January 09, 2023 Funders Partner with the Biden Administration to Back Workers' Rights Around the Globe January 09, 2023/ Martha Ramirez With support from major U.S. funders, a new initiative called M-POWER is combining the forces of government, philanthropy and labor organizations to bolster workers’ rights and advance democracy.Read More
December 22, 2022 Meeting Hatred With Dignity: Community Foundations Rally to Stop Hate-Fueled Violence December 22, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Dignity.us is a bipartisan initiative to address hate-fueled violence, launched by a group of former White House officials. More than 50 community foundations have joined the effort, which seeks to elevate local solutions.Read More
December 01, 2022 Visual Storytellers and Journalists Face Growing Risks. What Can Funders Do to Protect Them? December 01, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Backed by the Ford Foundation and others, a recent report from the Safer Storytellers Project outlines the steps funders can take to protect creators from increasing attacks and threats to their safety.Read More
November 03, 2022 An L.A. Program Takes a Unique Approach to Participatory Grantmaking — Putting it to a Vote November 03, 2022/ Martha Ramirez For this year’s LA 2050 Grants Challenge, the Goldhirsh Foundation asked Angelenos to weigh in on what issues would receive funding. The resulting platform of priorities received over $2 million in support. Read More
October 25, 2022 Team Lift: Foundations and Labor Unions Partner up to Support U.S. Workers in the South October 25, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Backed by a unique combination of major foundations and unions, the Southern Workers Opportunity (SWO) Fund aims to strengthen workers’ rights in the South, with implications nationwide.Read More
September 27, 2022 Racial Disparities Persist in Funding for L.A. Nonprofits September 27, 2022/ Martha Ramirez A recent survey of nonprofits in Los Angeles found that although funding has increased since 2020, racial disparities continue, even as the majority of organizations are led by people of color.Read More
September 12, 2022 Eight Questions for Sarah Haacke Byrd, CEO of Women Moving Millions September 12, 2022/ Martha Ramirez We caught up with Sarah Haacke Byrd, who leads Women Moving Millions, a community of funders who commit to giving at least $1 million to organizations that benefit women and girls. Read More
August 26, 2022 With Backing from Kresge, Operation Restoration Gives Formerly Incarcerated Women a Leg Up August 26, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Upon their release, formerly incarcerated women face steep barriers. Founded by a restorative justice leader who served time herself, Operation Restoration channels philanthropic resources to provide assistance.Read More
August 01, 2022 In the Housing-Starved Bay Area, a MacKenzie Scott Gift Fuels Grassroots Approaches August 01, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Thanks to a $20 million gift from MacKenzie Scott, United Way Bay Area is expanding its housing justice work. It’s one example of how the mega-donor’s unrestricted funding is being used to tackle a pressing regional need.Read More
June 28, 2022 How Philanthropy Is Responding to the Fall of Roe — and What Abortion Rights Organizers Need Now June 28, 2022/ Martha Ramirez The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has led to an outpouring of donations to abortion rights groups, but funders and grantees are calling for more and better funding. Here’s how the field is responding.Read More
June 07, 2022 How One Nonprofit Is Pooling Public and Private Funds to Support Students in Rural America June 07, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Formerly an initiative of Berea College focused on Appalachian Kentucky, Partners for Rural Impact is now a standalone nonprofit, pulling together federal grants and private funding to improve education in rural areas. Read More
June 01, 2022 Here Are 5 of the Top Funders Supporting AAPI Causes June 01, 2022/ Martha Ramirez The latest Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month wrapped up yesterday, but AAPI causes continue to be an important and growing corner of philanthropy. Here are some of the top funders of AAPI communities.Read More
May 20, 2022 Silicon Valley Community Foundation's Nicole Taylor on Women's Growing Role in Philanthropy May 20, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Leading the nation’s largest community foundation, and as the first Black woman in the role, Nicole Taylor has made equity a lodestar. Here, she weighs in on SVCF’s all-woman executive team, 2020’s challenges, and more.Read More
May 12, 2022 How a Public-Private Collaboration in L.A. Is Looking Beyond Punishment to Curb Youth Incarceration May 12, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Ready to Rise is channeling government and private funds toward local groups providing support to youth. Organizers hope it can be a model for communities seeking better ways to reduce crime and curb incarceration.Read More
May 04, 2022 This Nonprofit Is Cultivating In-State Donors to Sustain Progressive Power in Arizona May 04, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Instituto works through a 501(c)(3), a 501(c)(4) and a PAC to cultivate in-state funding. Here’s what it’s doing to support progressive power-building, and how it’s reckoning with the fact that demographics doesn’t always equal destiny.Read More
April 27, 2022 California Foundations Look to Ensure Billions in Government Aid Are Allocated Equitably April 27, 2022/ Martha Ramirez With California on the verge of receiving billions in public funding, a new initiative is looking to make sure this investment is distributed equitably to nonprofit organizations and underserved communities in the state.Read More
April 26, 2022 A Tale of Two Valleys: Five Ways Philanthropy Can Change to Make Silicon Valley More Equitable April 26, 2022/ Martha Ramirez A new report highlights five shifts funders can make to more effectively combat inequality. Though it’s geared toward giving in the Bay Area, its advice rings true for philanthropists across the nation.Read More
April 20, 2022 Latino Communities Continue to Be Underfunded. Here are 5 Funders Looking to Make a Difference April 20, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Despite increasing population growth, Latino communities in the U.S. continue to be underfunded. Here are some of the top supporters of Latino issues looking to make a difference.Read More
April 15, 2022 How This Women-Led Giving Circle Supports Latino Families April 15, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Based in the Bay Area, the Peninsula Latina Giving Circle is taking on the negative impacts of COVID and other stressors by funding Latino organizations close to home. Its founder sees it as a way to democratize philanthropy.Read More
April 07, 2022 This Funder Collaborative Is Taking on Sovereign Debt, a Growing Problem in the Global South April 07, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Sovereign debt has a big impact on the ability of nations in the Global South to ensure basic human rights and protections, especially post-COVID. A pooled fund with some huge backers is looking to make a difference.Read More