U.N. Official Takes Senior Role at Paul Allen Philanthropy
Vulcan, the Seattle company that manages charitable projects for the billionaire Microsoft co-founder, has hired Anthony Banbury, who led the United Nations response to the Ebola outbreak, as its chief philanthropy officer, the Puget Sound Business Journal writes.
James Franco and Hollywood Charity Team Up on Nonprofit Studio
The actor-director and the Art of Elysium, a charity supported by Mr. Franco and other film-industry A-listers, have jointly formed a production house whose movies will generate revenue for the nonprofit, Variety reports.
Miami Science Museum Overhauls Board Amid Cash Crunch
Under pressure to complete its new downtown Miami home amid a severe fundraising shortfall, the Frost Museum of Science dissolved its board of trustees Wednesday and will take a bridge loan from its chief benefactors, Florida philanthropists Phillip and Patricia Frost, The Miami Herald and the South Florida Business Journal write.
Red Cross Runs $159 Million Deficit as Donations Drop
The relief charity’s fundraising fell to its lowest level since at least 2000, and Red Cross blood banks also suffered significant losses, ProPublica reports, citing newly released financial statements.
New Law Requires French Supermarkets to Donate Surplus Food to Charity
Grocery stores will also be prohibited from deliberately spoiling excess food, which some stores have done to discourage people from dumpster diving, The Guardian reports.
Karl Rove Group Gets Long-Sought Nonprofit Imprimatur
Conservative advocacy group Crossroads GPS, one of the most prominent “dark money” entities in American politics, has been granted 501(c)(4) status by the Internal Revenue Service after a five-plus-year wait, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Los Angeles to Spend $100 Million to Combat Homelessness
The city will also spend nearly $2 billion on affordable housing over the next decade, The New York Times reports.
Bay Area Boom Could Force Out Nuns’ Charity for Homeless
A faith-based soup kitchen in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district is facing eviction as the city’s tech-fueled economic boom sends rents in even gritty neighborhoods spiraling up, reports, the Associated Press.
Beverage-Firm Clan Gives $61 Million to Rochester Foundation
The donation from the Sands family, which operates one of the country’s biggest producers of wine, beer, and spirits, establishes a fund to support the arts, education, and health within the Rochester Area Community Foundation in upstate New York, the Democrat & Chronicle reports.
Grants Roundup: Kern Family Foundation Awards $6 Million to Olin College of Engineering
Other awards include $1.5 million from the Kresge Foundation for programs at EmcArts that address complex social challenges.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor