June 01, 2023 Can Philanthropy Ever Truly Be Democratized? Here Are Three Things Standing in the Way June 01, 2023/ Philip Rojc There’s been a lot of talk, and some action, around making the sector more egalitarian. But are we all kidding ourselves? Here are some inconvenient truths standing in the way of philanthropic democratization.Read More
May 31, 2023 Two Years on, The Asian American Foundation Celebrates Wins and Embarks on a New Strategy May 31, 2023/ Martha Ramirez As Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month draws to a close, we check in on this formidable fundraising force, which has rallied over $1 billion in commitments. TAAF recently unveiled a new pledge and funding strategy.Read More
May 30, 2023 Universities Get Big Bucks, Climate Does Not. But Recent Gifts Show Growing Crossover May 30, 2023/ Michael Kavate Does a series of recent awards for climate-related university projects suggest a promising fundraising trend amid a planetary crisis, or is this just a case of more of the same?Read More
May 25, 2023 Freedom Dreaming: A New Collaborative Invites Philanthropy to Reimagine Itself May 25, 2023/ Philip Rojc Philanthropy likes to think of itself as a space for big ideas, but so often falls short of that ideal. A new collaborative is challenging the sector to reimagine its role in the pursuit of collective liberation.Read More
May 25, 2023 Philanthropy Needs to Rethink Its Approach to Civic Engagement May 25, 2023/ Louise Lief, Guest Contributor Much of philanthropy frames civic engagement in a narrow way, with a focus on voting and elections. Guest contributor Louise Lief discusses what’s wrong with that, and what a better, broader approach looks like.Read More
May 24, 2023 “Rockstar Successful.” Why Early Ed Funders Are Backing This Unique Approach to Training Educators May 24, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen One thing holding back the American early childhood education system is a serious teacher shortage. EDvance is making the required education more accessible, drawing support from the Heising-Simons Foundation and others.Read More
May 23, 2023 Major Philanthropy Sector Groups Are Dragging Their Feet or Outright Opposing DAF Reform. Why Is That? May 23, 2023/ Philip Rojc Donor-advised funds undermine philanthropy’s regulatory framework, and Americans are increasingly unhappy about it. We went looking for some clarity on trade groups’ stances around closing this huge loophole.Read More
May 22, 2023 On the Ground with the Ballmer Group, One of LA's Leading Antipoverty Funders May 22, 2023/ Wendy Paris Over the past few years, Steve and Connie Ballmer have continued ramping up their commitments in Los Angeles. We took a deep dive into how a vast tech fortune is being put to use to scale up local economic mobility.Read More
May 22, 2023 These Five Green Grantmakers May Not Be Massive, But They're Influential May 22, 2023/ Michael Kavate Billionaires may increasingly dominate environmental philanthropy, but small grantmakers still have sway. Here’s a handful whose influence extends beyond what their modest grantmaking might suggest.Read More
May 18, 2023 Behind the Scenes of MacKenzie Scott’s Open Call — and a New Service that Emulates Her Approach May 18, 2023/ Mike Scutari Registration for Yield Giving’s open call for proposals closed in early May. Cecilia Conrad of Lever for Change, which is running the competition, shares early findings and a new service allowing others to replicate the process.Read More
May 18, 2023 “You Can’t Pick and Choose.” A Revealing Look at Why Leaders Accept Toxic Donations May 18, 2023/ Mike Scutari Unlike most nonprofit leaders who’ve received toxic gifts, Bard President Leon Botstein has clearly laid out his reasons for soliciting donations from Jeffrey Epstein. We suspect he isn’t the only decision-maker who thinks this way.Read More
May 16, 2023 We Took a Deep Dive Into Mega-Donor Foundation Giving. Here’s What the Numbers Tell Us May 16, 2023/ Mike Scutari and Sue-Lynn Moses We analyzed recent publicly available data on 85 private foundations established by living mega-donors. It’s a revealing look at what’s distinct about how these influential individuals go about their giving.Read More
May 11, 2023 The End of Philanthropic History and that Pluralism Op-Ed May 11, 2023/ Philip Rojc Foundation leaders recently published a controversial op-ed calling for “philanthropic pluralism.” It’s all too reminiscent of a similarly derided argument holding up the American system as the accepted status quo.Read More
May 10, 2023 Larry Page's Foundation Doubled in Size to Hit $6.7 Billion in Assets — Nearly All Giving Goes to DAFs May 10, 2023/ Michael Kavate According to the latest available tax filings, Google cofounder Larry Page’s philanthropy reached new heights in 2021, putting it in league with some of the nation’s largest. The foundation’s giving remains almost entirely opaque.Read More
May 09, 2023 The D.C. Power List: The Most Influential Philanthropists Shaping National Policy May 09, 2023/ David Callahan Top philanthropists have become ever more adept at working the levers of power in order to shape federal policy. Here are the living donors who wield the most influence in the nation’s capital.Read More
May 08, 2023 Is Excessive Wealth a Disorder? If So, This New Nonprofit Aims to Cure It May 08, 2023/ Dawn Wolfe It’s all there in the name. The Excessive Wealth Disorder Institute, founded last year, is taking on extreme wealth inequality, a problem with deep ramifications for philanthropy. We talked with its new executive director to learn more.Read More
May 02, 2023 The Education Culture Wars Are Only Growing Fiercer. These Funders Are Fighting Back May 02, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen A handful of philanthropies are supporting grassroots efforts to push back against well-funded attacks on public education. They’re hoping more funders will take a stand.Read More
May 02, 2023 Slow Government Payments Are One Barrier to Nonprofit Stability. Can Philanthropy Help? May 02, 2023/ Martha Ramirez From reimbursement delays to red tape, cumbersome contracts between nonprofits and government are often a burden, a new report finds. Here’s how that impacts philanthropy — and what private funders can do to help.Read More
May 01, 2023 This Bay Area Grantmaker’s Pushing for Good Nonprofit Jobs. Will Other Funders Take a Cue? May 01, 2023/ Dawn Wolfe With its new $24.5 million Endeavor Fund, the Walter & Elise Haas Fund made a point of selecting grantees committed to their workers’ wellbeing. Haas is also being loud and proud about that fact in front of other funders.Read More
April 26, 2023 Four Big Questions We Have About Michael Bloomberg’s Plan to Give His Company to Charity April 26, 2023/ Michael Kavate The news that Michael Bloomberg intends to leave his share in Bloomberg LP to his philanthropic project holds enormous ramifications for the future of philanthropy. Here are four questions we have about what that could look like.Read More