A Blind Spot in American Philanthropy: National Security Investing

American philanthropists have always been builders of the impossible. When the world needed to end polio, American foundations led the charge. When the Global South faced famine, the Rockefeller Foundation sparked the Green Revolution, saving billions of lives. Today, with $1.6 trillion in assets—an amount greater than the GDP of most nations—American philanthropy remains the world’s most powerful engine of social innovation.

From art to climate change, this industry has proven that it can move mountains. But as world leaders gathered in Davos this January to discuss the “Smart Age,” it became clear that there was one mountain that American philanthropy refused to climb. Despite the incredible privilege—money built into the engine of American business and protected by a tax code that fosters wealth for generations—these institutions remain absent from the defining challenge of our age: the preservation of the world’s free technological and industrial base.

While philanthropists are busy polishing the pillars of democracy—civil rights, education and the arts—we ignore the foundation needed to keep the structure standing. A new report appears The Future Union reveals a striking disconnect: the nation’s 100 largest foundations have poured billions into laudable causes yet almost nothing toward the pillars of America’s survival structure—cybersecurity, supply chains and defense technology—that remain neglected and underfunded. This is not to criticize their generosity; it is a challenge to their desire.

America’s philanthropic elites possess the capital, autonomy and DNA with a vision to solve the greatest challenge of our time: Great Power Competition. But right now, they are leaving their most powerful weapon on the table.

Power of the Fund

To understand the power, we must know what American philanthropy really is: a fund of private wealth. Nations like Norway and China use central government funds to secure their strategic futures. America does something different. We rely on handouts ($39 trillion), university grants ($800 billion) and private foundations ($1.6 billion). This capital is “our secret weapon.” It’s fast, it’s big, and—unlike government money—it can take risks on long-term moonshots without worrying about the next election cycle.

Imagine if the same ingenuity had been used to deal with malaria or climate change National Security Investing (NSI).

• Impact: Philanthropy can risk early-stage technologies that the Pentagon is slow to buy, while many VCs remain cautious, afraid to touch advanced materials, quantum encryption, precious minerals and solid manufacturing.
• Leverage: A single grant from a major foundation can validate the field, demonstrating to the wider market that the technology is valuable, effective and correct. Not just in society but also in other global leaders of Davos, and philanthropies, who are reluctant to take such leadership—and push back—among many of their socially driven, leftist, elected peers.

Missing Link

The trouble is not that the foundations are doing a “bad” job; it’s that they ignore it antecedent condition for all their good work. The economic wars of the past decade have made one thing clear: if the US loses the global technological war described in “Made in China in 2025” manifesto, principles such as diversity and democracy will perish under the pressure of totalitarianism.

History teaches us that liberal values ​​are not natural and inevitable laws; they are options built on an infrastructure protected by technology dominance. The growing ambitions of our age—from a clean world to a just digital world—defy the gravity of history only because they are supported by the steel of American industrial power. But today, that metal is rusting.

Make no mistake: if we lose the industrial edge that underwrites this paradox, the era ends. To ignore the AI ​​race or the safety of our supply chains is to destroy the foundation of the free world. If we lose the technological and industrial superiority that supports this order, we will no longer discuss the nuances of equality; we will be adapting to the rules of our competitors who are constantly pressuring them.

Meanwhile, the data shows a dangerous paradox. While American foundations fight for “justice” and “sustainability,” many of their donations are quietly invested in Chinese corporate funds. We are successfully using US tax dollars to fund the new ecosystem of our arch enemy.

We are funding the very forces that want to destroy the world order we have built.

The New Frontier of Impact

It’s time for a new vision of philanthropy—bold, patriotic, and no-nonsense strategies. We don’t need philanthropists to stop supporting the arts or education. We need them to expand their definition of “public good” to include national life.

1. Name Strength: Institutions should treat National Security Investments as a new asset class. Just as they embraced “Impact Investing” a decade ago, they must now embrace global resilience.
2. Plus-1% Promise: If foundations allocated just 1 percent of their annual revenue—more than their usual 5 percent requirement—especially to technology that protects America’s sovereignty, it would unlock billions of dollars overnight.
3. Alignment of Demand: Donors must demand that their donations stop betting against America. Staying away from enemy technology is not just a good strategy; it is the basis of morality.

The history of American philanthropy is defined by leaders who saw the future and built it. The Carnegies, Fords, and Gates didn’t just write checks; they shaped civilization.

The next great chapter of American history will be written by philanthropists who recognize that freedom is a great cause. The arsenal is ready. Capital is available. What is missing is the will to use it. It’s time for philanthropy to be a beacon for a new generation that cares deeply and believes in the power of America. It is time for the department to step into the spotlight, not just as a beneficiary of the past, but as a provider of the future.