Inside MacArthur’s Rapid Strategic Shift to ‘Big Bets’
The foundation’s president explains how the Paris climate pact, the Chan-Zuckerberg pledge, and other factors are influencing America’s 10th-biggest grant maker.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
India Lifts Restrictions on Ford Foundation Activities
Ending an eight-month dispute with the Ford Foundation, India’s government removed the U.S. philanthropy from a list of foreign organizations requiring official clearance to spend money in the country, The Hindu reports.
Kresge Fund Commits $20 Million for Early-Childhood Programs
Calling high-quality early-childhood care a key to Detroit’s turnaround, the Kresge Foundation announced a five-year, $20 million effort Thursday to expand and improve programs for kids up to 5 years old, The Detroit News reports.
S. African Fund Manager Gives Control of Firms to Foundation
The namesake founder of Cape Town investment house Allan Gray has turned over controlling interest in the firm and its offshore partner to his family foundation, which could reap tens of millions of dollars a year in dividends to be devoted to charity, Bloomberg and South African newspaper Business Day write.
Foundations Applaud White House Gun-Violence Actions
Grant makers and charities think the new executive actions will increase momentum on the issue, but some question why more foundations haven’t joined the fight.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Walton Foundation Pledges $1 Billion to Back Charter Schools
The five-year commitment matches what the charitable fund headed by heirs of the Walmart fortune has spent to build and support charters over the past two decades, the Associated Press writes.
Ex-Supermarket Executive Pleads Guilty to Foundation Fraud
A former vice president of the British supermarket chain Asda admitted in court Wednesday to steering some $263,000 from the company’s charity fund to benefit a ballet troupe headed by his partner, reports The Guardian.
Grants Roundup: Joyce Foundation Awards $14.4 Million to Wide-Ranging Causes
Other awards include $6.7 million from the John A. Hartford Foundation to five organizations working to improve the care of older adults.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Mich. Family Behind Amway Has Given Away $1.2 Billion
The Grand Rapids Press offers the first detailed look at the philanthropy of Rich DeVos, the billionaire co-founder of the Amway direct-retail empire, and his children.
Opinion: How to Report on Giving by the Superrich
The New York Review of Books examines how the media covers large-scale philanthropy by billionaire financiers, tech titans, and major corporations in the second of two articles on coverage of the “1 percent.”
Common Core Fight Embroiled Big Donors and Top Executives
Fortune examines the roles big business and big philanthropy played in developing the Common Core standards for public-school curricula and how they responded when the widely adopted guidelines sparked a largely conservative-led backlash.
Michael Brennan: Tech Expert Takes on Social Ills
The program officer at the Ford Foundation puts his Ph.D. in computer science to work as he explores the impact of technology on society.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Vu Le: Speaking Truth to Power — Humorously
A blogger uses startling honesty and whip-smart humor to say things many nonprofit workers wish they could say.
Rev. Starsky Wilson: Ministering to the City
Equally at home navigating the halls of power and standing arm-in-arm with protesters, he is an influential voice for justice in St. Louis.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
Ryan Friedrichs: Detroit’s Philanthropy Point Man
The Army veteran was appointed chief development officer for the city after demonstrating his leadership at three civic-engagement groups.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Trista Harris: Setting a Bigger Table
The president of the Minnesota Council on Foundations is always inviting, encouraging, and equipping grant makers to reposition themselves for impact in the years to come.
By Guest Contributor and Kate Wolford