The Conversation: The Origins of Foundations and Controlling Wealth After Death

Should dead billionaires receive credit for their contributions to solving today’s problems?

That’s one of the questions explored by Nuri Heckler, Ph.D., assistant professor of public administration at UNO, in a piece he recently authored for The Conversation. Heckler’s article is based on research co-authored by Angela Eikenberry, Ph.D., professor of public administration, and Kenya Love, a doctoral candidate. Their work explores the origins of how the wealthy have utilized foundations to control the spending of their money long after their deaths.

According to the article, the idea of controlling property and money from the grave dates back more than 500 years to King Henry VIII in England. Through political and religious upheaval, philanthropic loopholes, and changes in laws both in Britain and later in the U.S., wealthy individuals often utilize foundations to maintain control over their money and property after they pass

This has led to debates on whether foundations should be able to maintain these massive endowments, whether long-running foundations can adequately meet today’s needs, and whether dead billionaires should receive the credit for solving contemporary issues through foundations, and whether philanthropy trumps the sometimes-questionable methods and beliefs of a donor.

The full article can be read on The Conversation, a nonprofit news organization that exclusively publishes content authored by university faculty and redistributed nationwide. As a member institution of The Conversation, any UNO faculty may pitch an article idea to be commissioned for publishing. For more information on how to become an author, contact UNO’s Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications at unonews@unomaha.edu.