Kathryn Murdoch and Marc Merrill write about how political philanthropy is the new avenue for philanthropists looking to tackle America's largest problems
Coronavirus has exposed a gaping hole in American society: our government.
It's laid bare for all to see how uniquely ineffective our government has become.
Indeed, our government has become unable to handle the increasingly complex issues we face as a nation. To solve any problem -- be it climate change, the national debt, or healthcare costs -- we must first deal with the problem that impacts them all: our broken political system.
In Fortune, Unite America Board Members Kathryn Murdoch and Marc Merrill argue for a new type of philanthropy. Political philanthropy aims to address our broken political system by enacting reforms that can address the incentives of our system, and electing the leaders who can put those reforms into action.
They write:
Political philanthropy, as a new white paper from the Unite America Institute describes, is the non-partisan commitment of financial resources to reform organizations, campaigns, and candidates working within the political system to foster a more representative and functional government.
Political philanthropy is not about winning a majority for one party or advancing a narrow policy interest. It is about improving governance itself.
