Hewlett Ends Effort to Get Donors to Make Dispassionate Choices on Giving
When the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation ended grants for efforts to get donors to act more like data-driven investors, it divided the world of philanthropy: those who want more attention to results and those who want more focus on long-term gains.
By Doug Donovan
Contributor
Foundation Group Expands to Reach More Donors
The Association of Small Foundations is changing its name to Exponent Philanthropy and expanding its membership to include people who create donor-advised funds and others.
By Doug Donovan
Contributor
A New Guide Helps Foundations Become More Transparent
Online grants databases and shared feedback from grantees make it easy for charities to learn more about foundations and help improve the quality of applicants.
By Sarah Frostenson
Contributor
Foundation Assets Reach Highest Level Since Downturn
Assets are at least 16 percent lower than in 2007, the year before the Great Recession gutted endowments, and grant making is down 6.5 percent.
By Sarah Frostenson and Doug Donovan
‘Collective Impact’ to Solve Problems Gets More Attention From Grant Makers
Foundation leaders at the annual conference of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations focused on ways government, schools, businesses, and nonprofits can work together on a shared vision.
By Ben Gose
Senior Editor
How The Chronicle Conducted Its Survey of America’s Wealthiest Grant Makers
The annual report on grant makers analyzed financial data from 195 of the wealthiest grant makers in America.
By Sarah Frostenson
Contributor
Some Grant Makers Get Savvier About Aid to War Veterans
But navigating the thousands of groups is challenging, in part because of a lack of research on what works and because too many projects are ineffective.
By Doug Donovan
Contributor
Dubuque Community Fund’s Example of Involving Locals Is Blueprint for Others
Project ideas solicited from citizens groups were so creative that the community foundation plans to reach out regularly in setting its agenda.
By Ben Gose
Senior Editor
Foundations Are Supporting More Local Groups Working in Tandem
Some foundations are bucking the trend of working on a single issue and instead enlisting community coalitions to focus on pressing problems.
By Doug Donovan
Contributor
Push Ideas That Work: Advice for Grant Seekers
Foundations are looking for nonprofits that can make social services more cost-effective and efficient.
By Ben Gose and Doug Donovan
Bill Gates Asks Why ‘Technocrats’ Aren’t Fixing ‘Gameable’ U.S. Safety Net
It’s time to redesign programs that help the poor, says the philanthropist, who fears today’s system is “totally gameable.”
By Heather Joslyn
Contributor
Bill Gates Takes His Antipoverty Crusade to the Nighttime TV Comedy Circuit
Wearing goofy disguises, the philanthropist appeared with Jimmy Fallon to call attention to his foundation’s annual message.
By Doug Donovan
Contributor
Foundation Assets Are Climbing, but Grants Are Still Competitive
A Chronicle survey of the wealthiest grant makers finds that assets are still at least 16 percent lower than in 2007, but that hasn’t put a crimp on ambitious new programs to deal with issues like climate change, cybersecurity, and income inequality.
By Sarah Frostenson and Doug Donovan
A skyrocketing stock market helped boost the assets of big foundations last year to their highest levels since the Great Recession gutted endowments.
Google CEO Larry Page Gave $177-Million to Charity Last Month
Despite his claim that he would rather give to entrepreneur Elon Musk than to charity, the Google CEO made a $177-million gift to a nonprofit, according to SEC records.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Calif. Nonprofits Give Wish List for New Irvine Fund CEO
Think about what California needs, urges a coalition of nonprofits in a letter to the chairman of the James Irvine Foundation.
By Doug Donovan
Contributor