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 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 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 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 03, 2023 Two Years In, Climate Justice Pledge Sees Results on the Ground, But Still Too Many Holdouts May 03, 2023/ Michael Kavate A campaign asking funders to support more BIPOC-led climate action is seeing real impacts among participating funders and the groups they’re backing. The amount pledged is growing, but progress remains hard fought.Read More
April 28, 2023 Collaborative Green Movement Funding Initiative Grows, Looks to Harness Federal Climate Investment April 28, 2023/ Michael Kavate The green movement funder Mosaic has been pulling in partners and expanding its influence. With major new federal climate funding in the mix, it’s showing the potential of intermediaries and participatory methods.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
April 25, 2023 A Wave of Turnover at Laurene Powell Jobs’ Climate Fund, as Four Strategy Staff Depart April 25, 2023/ Michael Kavate The Waverley Street Foundation burst onto the climate funding scene in 2021, building a new team to move $3.5 billion to the cause. In recent months, four members out of a staff of about a dozen either left or were let go.Read More
April 24, 2023 Spring Reading for a Cleaner Planet: Five New Resources on Climate Philanthropy April 24, 2023/ Michael Kavate With spring in the air, here’s some recently released reading material on climate giving, with an emphasis on how funders can clean up their act when it comes to their investments.Read More
April 10, 2023 A Conversation with Caitlyn Fox, CZI’s Climate Lead and First-Ever Employee April 10, 2023/ Michael Kavate Caitlyn Fox, who heads the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s nascent climate portfolio, joined us to talk about why CZI’s focusing on carbon dioxide removal, what it’s looking for in grantees, and what lies ahead.Read More
March 29, 2023 New Climate Finance Database Offers an Early Glimpse of AI’s Role in Philanthropy March 29, 2023/ Michael Kavate With the clock ticking on meaningful climate action, incoming funders are eager for more data about who is funding what. A new AI-informed tool brings promise — and familiar concerns.Read More
March 29, 2023 Looking for Climate Philanthropy Data? Here Are Some Places to Turn March 29, 2023/ Michael Kavate There are several resources out there that track climate grantmaking, from overview reports to decades-old databases. The best are reserved for funders, but there’s a growing number of public sources. Check out our list.Read More
March 23, 2023 DAF Reform Is on Biden’s Wish List. Does It Stand a Chance? March 23, 2023/ Michael Kavate For the second time, changes to donor-advised fund rules made it into the Biden administration’s budget proposal. It’s a reflection of growing frustration and momentum around reform. Read More
March 20, 2023 New Study Underscores Longstanding, Persistent Biases in Green Grantmaking March 20, 2023/ Michael Kavate A new study from pioneering environmental justice researcher Dr. Dorceta Taylor reaffirms funding imbalances that those in the movement have lamented for years. Read More
March 16, 2023 The Lilly Endowment’s Assets Are Surging, Making it Among the Nation’s Largest. Can It Keep Up? March 16, 2023/ Michael Kavate Its founders are long gone, but this 85-year-old, Indiana-based foundation keeps getting bigger — now likely the second-largest in the U.S. Can Lilly’s grantmaking keep up with its explosive growth?Read More
March 14, 2023 The Top 10 Hedge Fund Philanthropists March 14, 2023/ Michael Kavate There’s a historic transfer of wealth on the horizon, and that includes the fortunes of donors who made their money managing hedge funds. Here, we take stock of the top philanthropists that emerged from the industry.Read More
March 01, 2023 A Q&A With Stanley Druckenmiller on Priorities, Big Bets and Feeling "Incredibly Privileged" March 01, 2023/ Michael Kavate In this candid conversation, the storied investor and mega-donor discusses what he and his wife Fiona look for in grantees, how much they plan to give away, why they won’t sign the Giving Pledge, and more.Read More
March 01, 2023 Six Things to Know About This Billionaire Hedge Fund Manager’s Philanthropy March 01, 2023/ Michael Kavate Stanley and Fiona Druckenmiller have a $1.9 billion foundation and a reported fortune of $10 billion. Here’s a closer look at how the couple makes big bets for economic mobility, the environment and health.Read More
February 28, 2023 Billionaire Philanthropists Want Us to Really Consider Dimming the Sun February 28, 2023/ Michael Kavate Several of the most prominent mega-donors on the planet are supporting the idea of solar geoengineering — or at least looking into it. Here’s an update on the philanthropic landscape and what might be ahead.Read More
February 15, 2023 Freaked Out by Record Storms? Here’s Some Winter Reading for Climate Funders and Grantseekers February 15, 2023/ Michael Kavate Four new reports and some frightening winter weather offer a good excuse to curl up in an armchair with a cup of tea and learn about the latest trends in climate philanthropy.Read More