Seeing Like a Migrant: International Migration and Transnational Philanthropy

Excerpt

Traditional philanthropic efforts typically target a specific population, located in a circumscribed geographic context. A free clinic provides medical services to low-income residents in a given community. A scholarship program supports students with financial need, academic merit, athletic or musical talent, and/or those belonging to a specific population group, helping them attend a given school, or a school within a given state or national context. The same is generally true when a donor funds internationally, supporting organizations, institutions, or activities that take place in a different national jurisdiction. A significant portion of total grant dollars given by U.S. foundations go toward international work; in 2010, such giving totaled $4.3 billion, or about 21 percent of all foundation giving. “Cross-border” grants – those given directly to entities based outside the United States – made up about one-third of this amount, or $1.5 billion. …