Chasing White Whales: Philanthropic Inequality at an Ohio Public Media Organization

Philanthropy has long been analogous to the generosity of the wealthy, and wealthy philanthropists exert significant influence over the nonprofit sector. This dynamic may be further shaped by rising income inequality. Philanthropic inequality — the concentration of donations among a group of wealthy donors — has urgent consequences. We examine philanthropic inequality by drawing on the case of a public media nonprofit in the United States. Using critical quantitative inquiry, we analyze the organization’s donation data dating back to 1979, finding that philanthropic inequality has always been high and has grown more in recent decades. We explore this trend alongside macroeconomic data. In the long run, income inequality has been associated with greater philanthropic inequality and lower total giving at our case organization. These findings have implications for scholars seeking a more equitable sector and for leaders developing funding strategies that go beyond chasing major donors, known as white whales.

This research was the topic an undergraduate thesis, now published, by Gavin Enseleit, BA '24, public management, leadership and policy. Katie Vinopal and Jill Clark served on his thesis committee. Glenn College Lecturer Lori Overmyer provided input into the authors' interpretation of the findings.