Billionaire Bernie Marcus Gives $20 Million for New Effort for Jewish Teens (Gifts Roundup)
Plus, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute received $5 million and four universities landed big gifts.
Philanthropy Must Act as Nation Faces Potentially Unprecedented Election Crisis
For the first time in modern American history, a sitting president is openly flouting American election norms. What can foundations and donors do about it?
$208 Million Committed in Crisis Relief Campaign That Billionaires Started
A new effort urges increased giving by foundations, donor-advised fund account holders, and wealthy individuals, with a special focus on democracy and racial justice.
Read, Watch, Listen: Sources of Inspiration for the Reimagining Philanthropy Series
This series draws from the work of many activists, writers, filmmakers, and scholars beyond those linked to in the individual articles. The list below offers a fuller picture of all those who inspired this series. For recommendations on more timely resources, follow Lucy Bernholz on Twitter.
Read, Watch, Listen: Sources of Inspiration for the Reimagining Philanthropy Series
This series draws from the work of many activists, writers, filmmakers, and scholars beyond those linked to in the individual articles. The list below offers a fuller picture of all those who inspired this series. For recommendations on more timely resources, follow Lucy Bernholz on Twitter.
Philanthropy Can’t Support the Common Good When It Supports White Supremacy (Letter to the Editor)
Nonprofits that are at the vanguard of advancing nationalism don’t deserve philanthropic support, write two leaders of advocacy groups.
All of Us in Grant Making — Not Just the Financiers — Need to Pay Attention to Investments
For too long, many of us involved in program grants have done too little to push endowment investments to match our mission goals. That’s no longer acceptable.
Philanthropy Is Once Again Undermining Racial-Justice Movements
Grant makers should seek to avoid past mistakes — specifically the practice of using their influence to shape the agendas of vulnerable civil-rights organizations.
Also, Rice University has received $100 million from the Welch Foundation for a new institute to develop advanced materials, and the Langeloth Foundation has given a total of $20 million to voter-engagement groups in underrepresented U.S. communities.
Community Foundations Say Report Undercounts Support for Groups That Serve Blacks
The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy says that an examination of 25 community foundations found that a tiny share of their grants went to organizations that serve Black people. Several of the funds said the study starkly undercounted their giving to such nonprofits.
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan Donate $300 Million for Voting Security (Gifts Roundup)
Plus, four universities and a prestigious art school landed big gifts.
We Need Organized Philanthropy — Not Just Charity — to Create Real Change
This year will no doubt go down as a year of unparalleled change in how people live, work, and interact.
Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation Commits $50 Million for Social Justice (Grants Roundup)
Also, the Koret Foundation has granted $10 million to continue scholarships for underrepresented college students in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is giving $1 million to neighborhood-revitalization projects in Flint, Mich.
In the Pandemic, the Wealthiest Should Take a Cue From Small Foundations
Grant makers with $100 million or less in assets are giving on average 8 percent every year. If more billionaires did that or, better yet, followed through on the Giving Pledge and gave 50 percent of their wealth now, it would make a huge difference in solving the problems cause by the pandemic, climate change, and the struggle for racial justice.
The Current Economic Crisis Is an Opportunity to Reset Philanthropic Priorities
As nonprofits struggle during the pandemic, informal community-based networks of care are thriving. Understanding that phenomenon will help the philanthropic world rebuild into something better.
How the Lessons of Hurricane Katrina Apply to Philanthropy’s Challenges Today
Takema Robinson, executive director of the Greater New Orleans Funders Network, talks about what foundations learned from their efforts to help the region rebuild and how grant makers can apply those lessons to racial justice, pandemic recovery, and more.