The Behavior of Foundations in an Organizational Frame: A Case Study

Abstract

Until relatively recently, there has been little serious historical scholarship or organizational analysis concerning foundations. This article examines the experience of the Ford Foundation in creating and implementing a large new grant-making initiative applying three models of organizational behavior: the rational actor model, a bureaucratic politics model, and an organizational process model. The article provides a preliminary analysis of the strength of these models for illuminating the way foundations operate and shape their grant-making programs. Large foundations are complex institutions whose decisions may not always be optimal on some public interest or cost-benefit calculus. At a time when public affairs professionals find themselves turning to private foundations for solutions, an understanding of internal dynamics may help in building public-private partnerships on a realistic footing.