Pablo Eisenberg was only 7 years old in 1939 when he boarded an American-bound liner with his parents and younger sister in Bordeaux as the Nazis were poised to invade France. But as young as he was, their nail-biting escape nevertheless instilled in him a lifelong commitment to powerless people left behind.

In 1973, he wrote an article published in Grantsmanship Center News, a philanthropic journal, in which he called on major foundations, individual donors, corporate charities and philanthropies in general to be more socially responsible, transparent, accountable and equitable in determining who received their largesse. He had a passion for improving the lives of everyday people.

Mr. Eisenberg died on Oct. 18 in a nursing home in Rockville, MD. He was 90.

While many charities remained insular, others responded to Mr. Eisenberg’s goading by directing more donations to community organizations and diversifying their boards.