Lawsuit Against Trump and His Nonprofit Allowed to Proceed: Daily News Roundup
A judge in New York State denied President Trump’s lawyers’ request to dismiss a suit against the Trump Foundation brought by the state attorney general. In other articles, after Facebook admitted using a controversial public-relations firm to research George Soros, his philanthropy says lawmakers should scrutinize the social-media site more closely; Phil Knight gave $109 million to his foundation; Jeff Bezos donated $97.5 million to groups that aid the homeless; and much more.
Trump Foundation, Soros and Facebook, Whitaker and DAFs: Daily News Roundup
The N.Y. attorney general filed the lawsuit in June accusing Trump and three of his children of misusing the grant maker to advance his presidential campaign. In other articles, Nike’s Phil Knight gave $109 million to his foundation; Jeff Bezos gave $97.5 million to help the homeless; House Republicans plan to hear testimony on whether the Clinton Foundation engaged in improper activities; a nonprofit with obscure origins and source of funds gave Matthew Whitaker $1.2 million. Plus much more.
Ford Foundation’s 2-Year, $205 Million Headquarters Makeover Is Complete: Daily News Roundup
The building has a soaring atrium and a saw-tooth skylight but also a smaller footprint with room for other foundations, plus a public art gallery and a touch-and-feel garden for the blind. Plus, the Trump administration’s Opportunity Zones could be a boon to distressed areas; Michael Bloomberg’s $1.8 billion gift to Johns Hopkins has prompted a variety of responses; Rhode Island prisons are working to get opioid treatment for inmates; and more about innovation and cultural groups.
AbbVie Gives $55 Million Boost to Students in Poor Communities: Grants Roundup
Also, the American Heart Association’s Allen Initiative in Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment grants $19.2 million to the Salk Institute, and the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens will use $7.5 million to attract new visitors.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Trump Administration Urged 4H Youth Group to Drop LGBT Policy: Daily News Roundup
The move helped lead to the CEO’s firing. Plus, housing units for homeless people provided by a New York City nonprofit are unsafe for children, according to a city review, and the group fails to see that residents get social services; a foundation CEO gets about $40,000 a year for working there two hours a week, according to a foundation report; giving circles account for a small fraction of charitable giving, but they’ve been on the rise; and much more.
Michael Bloomberg Commits $1.8 Billion to Johns Hopkins: Updated News Roundup
Updated: The record-breaking gift will go to the Johns Hopkins University for financial aid so any student, regardless of family income, can attend the institution. Plus: AbbVie will give $55 million to groups that help low-income students succeed in school. Plus, the IRS says gift and estate tax limits will be higher in 2019; three people are under arrest for a GoFundMe campaign based on a fabricated story, which raised $400,000; a company launched by Bono’s daughter has created a tool to make donating and social activism simpler; Tennessee’s education commissioner will become head of a national education charity; and more news and articles.
More than Half of LGBTQ Staff at Foundations Are Not ‘Fully Out’ at Work, Report Says
“We expected a higher percentage of people to be out across the board — it was shocking, surprising, and alarming,” said the study’s lead author.
By Julian Wyllie
Contributor
2018 Election Results Prove Why Grant Makers Shouldn’t Abandon the South
Many foundations stepped up their efforts in the region after Trump was elected, and that paid off last week. But there’s more to be done to help people of color, women, and others who are too often left out of decision making.
By TYLER NICKERSON
Contributor
Amgen Foundation Commits $21 Million for Scholarships: Grants Roundup
Also, Hewlett Packard Enterprise gives $10 million for data-science research at the University of Houston, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester is using $1 million to examine the roots of hate crimes.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Fostering Civic Engagement Can Help Close Nation’s Divides, Say Nonprofit Officials
Local communities suffer less from division than the nation as a whole, providing an avenue for unifying people, said a panel of philanthropic leaders at the National Press Club.
By Timothy Sandoval
Contributor
Wealthy Donors of Color Largely Ignored by Philanthropy, Study Says
White donors still have the most money to give largely because of inheritances, but that is changing as the nation becomes increasingly diverse and as minorities become more upwardly mobile.
By Julian Wyllie
Contributor
Money From Sale of Seattle Seahawks Will Go to Paul Allen Foundation: Daily News Roundup
No sale is imminent, but a report says that potential buyers are preparing to bid on the team and the sale “could set a record.” In other articles, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has given $200 million to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation; contributions to the Clinton Foundation have dropped for the third year in a row; the Washington Post looks at how the Southern Poverty Law Center defines hate; and more news and articles about big donors and gifts as well as ideas and innovation.
Harvard Medical School Gets $200 Million to Speed Up Research: Daily News Roundup
The money will go, in part, for data science and a lab space for biotech startups. In other articles, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s new CEO has been an executive with Arizona State and Stanford universities; and the Catholic Church has a history of moving priests accused of sex abuse into non-English-speaking immigrant communities, according to legal documents from child-abuse settlements that took place decades ago. Plus, more news.
Ex-Congressman Gets 10 Years for Stealing Charity Gifts: Daily News Roundup
Steve Stockman of Texas was found guilty of stealing hundreds of thousands and using it for personal expenses and his political campaigns. In other articles, a donor has withdrawn $25 million from a performing-arts center because its plans for expansion didn’t fit with his philanthropic priorities; a longtime CEO of a Louisiana hospital foundation has been fired after a third-party investigation found “a pattern of forgery and embezzlement of funds”; and more nonprofit news.
Home Depot Foundation Commits Additional $250 Million to Aid Veterans
The foundation has already spent $250 million since 2011 to help veterans facing homelessness, fund efforts to build and improve ex-warrior’s houses, and other programs.
By Timothy Sandoval
Contributor
One Third of Foundation CEOs Are Reluctant to Disclose Failures, Report Says
A similar percentage said they feel pressure from their board of directors to withhold information about failures, according to the report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy.
By Julian Wyllie
Contributor