Tyler talks with George about his book Philanthropy Reconsidered, the history and significance of philanthropy’s original meaning, his work on the Catalogue for Philanthropy, David Callahan’s The Givers, Ben Franklin, impact investing, the influence of philanthropic ideals on the American Revolution, and more.
George McCully served for 20 years as a professor of European intellectual and cultural history, from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, and for 25 years as a professional philanthropist. He is the author of Philanthropy Reconsidered: Private Initiatives, Public Good, Quality Of Life.
In 1997, he created the Massachusetts Catalogue for Philanthropy, to promote charitable giving and strengthen the culture of philanthropy through donor education. In the same year, he created the first Generosity Index, which became a leading stimulus for media discussions of charitable giving. More recently, he developed the Massachusetts Philanthropic Directory, an online, taxonomized, analytical directory of philanthropic charities in Massachusetts.
Trained in Renaissance history at Columbia University, George has taught and published articles on history, the philosophy of history, and higher education.
Mentioned:
- View: Conversations on Philanthropy
- Book: Siddhartha
- Book: Man’s Search for Meaning
- Org: Ellis L. Phillips Foundation
- Project: Massachusetts Philanthropic Directory
- Topic: Philanthropy
- Person: Aeschylus
- Play: Prometheus Bound
- Essay: Oration on the Dignity of Man
- Person: John W. Gardner
- Project: Democracy Alliance
- Person: Alexander Hamilton
- Doc: The Federalist Papers
- Person: Benjamin Franklin
- Book: Essays to Do Good
- Org: American Philosophical Society
- Project: Ben Franklin’s Junto Club
- Book: Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
- Book: The Givers
- Org: Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
- Project: USAFacts
- Book: The Clock of the Long Now
- Topic: Impact investing
