Conclusion

Foundations are notoriously difficult to pigeonhole by means of generalizations. They are liberal and conservative, sluggish and hyperkinetic, grantmaking and operating, reclusive and brash. In this variegated diversity, they very much resemble the American people whence they sprang.

In priority setting, though, these wildly different organizations begin to find common ground: a shared sense of good practice. Grantmaking, of course, can be done in a vacuum without going to the trouble of setting priorities. No matter how ill conceived the grantmaking program, no matter how arbitrarily it may have been devised, cash-starved organizations can always be found to become the foundation's grantees. One is reminded, however, of the wisdom found on a dental poster that admonishes, “You do not have to brush all of your teeth. Just the ones that you want to keep.” Foundations do not need to identify prospective niches, search the literature, do funding scans, consult those affected, and conduct exploratory grants for all of their projects—just for the ones they want to improve society.