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 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 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 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 04, 2023 In Defense of Perpetuity, Part Two May 04, 2023/ Philip Rojc Last month, IP’s Philip Rojc made the case that there will always be a place for foundations that never spend down, and it sparked some lively debate! We return to the scene of the crime to hit a few more points about perpetuity.Read More
April 27, 2023 Will Phil Knight's Big Hyper-Local Racial Equity Commitment Live Up to the Hype? April 27, 2023/ Philip Rojc The Nike co-founder recently committed $400 million to support the Black community in Portland, Oregon. It’s a big leap from his mostly university-focused philanthropic track record. Is he up to the task? Read More
April 13, 2023 What's Really in a Name? Ken Griffin's Latest $300 Million Joins a Crowded Landscape of Branded Gifts April 13, 2023/ Philip Rojc The billionaire’s mega-gift to Harvard isn’t his first such commitment, and it’s one of an endless array of higher ed naming gifts. The practice may be ubiquitous, but that’s all the more reason it should be questioned.Read More
April 06, 2023 In Defense of the Forever Foundation: Why Perpetuity Will Always Have a Place in Philanthropy April 06, 2023/ Philip Rojc With mega donors like MacKenzie Scott putting the power of time-limited spending on full display, it may seem like perpetuity is going out of style. But there are still some good reasons to play the long game.Read More
March 30, 2023 Jeff Yass Is One of America's Biggest Political Donors. What Does His Philanthropy Look Like? March 30, 2023/ Philip Rojc With a fortune of $28.5 billion, the Wall Street winner has deep libertarian beliefs that form the basis for his vast political giving and more modest philanthropic record — which does come with some interesting twists.Read More
March 22, 2023 MacKenzie Scott's Open Call Is Live. Here's What You Need to Know March 22, 2023/ Philip Rojc Yield Giving teased an open call for applications last year, and now it’s here. Scott’s giving away 250 gifts of $1 million apiece, offering community organizations in the U.S. a chance to “nominate themselves.” Read More
March 15, 2023 Roku Founder Anthony Wood Is a Billionaire Donor to Watch. Here's an Overview March 15, 2023/ Philip Rojc Serial entrepreneur Anthony Wood helped usher in the current dominance of streaming TV. Now, he’s also ramping up his philanthropy with a DAF-centric approach and interests across a range of causes.Read More
March 09, 2023 In a World Beset by Conflict, Could Better Ways to Measure Peace Change the Funding Equation? March 09, 2023/ Philip Rojc Despite the need for peacebuilding dollars, U.S. philanthropies’ support for that work suffers from a lack of viable metrics. Search for Common Ground is tackling a complex task: how to better measure peace.Read More
March 02, 2023 What a Big Gift to the Heritage Foundation Says About the State of Conservative Philanthropy March 02, 2023/ Philip Rojc The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation recently committed $25 million to the Heritage Foundation, not surprising giving its longtime support. But the gift also reflects tensions in conservative giving.Read More
February 16, 2023 Here Are the Top Philanthropy Stories We're Following in 2023 February 16, 2023/ Philip Rojc Every year, we ponder where philanthropy seems to headed and compile the big-picture currents that we see running through the sector. Here’s what we’re watching this year.Read More
February 09, 2023 Behold the Philanthrosphere: A Wild, Wondrous World February 09, 2023/ Philip Rojc The philanthropic ecosystem is verdant, teeming with life, and often quite treacherous. IP’s Philip Rojc channels his inner Attenborough to document the many inhabitants of this strange and fascinating landscape.Read More
February 02, 2023 Four Things We Actually Like About DAFs February 02, 2023/ Philip Rojc Donor-advised funds are the target of a lot of criticism, including in the pages of Inside Philanthropy — and for good reason. But setting aside their worst flaws, we have to admit that DAFs have a lot to offer. Read More
January 27, 2023 The End of AmazonSmile: Another Win for “Strategic” Corporate Philanthropy January 27, 2023/ Philip Rojc Amazon’s decision to axe its popular donation program isn’t necessarily a surprise at a time of tech sector belt-tightening and more strategic corporate giving. But it still feels at odds with where philanthropy’s headed.Read More
January 26, 2023 So What Exactly Is the Philanthrosphere, Anyway? January 26, 2023/ Philip Rojc We use the term “philanthrosphere” quite often in our coverage of the sector. But with today’s evolving charitable entities and disruptive mega-donors, it’s harder to pin down exactly what that means. We gave it a shot. Read More
January 19, 2023 In Defense of the Foundation January 19, 2023/ Philip Rojc The incorporated and staffed foundation, often operating in perpetuity, has been outpaced in recent years by alternative vehicles for giving. While they can be a bit stodgy, foundations still play a critical role in civil society. Read More
January 11, 2023 How Philanthropy Might Surprise Us in 2023 January 11, 2023/ Philip Rojc Philanthropy can be a bit stodgy, but especially in recent years, the sector has kept us guessing. Here are a few ways philanthropy might surprise us in 2023 — some good, some not so good.Read More