Ploughshares Fund is a public
grantmaking
A grant is a fund given by an end entity grant – often a public body, charitable foundation, or a specialised grant-making institution – to an individual or another entity (usually, a non-profit organisation, sometimes a business or a local ...
foundation
Foundation may refer to:
* Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization
** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S.
** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...
that supports initiatives to prevent the spread and use of
nuclear weapons
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
, and to prevent conflicts that could lead to their use. Ploughshares Fund is a 501(c)(3) foundation that pools contributions from individuals, families and foundations. Ploughshares Fund enables individual contributors to pool resources and provide support for initiatives to prevent the spread and use of
nuclear weapons
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
. With over $100 million awarded in grants since its founding in 1981, Ploughshares Fund is the largest US philanthropic foundation focused exclusively on nuclear weapons.
Nuclear Nightmares: Securing the World Before It Is Too Late
', Joseph Cirincione, Appendix F
History
Concerned about the world's burgeoning nuclear arsenals, San Francisco
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
and activist
Sally Lilienthal founded the organization in 1981. Since it was founded, Ploughshares has made grants totaling nearly $100 million to hundreds of people and organizations around the world.
[Nuclear Shadowboxing: Cold War Redux](_blank)
A. DeVolpi. Lilienthal died in October 2006, at the age of 87, while still serving as Ploughshares Fund's president.
In 2008, the Board of Directors appointed
Joseph Cirincione
Joseph Cirincione (, (born November 13, 1949) is a national security analyst and author. He served as the president of the Ploughshares Fund, a public grant-making foundation focused on nuclear nonproliferation and conflict resolution.
Career
Ci ...
as Ploughshares Fund's president, the same year that the organization opened an office in
Washington, DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
. Cirincione stepped down as president in July 2020 and was succeeded by Dr. Emma Belcher, formerly of the
MacArthur Foundation
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation that makes grants and impact investments to support non-profit organizations in approximately 50 countries around the world. It has an endowment of $7.0 billion and p ...
.
Issue areas
Ploughshares Fund's grantmaking is focused on the following issues:
* Promoting the reduction and eventual elimination of nuclear weapons
* Preventing the emergence of new nuclear states
* Building regional peace and security
What We Fund
', Ploughshares Fund
See also
*
Anti-nuclear movement
The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes various nuclear technologies. Some direct action groups, environmental movements, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, nationa ...
References
External links
Ploughshares FundPloughshares Fund on YouTubeWorld Nuclear Weapon Stockpile
Anti–nuclear weapons movement
Peace organizations based in the United States
Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco
Organizations established in 1981
Political and economic research foundations in the United States