Giving Plunges 6% in First Quarter, Signaling $25 Billion in Lost Revenue for Nonprofits
Individual giving declined 6 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with last year, a trend that would lead to $25 billion in lost revenue for nonprofits if it continues throughout 2020, according to a new survey.
By MICHAEL THEIS and dan.parks
Plus, five other universities received large donations from wealthy philanthropists.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
The Coronavirus Has Revealed the True Nature of Hunger in America
The philanthropic patchwork that feeds millions of families is now stretched to its limits and our “world class” market-based food system is imploding. We need immediate and bold action to reverse this food-security death spiral, says the former head of Oxfam America.
By Raymond C. Offenheiser
Contributor
From AIDS to Covid-19: What Grant Makers Can Learn From Our Last Pandemic
The government response to AIDS was slow and insufficient, much like its response to the coronavirus today. Donors need to step up now as they did during the AIDS crisis, says the founding leader of Funders Concerns About AIDS.
By MICHAEL SELTZER
Contributor
Should Foundations Give Now or Later? There Is No Right Answer
When the Ford Foundation and four other philanthropies joined forces last week to pledge to distribute more to nonprofits hurt by the Covid recession, they sent a message to other grant makers. But different missions require different approaches.
By Joseph Bankman and Daniel Hemel
2 Historically Black Colleges and UNCF Will Share $120-Million Gift
The founder of Netflix has given $40 million each to Morehouse and Spelman Colleges, and to the group formerly known as the United Negro College Fund.
By Katherine Mangan
Contributor
Grant Making for Racial Justice Surges With Major Pledges From Walmart, YouTube, and More
Also, the Shubert Foundation has made $32 million in unrestricted grants to arts groups, and the Smithsonian Institution has received $25 million for a new program on race across several of its museums.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
How Philanthropy Is Failing Democracy (Podcast)
Rob Reich, who leads the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, says the power big philanthropists wield should be scrutinized in order to decide if it supports democracy or not.
Who Holds Philanthropy Accountable for Racial Justice?
The Movement for Black Lives is doing something new by getting grant makers to call their peers. Now we need a bigger push to ensure we’re all working every day to advance change, writes Lisa Pilar Cowan of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation.
By Lisa Pilar Cowan
Contributor
Who Holds Philanthropy Accountable for Racial Justice?
The Movement for Black Lives is doing something new by getting grant makers to call their peers. Now we need a bigger push to ensure we’re all working every day to advance change, writes Lisa Pilar Cowan of the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation.
By Lisa Pilar Cowan
Contributor
How the 2.4% Gain in Giving Last Year Points to What Will Happen in 2020
Giving was uneven last year, so some nonprofits — like those focused on education and the arts — had a big fundraising cushion before the pandemic hit. We show you how trends in 2019 point the way to what might happen by the end of 2020.
By Emily Haynes and Michael Theis
Foundations’ Debt Strategy Charts New Ground, Raises Policy Questions
The decision by several major foundations to take on debt to finance an additional $1.7 billion in grants is a milestone moment in big philanthropy, but it is unlikely that a large number of foundations will follow the practice, experts say.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
After the Protests, Will Philanthropy Do the Right Thing This Time Around?
The well-meaning response to 1960s civil unrest by foundations and nonprofits too often failed to produce the desired results. Now we have a chance to do a better job.
By Suzanne Garment and Leslie Lenkowsky
A Gates-Led Donor Collaborative Awards $2.8 Million to Change Attitudes on Poverty
More than 1,225 groups competed to get aid for projects that reduce the stigma of being poor and eliminate inaccurate, conflicting, or dehumanizing accounts of who is poor and why.
Ford and Other Funds Issue $1.2 Billion in Debt So They Can Give More Now
The unprecedented move is expected to put pressure on other foundations to give more.
By dan.parks
Contributor
64 Black Foundation Leaders Tell Philanthropy to Go Big in Response to Pandemic and Police Killings
They are seeking support for efforts to use data to track the spread of Covid-19, tamp down outbreaks, and develop a plan to emerge from the pandemic with a healthy economy. They also said the response to police brutality should not fall solely on Black-led organizations.