Pablo Eisenberg, fierce critic of aloof philanthropies, dies at 90
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Saturday, October 12, 2024


Pablo Eisenberg, fierce critic of aloof philanthropies, dies at 90
Pablo Eisenberg, a fierce critic of aloof philanthropies, at the Center for Community Change (now called Community Change), in New York on April 14, 1980. Eisenberg, who spent his career championing the underprivileged and fought for transparency, accountability, equity and support directed to grass-roots organizations, died in Rockville, Md. on Oct. 18, 2022. He was 90. (George Tames/The New York Times)

by Sam Roberts



NEW YORK, NY.- Pablo Eisenberg was only 7 years old in 1939 when he boarded an American-bound liner with his parents and younger sister in Bordeaux as the Nazis were poised to invade France. But as young as he was, their nail-biting escape nevertheless instilled in him a lifelong commitment to powerless people left behind.

That was manifested in 1973, after he had spent years in government and the nonprofit sector working on behalf of the underprivileged, when he wrote an article for a philanthropic journal that would alter his professional trajectory and jolt the world of charitable giving.

In the article, published in Grantsmanship Center News, Eisenberg, who died at 90 on Oct. 18, called on major foundations, individual donors, corporate charities and philanthropies in general to be more socially responsible, transparent, accountable and equitable in determining who received their largesse. To further the cause, he established a nonprofit consultancy to provide technical help to grassroots neighborhood organizations seeking philanthropic assistance.

“Rushing out of France deeply influenced him,” said Mary Lassen, a former managing director of what is now Community Change, a Washington-based advocacy group for the poor, originally funded by the Ford Foundation, that Eisenberg ran as executive director from 1975 to 1998. “He wanted to make change in the world. He had a passion for improving the lives of everyday people.”

In the article, which received national attention, Eisenberg posed a simple question: Who benefited more from philanthropy, those who got it or those who gave?

His question came in the form of a critique of a national commission on private philanthropy that had been suggested by John D. Rockefeller III and run by John H. Filer, chair of Aetna Life & Casualty Co.

The group, composed of public officials and business executives, had been set up to study the impact of tax-code changes and regulations that might affect philanthropy. But Eisenberg argued that the commission and the philanthropic world in general were neglecting the needs of the public, were unrepresentative and failed to be accountable, accessible and equitable.

“You can’t say you have a serious priority on poor people unless you are willing to fund them,” he said in a 1998 interview with Shelterforce, an online publication that covers community development.

His challenges to foundation funding were initially rebuffed but later embraced by Filer and other enlightened philanthropists, who joined with him in helping to establish the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, a watchdog group.

While many charities remained insular, others responded to Eisenberg’s goading by directing more donations to community organizations and diversifying their boards by including representatives of those organizations.

“I saw him scold foundation presidents for their failure to invest in grassroots organizing, for their neglect of racial justice, for failing to give groups general support and long-term funding, and for being inaccessible and haughty,” Deepak Bhargava, a former president of Community Change (originally called the Center for Community Change), wrote in a tribute to Eisenberg. He added: “He argued that we needed to do more to bring in middle class and centrist forces into the struggle against poverty.”

Bhargava confirmed Eisenberg’s death, at a nursing home in Rockville, Maryland.




“I believe in empowerment, as I think almost everyone does,” Eisenberg told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. “The purpose of empowerment and self-help is not to guarantee that everyone will succeed but to provide equal opportunities for everyone.”

Pablo Samuel Eisenberg was born on July 1, 1932, in Paris to an American Jewish couple who had been living in Europe since the mid-1920s: Maurice Eisenberg, a cellist, and Paula (Halpert) Eisenberg, a homemaker.

A few weeks after Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, the family sailed for the United States and settled in Maplewood, New Jersey, where Pablo — who was named after his godfather, cellist Pablo Casals — attended Millburn High School.

He received a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University in 1954 and a Bachelor of Letters from Merton College at the University of Oxford in 1957.

He wanted to play the cello, too, but he had taken up another string instrument: He was captain of the tennis teams at Princeton and Merton, and he was establishing himself as a star on the tennis circuit.

Eisenberg played at Wimbledon five times and made the quarterfinals alongside John Ager in 1955. He won a gold medal at the 1953 Maccabiah Games in Israel and in 1954 was ranked ninth in the United States in doubles.

After college, he served two years in the Army before joining the U.S. Information Agency for three years, serving in Senegal. He then served for two years as a program director for Operation Crossroads Africa, a progenitor of the Peace Corps. He was later director of Pennsylvania operations for the federal Office of Economic Opportunity and deputy director of its research and development division in Washington. He then joined the nonprofit sector, becoming deputy director of field operations for the National Urban Coalition.

He was also president of Friends of VISTA, a nonprofit supporting the federal agency for community service and volunteerism.

Eisenberg was a columnist for The Chronicle of Philanthropy and wrote the book “Challenges for Nonprofits and Philanthropy: The Courage to Change” (2004).

After serving at Community Change, he became a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute at Georgetown University.

His wife of 62 years, Helen (Cierniak) Eisenberg, died this year. He is survived by their daughter, Marina Eisenberg, and a sister, Maruta Friedler.

“Pablo Eisenberg was a stalwart defender of civil values across the board,” William Josephson, a former assistant attorney general in charge of the Charities Bureau in the New York State Department of Law, said in an interview. “He nurtured civil rights and poverty leaders and provided homes for fragile organizations.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.










Today's News

November 25, 2022

A Nick Cave survey with plenty of bells but no whistles

Rijksmuseum acquires monumental ebony cabinet inlaid with mother of pearl masterwork by Herman Doomer

A conversation with the women who curate New York's museums

Galerie Gmurzynska, New York presents "Marjorie Strider: Girls, Girls, Girls!"

Museo Reina Sofia opens the first monographic exhibition in Europe of Margarita Azurdia

National Museum of Antiquities of the Netherlands purchases world-class collection of cameos

The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg (MFA) announces initiative to bring art to color blind visitors

Hannah Weisman will be Executive Director of The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life

Belvedere 21 opens an exhibition of works by Gerwald Rockenschaub

Mahmoud Saïd masterpiece tops Bonhams Middle Eastern sale

Major Gucci shake-up as designer steps down

SJ Auctioneers offers ideal gifts for the holidays in online-only auction, December 11th

Royal Scottish Academy has elected Gareth Fisher as President of the Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture

Art Antwerp announces the content of its 2nd edition

Ketterer Kunst Auction with icons Of German Expressionism from the Hermann Gerlinger Collection

5 classical music albums you can listen to right now

The soaring legacy of Pablo Milanés

Graham Budd Art's timed auction supports emerging & young artists, sale includes almost 30 works by L.S. Lowry

Major new cultural centre to open in heart of Northampton

Pablo Eisenberg, fierce critic of aloof philanthropies, dies at 90

Sporting art doyenne Lindsey Knapp to sells her collection at Halls Fine Art

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts acquires extensive photography book collection

Black can be even more beautiful

What You Can Do To Deter Pests From Outdoor Dumpsters

Tips for Dressing Well




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful