume in the Educational Innovations series.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harvard Education Press; First Paperback Edition (June 1, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 216 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1612509126
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1612509129
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,409,976 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #558 in Philanthropy & Charity (Books)
- #885 in Nonprofit Organizations & Charities (Books)
- #1,428 in Education Reform & Policy

Customer Reviews:
4.7 16 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Megan E. Tompkins-Stange

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Megan E. Tompkins-Stange is an Assistant Professor at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan. Her research focuses on institutional change in U.S. public education, the management of nonprofit organizations, and the role of philanthropy and civil society within public policy.

In her book, "Policy Patrons: Philanthropy, Education Reform, and the Politics of Influence" (Harvard Education Press, 2016), she draws on interviews with 60 foundation insiders and education leaders to compare how four major private funders of K-12 education - the Gates, Broad, Kellogg and Ford Foundations - engage in advocacy and policy-related activities. She contrasts how these foundations' strategies are an outgrowth of distinct organizational values, and reflects on how these differences impact both education practice and broader democratic society.

In other work, she has analyzed the role of "new" foundations in supporting the rise of entrepreneurial approaches within contemporary K-12 education reform, including foundations' involvement in creating and diffusing charter school management organizations in the U.S. She is currently engaged in a W.T. Grant Foundation-funded project, with Sarah Reckhow, on how advocacy research funded by philanthropic foundations shapes policy debates on teacher quality, as well as two projects centered in Detroit - one examining how being labeled Priority under No Child Left Behind impacted principals and teachers in Detroit's public schools, and one that analyzes a foundation's efforts to ensure transparency for its grant recipients in the context of its early childhood education investments.

Dr. Tompkins-Stange's research has been published in journals and books including Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, the Harvard Journal of Law and Gender, The New Education Philanthropy (Harvard Education Press, 2015) and How Institutions Matter (Emerald Publishing Limited, 2016).

At the Ford School, she teaches courses on managing nonprofit organizations, values and ethics in public policy, qualitative methods, and the role of philanthropy within the public sphere. She is also faculty co-director of the Nonprofit and Public Management Center.

Dr. Tompkins-Stange received her Ph.D. in Organization Studies and Education Policy from Stanford University in 2013, and lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband and two daughters.

Customer reviews

16 global ratings

5 star
81%
4 star
8%
3 star
10%
2 star
0%
1 star
0%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Review this product

Write a customer review

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Amazon Customer
It made me think.
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2016
Verified Purchase
The highest praise for a book is: "it made me think." This one certainly was stimulating and insightful. The provided history is fascinating, as are her model of the two different kinds of foundations, and her analysis of the big four philanthropic funders of public education reform and how their values and strategies differ and converge. She conveys a clear sense of the Gates, Broad, Ford and Kellogg foundations through the many excerpted interviews. By the end of the book each reader is likely to have a favorite - perhaps different from anticipated. I came away with a clear understanding that there may be inherent tension in the idea of private funders acting to create public policy without an elected mandate to do so. But I am nonetheless grateful that in a political, electoral culture that is currently gridlocked, there are generous private foundations experimenting with different strategies to improve a core institution in our democracy: K-12 education.

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
SashaS
Great inside view of four big foundations (Gates
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2016
Verified Purchase
Great inside view of four big foundations (Gates, Ford, Broad, and Kellogg) and how they have shaped education policy over the past decades. It’s interesting just how different their approaches have been, how these have evolved, and some of the tradeoffs of the different approaches. Though this wasn’t the book’s main aim, I also learned a lot from the concise overview of the major education reforms in the U.S. over the past few decades. Really thoughtful and accessible analysis for anyone interested in education policy, philanthropy, or civil society.

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Amazon Customer
Thorough analysis, intriguing read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2016
With Policy Patrons, Megan Tompkins-Stange delivers a thorough, thoughtful, and fair analysis of these foundations' approaches to philanthropy and policy in education. While the book will be useful for anyone in education who has a close-up view of the approach of these foundations (and others like them), anyone interested in policymaking, democracy, and education will likely find this book to be interesting and thought-provoking. A worthwhile read, and a great discussion-starter!

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
Clara Napzal
Revealing analysis of philanthropy in education. The author interviewed ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2016
Revealing analysis of philanthropy in education. The author interviewed officials at Gates, Broad, Kellogg, and Ford. Fascinating to hear inside perspective showing how foundation officials describe their work and involvement in policy. Must read for people in philanthropy, ed reform, and policy.

Read more

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Report
MLP_answers
Excellent framework for thinking about the contemporary philanthropic scene in education
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2016
Verified Purchase
The author develops a useful framework for categorizing foundations' work. The historical background and insider perspectives are interesting. One gets a sense that there is regression toward a more common, slightly shifted perspective on grant-making. A stronger conclusion would have strengthened the argument.

Read more

Helpful

Report

Amazon Prime Free Trial

Follow the author

Policy Patrons: Philanthropy, Education Reform, and the Politics of Influence (Educational Innovations Series) First Paperback Edition

Purchase options and add-ons

Frequently bought together

Customers who bought this item also bought

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the Back Cover

About the Author

Product details

Videos

About the author

Megan E. Tompkins-Stange

Customer reviews

Review this product

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

5.0 out of 5 stars It made me think.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great inside view of four big foundations (Gates

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough analysis, intriguing read!

5.0 out of 5 stars Revealing analysis of philanthropy in education. The author interviewed ...

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent framework for thinking about the contemporary philanthropic scene in education

It made me think.

Great inside view of four big foundations (Gates

Thorough analysis, intriguing read!

Revealing analysis of philanthropy in education. The author interviewed ...

Excellent framework for thinking about the contemporary philanthropic scene in education