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 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 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 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
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 15, 2023 “Build a Radically Different Future.” Six Questions for NDN Collective Founder Nick Tilsen May 15, 2023/ Mike Scutari Nick Tilsen is one of philanthropy’s leading advocates for building Indigenous power and self-determination. We chatted with him about his organization, lessons learned from 20-plus years of activism and more.Read More
May 11, 2023 An Audacious Effort to Transform the Foster Care System Gets a Big Funding Boost May 11, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Think of Us has a bold mission: to transform the foster care system from the ground up. The organization’s approach, which elevates those with lived experience, landed a major haul from The Audacious Project and others. Read More
May 11, 2023 Remembering Harry Belafonte's Legacy of Giving — and His Critiques of the Philanthropic Establishment May 11, 2023/ Ade Adeniji Harry Belafonte, who died April 25, was an important backer of the Civil Rights Movement and other causes, and his family is carrying on the philanthropic legacy. The musician and activist also had some tough critiques of the sector.Read More
May 05, 2023 How the India Philanthropy Alliance Engages a Growing Donor Base May 05, 2023/ Ade Adeniji As the number of Indian Americans soars — along with their philanthropic potential — this network has been ramping up its efforts to mobilize support for poverty reduction and development back in the mother country.Read More
May 04, 2023 “Hope, But Not Success.” Foundations Dug Deep for HBCUs in 2020, but Funding Gap Far From Closed May 04, 2023/ Mike Scutari A new report shows that after years of underinvestment, HBCUs saw a bump in support during 2020. Such schools have a long way to go toward funding parity, however, and the report’s authors are calling for lasting commitments. 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
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
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 26, 2023 Report Finds Scant Funding for Disability Rights and Social Justice — and Points the Way Forward April 26, 2023/ Paul Karon A study commissioned by the Disability & Philanthropy Forum is a must-read for funders aiming to drive social justice for disabled people and address complex and overlapping issues of racial, gender and other inequities.Read More
April 25, 2023 “Defend, Develop, Decolonize.” Inside NDN Collective, a Thriving Backer of Indigenous Causes April 25, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen NDN Collective, a growing philanthropic intermediary and organizing force, works to build Indigenous power and has racked up an impressive array of backers. Its leaders would still like to see philanthropy go further and move faster.Read More
April 12, 2023 Inside the Omidyar Network’s Push to Build a “Culture of Belonging” in America April 12, 2023/ Mike Scutari Launched in October, the Omidyar Network’s newest focus area seeks to cultivate a sense of belonging among the body politic. We walk through its work with Senior VP of Programs Michele Jawando and Director David Hsu.Read More
April 12, 2023 Antisemitism Is Surging in America. This $25 Million Campaign Aims to #StandUpToJewishHate April 12, 2023/ Dawn Wolfe Amid frightening new statistics on the rise of anti-Jewish hate incidents, Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism made a big commitment to fight back. Here’s how the campaign will work.Read More
April 11, 2023 Is MacKenzie Scott the Leading Social Justice Funder? Yes and No April 11, 2023/ Michael Hamill Remaley MacKenzie Scott has moved huge sums to social justice groups, but should we think of her chiefly as a social justice funder? What exactly is a social justice funder, anyway? We took at close look at 20 grants in search of answers. Read More
April 06, 2023 How the Ballmers Aim to Build and Diversify the Early Ed Workforce in Washington State April 06, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The foundation of this billionaire donor couple has made early childhood education a priority, most recently in an effort to strengthen the struggling early educator workforce through a mix of strategies. Read More
April 05, 2023 The Evolution of the Woodcock Foundation: A Progressive Family Funder Branches Out April 05, 2023/ Ade Adeniji As this family foundation heads into its third generation, it’s backing social enterprises, taking on new issue areas, and exploring practices like impact investing and trust-based philanthropy. Read More