Public Dollars for Public Good

Public investments transcend what philanthropy generates in a lifetime. Our federal government spends trillions of dollars on everything from improving the conditions of roads and subsidizing food for poor families to providing healthcare to the elderly and education for our children. But, over the past 60 years, our government has shifted from investing in the public to helping a limited number of people and corporations amass great wealth and power. This has come at a perilous cost: too many people lack housing, clean water, robust educational options, and good jobs, all things we know keep communities — especially low-income communities of color — safe and healthy.

At Marguerite Casey Foundation, we believe philanthropy’s best role is to bring community members together and fight to ensure that our dollars are being used to realize our dreams.

In this session, a panel of nonprofit leaders and movement  scholars will discuss opportunities to increase public funding that is spent on goods and services directly beneficial to the well-being of people; shift local dollars toward community-driven priorities for safety and well-being and away from policing and incarceration; and rebuild people’s expectations and demands for public goods and public options.