Newspapers / Philanthropy Journal of North … / April 1, 1994, edition 1 / Page 4
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Nonprofits Philanthropy Journal of North Carolina Fundraising librarians An estimated 75 percent of the nation’s libraries are raising money from private sources. April 1994 The politics of ideas Locke Foundation gives conservatives new foothold I In the four years since it was founded by former state Rep. Art Pope, the John Locke Foundation has gained the attention of North Carolina policy makers and the press. While support ers of the Raleigh-based think-tank say the organization gives needed attention to conservative views, crit ics say it has failed to truly expand debate on public issues. By Barbara Solow Raleigh A t the North Ralei^ offices of the /\ John Locke Foundation, success / I is measured in colunm inches. Last year, staff members tallied 220 news stories or editorials in North Carolina pubUcations that mentioned the foundation and its views — up from 124 the previous year. Comments by foundation researchers here is such as strong, pro-busi- ness, anti-regulation climate independent of the foundation, that it's one of those If cases jH where it provides verifying information more than stimulating any new discussion. BOB HALL Research Director Institute for Southern Studies and officers have been featured on numer ous radio and television broadcasts. And the organization’s “Headliner Luncheon” programs have drawn hundreds to hear speakers such as former U.S. Rep. Jack Kemp and state Sen. Marc Basni^t. Since it was founded four years ago by former Republican state Rep. Art Pope, the Locke Foundation has steady gained cred- ibihty among policymakers and the press. Named for 17th Century English philosopher John Locke, the think -tank conducts research aimed at advancing the principles of a free market economy and limited government. “It’s very hard when you start out for people to take you seriously,” says founda tion President Marc Rotterman, a political consultant and former Reagan campaign advisor. “But the quality of our work stands for itself.” Politicians who have used the group’s reports and working papers agree. “For a fledgling think-tank, I think they have made dramatic strides,” says Ra leigh Mayor Tom Fetzer, a foundation board member who will co-sponsor a conference on muni cipal reform with the Locke Foundation later this month. “They are the only voice out there that’s promoting free market ideas.” Last year, the foundation’s $266,908 budget W- ded research and pubUc forums on top ics ranging from education to state spending to politi cal reform. Among the reports released in 1993 were, “Our Best Foot For ward,” a summary of the foundation’s three previous years of research; , and “Dangerous Medicine,” a critical analysis of the Clinton Administration’s health-care plan. While the foundation does not lobby for specific legislation, staff members say it has had an influence on pohcy. Rotterman points to a number of favor able newspaper editorials that followed release of a foundation report showing there is more research than teaching going on at state universities. He also cites moves toward greater fis cal accountabflity in state budget delibera tions. “We were out front early on, on issues like reform and rainy-day funds, and I think we got the attention of some of the General Assembly.” Critics say the Locke Foundation’s visi bility isn’t a fair measure of its effective ness. “They cater to conservatives and there are a lot of conservatives in our state” says Thad Beyle, a political science professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and former board member of the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research — an organization many see as the Locke Foundation’s liberal rival. “Their research tends to be quick and flashy and the media picks up on that think some of the other foundations in the state have tried to spread the negative idea that we are not bipartisan. Some people, rather than debating us on the merit of our ideas are questioning the validity of the Locke Foundation itself. ART POPE Senior Vice President Variety Wholesalers Inc. because it’s easier to understand.” Supporters argue that the foundation is filling a needed, nonpartisan void. “They have an original definition of con servatism that has to do with being fiscally conservative,” says state Supreme Court Justice Burley Mitchell, a Democrat and Locke Foundation board member. “I think they’ve helped stress the importance of ideas in politics.” Nationally, the rise of conservative think-tanks dates to the early 1970s, when right-leaning funders such as the Scaife Foundation in Pittsburgh and the Olin Foundation in New York began to actively support public pohcy research. Despite the number of institutes and nonprofits now devoted to conservative issues, a new study by Smith College pro fessor Stanley Rothman shows U.S. founda tions give about four times as much money to liberal grant applicants as to conserva tive ones. Pope, whose family foundation is still the largest single contributor to the Locke Foundation, says a partisan image may be limiting support for the Raleigh think-tank. “I think some of the other foundations in the state have tried to spread the negative Look for LOCKE, page 5 Calling about AIDS New director leads National AIDS Hotline With a background of helping children, the new head of the National AIDS Hotline in Research Triangle Park is ready to tackle the challenge of operating one of the nation’s most frequently called tele phone numbers. By Katherine Noble Research Triangle Park He’s spent most of his career helping run organizations that work to better the lives of children, most recently in Brazil and Guatemala. And increasin^y, he’s seen a new vil lain attack the lives of homeless, street children: AIDS. So when David Herrell, 57, was faced with the prospect of moving his family back overseas as director of the CHILD- HOPE Foundation, applying for the director’s position at the National AIDS Hotline made sense. The American Social Health Association, which administers the hotline for the Centers for Disease Control, thou^t so, too. They hired Herrell in September to lead the hot line’s team of information specialists as it settles into its role as the national resoimce for referrals, edu cation and information on HTV and AIDS. As more young adults in the United States and worldwide are afflicted with AIDS, Herrell says, the disease becomes more and more of a children’s issue. “The population at risk of AIDS is getting younger, and we realize that so many people of the 25-to-40 age range who are showing signs today must have been infected as teenagers,” says Herrell. One of the hotline’s newest pro jects is “Classroom Calls,” designed to get young teenagers familiar with - and comfortable with - the hotline so that they will be more likely to use it on their own. In the program, a class room calls the hotline as part of AIDS education at school. On the back of the Classroom Calls brochure is this chilling mes sage: “AIDS is already the leading killer of men and women 15 to 44 years old in our country. HIV infec tion continues to spread, despite the fact that most people know how to prevent it ... We must prepare our children to face the reality of AIDS in their lives.” Classroom Calls is one way the AIDS Hotline hopes to help do that, says Herrell. After the group call, the students “know they can call this number.” Look for HOTLINE, page 5 DAVID HERRELL EDUCATION: A.B., economics, University of Pennsylvania, 1958 Master of Divinity, McCormick Theological Seminar, 1964 Master of Social Work, University of lllinois,1964 PROFESSIONAL: 1969-72, Program manager, Christian Council of Ghana. 1972- 73, Counselor, Tressler- Lutheran Service Associates. 1973- 90, Program Director, Christian Children's Fund Inc. 1990-93, Executive Director, CHILDHOPE Foundation. BRIEFLY Group starts disease awareness month This month has been chosen as Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness month by the American Social Health Association in Research Triangle Park. The associa tion will host programs in North Carolina and 11 other states. For details, call Anna Upchurch, (919) 361- 8400. Discovery Place in national spotlight Discovery Place in Charlotte has received accreditation by the American Association of Museums - a distinction given to only 741 of nearly 8,500 museums nationwide. Accreditation means the museum operates according to national standards. Convalescent center raises $1,436 Residents and staff of Mayview Convalescent Center in Raleigh raised $1,436 for the Wake County Division of the American Heart Association. Funds raised will be used for research, public education and community service pro grams. Duke to host sessions on management Duke University will host information sessions in the Triad for its certificate pro gram in nonprofit manage ment. This month's session will be held on April 5 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at Maryfield Nursing Home in High Point. Call Susan Larson, (919) 334-5677. to register. Crafts school welcomes board members The Penland School of Crafts in Asheville has appointed six new members to its board of trustees: Max Wallace, Durham; Jane Peiser, Penland; Bob Trotman, Casar; Buddy Patton,Asheville; Clyde Collins, Greensboro; Susan Parker Martin, New York. Duke ethics center launches summer workshops The Duke University Center for Applied Ethics will host a series of summer work shops at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. The center is a group of 120 faculty interested in teaching ethics in all parts of the curriculum. For information, call (919) 660-0290.
Philanthropy Journal of North Carolina (Raleigh, N.C.)
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April 1, 1994, edition 1
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