The bulk of the money will be in the form of loans and equity; $16 million will be philanthropy. Plus, some Mega Millions players say they would give to charity if they won; the D.C. attorney general begins an investigation into sex abuse by Catholic priests; U.S. regulators offer to help a new nonprofit drug company backed by some of the country’s top hospitals; after an explosive device was found in George Soros’s mailbox, his foundation denounces the “politics of hate"; and more.
Grants Roundup: 2 Groups to Receive $100 Million Each
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will use the money for better detection, diagnosis, and treatment of lung infections, and the University of Arkansas Foundation will endow the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute for civic, cultural, educational, and research programs.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
MacArthur, Seeing Success in Reducing Jail Time, Boosts Funding for Criminal Justice Overhaul
The grant maker added $22 million in criminal-justice grants to its Safety and Justice Challenge, bringing the total commitments under the three-year-old program to $148 million.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
Explosive Device Found Near George Soros’s Home: Daily News Roundup
No one was hurt; the motive was unclear. In other articles, the wife of the former president of the University of Oregon denies a new book’s claim that Phil Knight threatened to withhold funds from the university because of a dispute over workers’ rights; a $120 million gift from a Canadian company will create a foundation to support youths; and Ryan Murphy gives $10 million to a hospital that treated his then-2-year-old son for cancer. Plus, more about ideas and innovation and cultural groups.
Billionaire Is Devoting $100 Million to Curbing Drug Prices: Daily News Roundup
Former energy trader John Arnold’s focus on bringing down high prices has the drug industry rattled. In other articles, San Francisco’s tech leaders are in an uproar over a tax proposal to help the homeless; and at the Harvard admissions trial, emails were presented as evidence that the university favors people related to or of interest to big donors. Plus, additional news and features about sexual abuse at nonprofits, philanthropy under scrutiny, and more.
Clark Foundation Spins Off Blue Meridian as It Works to Spend All of Its Assets
The grant-making collaboration that Clark created, which has attracted $1.7 billion in commitments from wealthy philanthropies, will become an independent nonprofit organization.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
Charities Again Holding Galas at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago: Daily News Roundup
A few charities that stopped holding galas at the Florida resort last year due to the president’s controversial comments are planning events there this winter. Plus, legal experts say the Heritage Foundation’s efforts to train and influence law clerks raises ethical issues; two New York museums say they will not use Saudi money for programs on Middle Eastern art; Chinese-Americans are gaining prominence as U.S. donors; and more news and articles on giving, ideas and innovation, and obituaries.
Ballmers Tap Housing Expert as They Expand Anti-Poverty Efforts
Terri Ludwig, president of Enterprise Community Partners, was chosen in part for her ability “to create an ecosystem where kids and families thrive.”
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
New CEO at Annie E. Casey Foundation Launched Report on Racial Disparities
The grant maker promoted Lisa Hamilton to the top job. The recurring Race for Results report that she initiated in 2014 measures how children from different racial and ethnic backgrounds are faring on key milestones from birth to adulthood.
By Julian Wyllie
Contributor
Elaborate Scam Aimed at Women’s March: Daily News Roundup
The fake events posted on Facebook to exploit people’s interest in politics and protests originated in Bangladesh. In other articles, Opportunity Zones give the rich a way to get tax breaks for spending money in low-income areas; new data show how orchestras are segregated by gender; three George O’Keeffe paintings deaccessioned by the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, N.M., could fetch $30 million at auction; and more about big donors and ideas and innovation.
NPR Hires Top News Executive: Daily News Roundup
Nancy Barnes, executive editor at the Houston Chronicle, will take over a year after Michael Oreskes stepped down over allegations of sexual harassment. Plus, bitcoin donations are puzzling to colleges; candidates for the University of Michigan Board of Regents are proposing plans to make the handling of endowment investments more transparent; data show that disaster aid in Houston didn’t go to people who most needed it; and more news and ideas, plus articles about Paul Allen’s legacy.
Philanthropy Won’t Change the World Unless It Takes More Risks. Here’s How.
Grant makers are often focused on helping people who face wrenching challenges every day. So why is it so hard to do what it takes to make a difference?
By Lisa Ranghelli
Contributor
Grants Roundup: $200 Million for Parks and Trails; $25 Million for Animal Protection
Also, the Helmsley Charitable Trust gives $7.8 million for emergency psychiatric assessments, and the Nuclear Threat Initiative gets a $1.2 million boost for its nuclear-terrorism campaigns.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
‘More Than Me’ CEO Leaves Her Post Temporarily After ProPublica Exposé: Daily News Roundup
The group’s board chairman has also stepped down. and several other investigations of the nonprofit are ongoing. Plus, George Mason University’s review of philanthropic giving and donor influence is finished, but the institution still has issues to resolve; a look at Priscilla Chan’s ambitious philanthropic plans; the #MeToo movement’s founder is trying to move beyond trauma; Jeff Bezos discusses charity versus government; and much more about people, innovation, and presidential politics.
Paul Allen’s $2 Billion in Lifetime Gifts Went to Eclectic Mix of Causes, From Brainy to Whimsical
Now the question is how much of his $20 billion estate is likely to go to philanthropic causes. As a signer of the Giving Pledge, he committed at least half his wealth to charity.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Harvard Gets $100 Million for Sciences and Math: Daily News Roundup
Part of the donation will be in the form of unrestricted money for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Plus, the Salesforce and Twitter chiefs are sparring over a San Francisco ballot measure to help the homeless; leading researches at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have disclosed relationships with health-care companies that they had not previously disclosed; a Hong Kong movie star says he will give most of his $714 million fortune to charity; and more about innovation, people, and the arts.