May 22, 2023 On the Ground with the Ballmer Group, One of LA's Leading Antipoverty Funders May 22, 2023/ Wendy Paris Over the past few years, Steve and Connie Ballmer have continued ramping up their commitments in Los Angeles. We took a deep dive into how a vast tech fortune is being put to use to scale up local economic mobility.Read More
April 21, 2023 Seven Questions for Dr. Hanh Cao Yu, Chief Learning Officer at The California Endowment April 21, 2023/ Martha Ramirez We caught up with Dr. Hanh Cao Yu to talk about how her experiences as a refugee of the war in Vietnam shaped her, what led to her career in philanthropy, her current work, and more.Read More
April 07, 2023 What the Fall of Silicon Valley Bank Says About Who's Allowed to Take Risks April 07, 2023/ Lynne Hoey, Guest Contributor Guest author Lynne Hoey reflects on the ironies of a system in which people of color seeking resources are told they lack expertise by the same wealth-holders who fail again and again, and get bailed out.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 03, 2023 “Moving the Needle.” A Look at the Dallas Foundation’s Approach to Place-Based Giving April 03, 2023/ Mike Scutari As the oldest community foundation in Texas, the Dallas Foundation has built out an extensive grantmaking and partnership footprint across the region. President and CEO Matthew Randazzo walks us through its work.Read More
March 22, 2023 Philanthropy Must Change So Community Development Can Keep Changing for the Better March 22, 2023/ David Fukuzawa and Nancy O. Andrews, Guest Contributors Community development has come a long way since the 1960s, but according to guest authors David Fukuzawa and Nancy O. Andrews, reaching its full potential will require big shifts in how philanthropy funds it.Read More
March 17, 2023 Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor Klein on Philanthropy’s Responsibility to Diversify Tech March 17, 2023/ Paul Karon In the 1980s, Mitch Kapor's Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet app helped make personal computers indispensable. Now, Mitch and Freada Kapor Klein are on a mission to prove that a fairer tech sector can also be a more successful one.Read More
March 13, 2023 Closing Gaps: How This Boston-Based Fund Supports a Growing Latino Population March 13, 2023/ Martha Ramirez In Massachusetts and elsewhere, Latinos have been among the slowest population groups to recover from COVID challenges. The Latino Equity Fund, housed at the Boston Foundation, is working to close those gaps in its area.Read More
March 03, 2023 Backed By Diverse Funders, Liberation Ventures Is Pushing for Reparations and a "Culture of Repair" March 03, 2023/ Dawn Wolfe With an eclectic mix of funders and a holistic and long-term plan, this field-building organization is seeking reparations for Black Americans. We connected with co-founder and managing director Aria Florant to learn more.Read More
February 27, 2023 For This Funder Collaborative, the Road Back to Abortion Access Leads Through the States February 27, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The Collaborative for Gender and Reproductive Equity was working at the state level long before the end of Roe v. Wade. Today, it’s more convinced than ever that the states are where the fight over abortion will be won or lost.Read More
February 03, 2023 Here’s What We're Learning About Donors of Color February 03, 2023/ Ade Adeniji As the ranks and fortunes of American philanthropists of color grow, so does their influence over the giving landscape. These are a few of the trends we’re seeing as philanthropy’s demographics shift.Read More
January 17, 2023 This Fund Wants to Dial in on Discriminatory Justice Policy in Massachusetts. Can It Succeed? January 17, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The New Commonwealth Fund is on a mission to tackle systemic racism and the racial funding gap. Its latest grants include a data-driven effort to show how criminal justice policy in the Bay State adversely affects youth of color.Read More
December 23, 2022 Six Questions for Michael Roberts, President and CEO of First Nations Development Institute December 23, 2022/ Mike Scutari Michael Roberts heads First Nations Development Institute, which seeks to improve economic conditions for Native Americans. We chatted with him about the best advice he’s ever received, the perils of “racial equity fatigue,” and more.Read More
December 19, 2022 Climate Justice Pledge Keeps Winning New Commitments, but Many Funders Still Silent December 19, 2022/ Michael Kavate The Climate Funders Justice Pledge has helped shift $60 million in new commitments to BIPOC-led climate groups since early 2021. Still, despite its intentionally low bar, many top grantmakers have yet to sign on.Read More
December 07, 2022 To Advance Health Equity, a Big Hospital Gift Targets the Earliest Childhood Experiences December 07, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Real estate investor John Schreiber and his wife Kathleen are long-time Chicago philanthropists. A recent $25 million gift underscores a more recent priority for the couple: early childhood, including conditions before birth.Read More
December 05, 2022 This Philanthropy-Backed Initiative Gives Aspiring Critics of Color a Leg Up December 05, 2022/ Wendy Paris With funding from the Mellon Foundation and others, Critical Minded is on a mission to build visibility for cultural critics of color. It’s aiming high with a New York Times partnership.Read More
December 02, 2022 A Conversation with Jeffreen Hayes, Executive Director of Chicago-Based Arts Funder Threewalls December 02, 2022/ Mike Scutari Dr. Jeffreen Hayes heads the Chicago-based arts organization and grantmaker Threewalls. We chatted with her to discuss her career trajectory, why she’s optimistic about the state of philanthropy, and more.Read More
November 01, 2022 Six Questions for Dr. Laura Gerald of Reynolds Trust, as it Reckons With its Past and Plans for the Future November 01, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen North Carolina’s Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust announced it is divesting from tobacco — and taking a frank look at its history and the source of its wealth. Dr. Laura Gerald unpacks the process and the result.Read More
October 27, 2022 How the American Indian College Fund is Strengthening Early Ed in Native Communities October 27, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen The Bezos Family Foundation is the latest funder to throw its support behind an effort to strengthen early education in Native American communities. The place-based approach emphasizes local strengths and traditions. Read More
October 27, 2022 What Can We Learn from the Results of Kellogg's Big Racial Equity Challenge? October 27, 2022/ Philip Rojc Structured as a global competition, Racial Equity 2030 prompted both excitement and criticism when it launched two years ago. Five winners have been revealed, but the work is just beginning. Here are some takeaways.Read More