Greater freedom and prosperity
We are interested in projects that go beyond theory, make a tangible change in the lives of real people, and promote greater freedom and prosperity.
We seek to unleash potential
At Rising Tide Foundation, we believe the market economy, in concert with limited government and rule of law, holds the greatest promise of freedom and prosperity for all. Markets enhance individual flourishing by coordinating diverse interests through voluntary and peaceful exchange.
Poverty, in our opinion, cannot be managed by redistributing a perceived finite pie of wealth, nor by gaining control over limited resources. Instead, prosperity is when society respects the dignity of each person and his or her right to act as a moral agent. We seek to unleash this potential by supporting projects that open networks of productivity and exchange to the previously excluded. We believe that individuals in poverty must see themselves as active agents, not passive victims. They must seek and be given empowerment, not paternalistic protection as the key to prosperity.
Personal freedom and the free market economy, as ideals, are continuously threatened by the power of big-government and big-business, intervening to enhance social justice, equity, or efficiency in markets. But these efforts end up leading to the kind of crony capitalism that is so prevalent today – a system that claims to help everyone but benefits only the few at the expense of the many; it is a system that manages rather than solves poverty.
Our philanthropic strategy is to support projects that articulate and promote these core beliefs, projects that eliminate the obstacles which impede creative individuals, projects that give a «hand-up,» rather than just a «hand-out». We are interested in projects which go beyond theory, that apply these insights in the lives of real people and promote greater freedom and prosperity.
Successful applicants will demonstrate a commitment to the core beliefs of this freedom philosophy. We envision that such entrepreneurial efforts will be the spark needed to ensure that one day all individuals might flourish in peace and prosperity.
In October 2020, we hosted the first Rising Tide Foundation webinar featuring our Chairman, Advisory Board, and Freedom in Practice team. This webinar will provide you with deep insights into our mission, motivation, and focus areas. You will also learn about some of our most promising recently approved grants within each of our focus areas.
Key Terms
Limited Government
Limited Government is a precept of constitutionalism. It states that a government's power over its citizens has limitations. The governmental authority is prescribed, restricted, and limited by law or by the constitution. An individual’s rights and liberties are protected against governmental power even if that power is exercised in the name of a majority of people. In a limited government, there exist minimal governmental intervention in personal liberties and the economy.
Rule of Law
Classical liberals believe that a spontaneous, cooperative, predictable, non-violent, stable and fair social order arises only by following rules that are general (without a bewildering mass of exceptions), universal (applying to everyone) and stable (not changing so often that people get confused about what they are). Since most of us could not explain the rules of grammar, never mind the rules of social life, it makes sense to keep things simple.
Crony Capitalism
Cronyism, also known as corporatism, weakens the free market by using government influence to favor certain businesses over others. Lobbying, subsidies, tax breaks, regulations, and legislation are all tools used by corporations and government agencies to give unfair advantages to certain businesses while harming their rivals.
Moral Agent
A moral agent is a person who has the ability to discern right from wrong and to be held accountable for his or her own actions. Moral agents have a moral responsibility not to cause unjustified harm.
