June 05, 2023 Nonprofit Homeless Response Staff Struggle to Afford Housing. Will Funders Respond? June 05, 2023/ Dawn Wolfe In L.A. and elsewhere, the homeless service sector’s workers are often critically underpaid, and some are at risk of becoming homeless themselves. Part of the problem is funders’ focus on numbers over actual wellbeing.Read More
June 05, 2023 New Funder Survey Explores the State of Ed Philanthropy and Where It’s Headed June 05, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Last week, Grantmakers for Education released the results of its first national survey of ed funders since the pandemic. We caught up with co-Interim Executive Director Ulcca Joshi Hansen to discuss the results.Read More
June 02, 2023 Jim and Marilyn Simons Just Doubled a Public University's Endowment. More Mega Gifts to Come? June 02, 2023/ Paul Karon The megadonor couple just committed $500 million to Stony Brook University in New York. Is this a sign of more huge gifts down the road? And can other states learn from New York’s higher ed endowment matching program?Read More
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
June 01, 2023 Art is for Everybody: Keith Haring’s Artistic and Philanthropic Legacy Lives on at the Broad June 01, 2023/ Wendy Paris Keith Haring remains a powerful force in contemporary art, long after his passing in 1990. He was also an influential activist and philanthropist. A new exhibit in Los Angeles explores Haring’s art and lasting impact. Read More
June 01, 2023 A Tale of Two Georgias: One Healthcare Funder's Roadmap for Rural Health Equity June 01, 2023/ Paul Karon In 2017, the Healthcare Georgia Foundation launched an initiative to improve health and economic opportunity for residents of the state's underserved rural areas. Here's how it went, and what other funders can learn. 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 31, 2023 To Build Community Power, Here Are Two Habits Funders Need to Break May 31, 2023/ Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, Jodeen Olguín-Tayler, Josh Stearns, Guest Contributors Funders often struggle to back civic engagement and community power building. In this guest piece, three authors whose organizations collaboratively fund that work suggest some changes in approach.Read More
May 31, 2023 Seven Questions for Women’s Foundation of Colorado President and CEO Lauren Casteel May 31, 2023/ Mike Scutari One of philanthropy’s most committed advocates for inclusivity and diversity, Lauren Casteel has led the Women’s Foundation of Colorado since 2015. We discuss her career trajectory, why funders should take risks, and more.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 30, 2023 Literary Writers Get Peanuts from Philanthropy. With a New Prize, South Arts Is Doing What It Can May 30, 2023/ Mike Scutari With scant funding available for writers, a new literary prizes program from the Atlanta-based South Arts is a refreshing anomaly. The amounts aren’t vast, but this is good to see in a region where writers often struggle.Read More
May 26, 2023 How One Funder Is Seeking to Bolster Mental Healthcare in Rural America May 26, 2023/ Martha Ramirez While better mental healthcare is needed across the U.S., there are stark disparities in care between urban and rural areas. Here’s how the Helmsley Charitable Trust is tackling the problem in the Midwest and elsewhere.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 Seven Questions with Anna Lappé, Incoming Head of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food May 25, 2023/ Michael Kavate The author and food movement leader will lead this 27-member group in transforming global food systems. She’s wary of philanthropy’s history but sees “huge potential.”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 24, 2023 Carlyle Crew: A Closer Look at Daniel A. D'Aniello's Giving for Higher Ed, Mental Health and More May 24, 2023/ Ade Adeniji One of the founders of the investment giant Carlyle Group, D'Aniello and his wife Gayle have made some big gifts for higher ed, spirituality and Catholic causes, and a leading conservative think tank. Here’s a rundown.Read More
May 24, 2023 Hillel Celebrates 100 Years — and Rallies Some Major Jewish Donors May 24, 2023/ Simone Ellin The popular Jewish student organization Hillel is marking a century in operation with an ambitious fundraising campaign. The effort has raised more than $100 million to bolster its work at a critical time.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 23, 2023 This Illinois-Based Tech Billionaire Is Moving Big Sums With a Unique Faith-Based Approach May 23, 2023/ Mike Scutari Steven Sarowitz started the Wayfarer Foundation to support spiritually rooted and justice-oriented nonprofits. We take a closer look at the grantmaker, part of Steven and Jessica Sarowitz’s plan to donate $1 billion in their lifetimes.Read More