Of Titans and Terraria: Exploring and Conceptualising Philanthropic Foundations Through the Lens of Metaphors

Addressing ongoing calls for a more robust understanding of philanthropic foundations, this paper uses metaphor analysis to map and analyse analogical metaphors on foundations—metaphors that make a direct comparison between philanthropic foundations and another domain—put forward in academic and non‐academic discourse. Based on a thematic analysis of 109 metaphors, ten overarching clusters are identified that portray foundations as influence , inexplicit , inertia , indulgence , inadequate , insulated , intelligence , insecurity , individual , and image . Moving beyond established critiques of foundations' characteristics, practices, and roles, these reveal recurring tensions in foundation discourse. The paper shows how metaphors operate as evaluative and sensemaking devices that articulate and stabilise ambiguities surrounding foundations without resolving them, demonstrating how metaphor analysis offers both a systematic approach to understanding foundations' complexities and a reflective lens for engaging with them.