Listening to Beneficiaries Helps Nonprofits Learn What Doesn’t Work
The focus on results sometimes means grants makers and charities forget to ask clients what they think might make a difference, Hilary Pennington of the Ford Foundation and Fay Twersky of the Hewlett Foundation write.
By HILARY PENNINGTON
Contributor
Foundation CEOs Must Muster Their Money, Voice, and Courage to Fight Trump
At a time of profound challenges to our democracy, grant makers must spend generously and be strong advocates for the vulnerable, writes Gara LaMarche, former leader of the Atlantic Philanthropies and the Open Society Institute.
By Gara LaMarche
Contributor
Democracy Endangered When ‘Philanthro-Barons’ Try to Tip Courts
Bill Gates’s and Paul Allen’s big spending to unseat judges who struck down a Washington State law on charter schools shows the unhealthy mix of giving, policy, and politics, asserts philanthropy and education writer Joanne Barkan.
By JOANNE BARKAN
Contributor
Looming Health-Care Crisis Calls for Foundation Help Now
What Congress and the Trump administration are proposing for Obamacare, Medicare, and Medicaid would be nothing short of catastrophic, philanthropy consultants Stephen Isaacs and Paul Jellinek write.
By PAUL JELLINEK
Contributor
Opinion: Refugee Tech, Hybrid Donors, and 2016’s Other Philanthropy Buzzwords
Technology, politics, and global crises shaped the words we heard this year — and the trends that will become even more important in 2017.
By Lucy Bernholz
Contributor
Big Foundations Paved the Way for Trump’s Assault on Public Schools
Donald Trump’s appointment of billionaire philanthropist Betsy DeVos as education secretary caps years of donor-driven undermining of a key democratic institution.
By Diane Ravitch
Contributor
Opinion: We Need New Approaches to Eliminate Inequity
Instead of just looking at racial disparities, we should envision what life would be like if we achieved equity. That will help us plot a path to get there.
By Nicky Goren
Contributor
Selling Social Change Requires Borrowing From Business
Nonprofits can’t just wait for people to show up to take advantage of programs that will improve their lives; they need to treat clients as potential buyers.
By Matt Plummer
Contributor
Attention Charities and Retailers: Fundraising at Checkout Can Backfire
New research indicates people don’t like being asked to donate as they pay for purchases. There are better ways to nudge shoppers to give.
By Casey Newmeyer
Contributor
Philanthropy Can Bridge the Gap Between Trumped-Up Fears and Real Threats
In the wake of an anxiety-gripped election campaign, nonprofits and foundations have a role to play in helping the public understand the genuine risks of climate change and nuclear ignorance.
By Vince Stehle
Contributor