With Presidents Day coming up, it's nice to reflect on the different types of philanthropic efforts by some of the leaders of the free world. On both sides of the aisle, our former presidents have continued to use their influence and skills as leaders in philanthropy. Here are a few outstanding examples.
President Dwight Eisenhower founded the People to People Program in 1956 as part of the U.S. Information Agency to advance cross-cultural communication and international understanding. After leaving office, he worked to privatize the program as a Missouri nonprofit organization, and he served as the Chairman of its board of trustees. People to People International, which is now led by President Eisenhower’s granddaughter Mary, presently has student and community chapters in 38 countries, which have involved hundreds of thousands of people since its founding. He also donated his home and farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to the National Park Service, which now serves as a museum and home to some of the state’s endangered and threatened species.
While perhaps not wealthy enough to mount his own philanthropic efforts after leaving office, President Harry Truman established a few well-known philanthropic practices. Through the Marshall Plan and his “Four Points” program, President Truman set a precedent for the U.S. to support social and economic improvement in underdeveloped nations, a policy that eventually led to the creation of USAID in 1961. Back at home, Truman was the first former commander-in-chief to raise private donations to build a presidential library to be donated to government for operation, a practice that has been followed by each president since.
President Bill Clinton is arguably the most active and visible presidential philanthropist in recent years. His Clinton Foundation works on responses to crises like Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti earthquake, but also addresses issues like the climate, childhood obesity and HIV/AIDS. Perhaps the most well-known of the Foundation’s programs, the Clinton Global Initiative has secured more than 1,700 commitments to action, worth $57 billion. The results include new jobs, education, clean drinking water, better healthcare and improvements benefiting more than 200 million people around the world.
In his first year in office, President George H.W. Bush established the Daily Points of Light Award and inspired the Points of Light Foundation to promote service and civic engagement. Since leaving office, President Bush has partnered with President Clinton in efforts to raise money and support for victims of Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
President Jimmy Carter has been an advocate for human rights and global health through his Carter Center. In addition to monitoring more than 28 elections and mediating conflicts in places such as Bosnia and Sudan, the Carter Center has nearly eradicated Guinea worm disease, an extremely painful parasitic infection. The number of people affected by the disease has been drastically reduced from 3.5 million cases in 1986 to fewer than 10,000 in 2007. In addition, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, have been active advocates and volunteers for Habitat for Humanity since 1984. Each year, they participate in the Carter Work Project, volunteering one week each year, completing Habitat building projects everywhere from Texas to Thailand.
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