When one &quot;gives away&quot; that volume of money, what you are doing (whether you like it or not) is trading it for influence.  At a minimum you are setting your funding priorities, which has rippling policy effects as people compete for your funding (see the Gates foundation).  At a maximum you&#x27;ve just outright laundered it (see the Clinton Foundation) or converted it into an unaccountable ideological blight completely opposed to your original desires (see the Ford Foundation).