Spending Down vs. Existing in Perpetuity: The Historic Foundation Debate Continues - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.

Spending Down vs. Existing in Perpetuity: The Historic Foundation Debate Continues - NPQ – Nonprofit Quarterly - Promoting an active an engaged democracy.: n this WSJ op-ed, Meyerson raises a common concern of conservative philanthropists: the issue of “donor intent.” Many conservatives have argued that modern foundations such as Ford, MacArthur, and Pew have strayed far from the intentions of their founders. For example, J. Howard Pew’s stated intention was that the Pew Charitable Trusts “acquaint the American people” with “the evils of bureaucracy,” “the values of a free market,” and “the paralyzing effects of government controls on the lives and activities of people.”