Making Change

The Laidlaw Foundation was established in 1949 by Walter and Robert Laidlaw, sons of the founder of the R. Laidlaw Lumber Company. This book is a history of the Laidlaw family, how it amassed money, and why the brothers decided to disperse it as they did. Making Change is also a record of the work of the Foundation over the past fifty years. The impact has been to help children in need, to train scholars, and to support social, cultural, and environmental causes. Overall, this book seeks to identify what motivates people to act philanthropically and the implications of their doing so. It is interesting to understand what persuades wealthy people to give away their money and provide leadership in areas where government stewardship is lacking.