Business is seeking to sow favor with the president in his second term, and has departed from the norms of big business philanthropy and business entreaties to the White House.
"What's new here is they're not giving through an intermediary or through a nonprofit or some type of a mediating durable institution, which is typically how philanthropy works," said Megan Tompkins-Stange, an associate professor at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy. "Instead, they are giving directly to this branded initiative with Trump's name."
The gift is also a stark departure from how the Dells and other tech philanthropists often support charitable causes, according to Tompkins-Stange, who focuses on the role of wealth, power and philanthropy in influencing public policy. The Dells' contribution is going to a statutory program, rather than a nonprofit or other intermediary.
"Traditionally, a lot of tech philanthropists often want to circumvent government programs because they're seen as more bureaucratic and less agile. They'd rather go through other means of influence," said Tompkins-Stange.
