Leaders and advocates debate what it will take to strengthen communities, civil society, and the country.
Advice to Keep Tough Conversations Civil
A primer for the nonprofit professional who has to keep things cool even when temperatures are rising.
By Rasheeda Childress
Senior Editor, Fundraising
A Hidden Burden on Low-Income Communities That Philanthropy Can Help Fix
Matched-fund requirements make accessing federal infrastructure and climate dollars all but impossible for the very communities grant makers seek to help.
By Louise Lief
Contributor
Emerson Collective, Laurene Powell Jobs’s Organization, Looks to Local Leaders to Bridge Divides
This year’s fellows are all local leaders pursuing projects of their own creation. Each fellow will receive $125,000 from the collective.
By Thalia Beaty
Associated Press
What Happened to George Soros’s $100 Million Bet? How Human Rights Watch Went Global.
In 2010, Open Society Institute gave its biggest gift to a New York City-based human-rights nonprofit, with the mandate to expand internationally. Meanwhile, the world became more authoritarian.
By Tamara Straus
Contributor
Racial Justice Programs Under Fire: Foundations Are Running Scared When They Should Double Down
Perceived legal threats following the Supreme Court affirmative action ruling are causing grant makers to backslide, fueling notions that racial justice work is discriminatory or illegal.
To Help Grantees Win Infrastructure Dollars, Business as Usual Won’t Cut It
Philanthropy has an unprecedented chance to support communities that were often harmed and rarely benefited from federal infrastructure projects.
By Michael McAfee
Contributor
The Nonprofit at the Heart of a Collision of Science, Politics, Business, and Big Philanthropy
The Everglades Foundation has been at the forefront of restoring the Florida wetlands for 30 years. Not everyone is on board with its environmental plans.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Politics and Charity in 2024: Why It’s Time to Draw a Hard Line
This year’s election demands greater scrutiny of nonprofits involved in political activities.
By Craig Kennedy
Contributor
From TV’s ‘The Gilded Age’ to the Fight for Reparations: Lessons for Philanthropy in 2024
What binge watching a popular television show taught me about philanthropy’s ongoing efforts to move away from antiquated notions of charity.
By Lisa Pilar Cowan
Contributor
Art + Activism = Change. But It’s a Formula Philanthropy Largely Ignores.
Shifting cultural attitudes is the key to lasting social change. That’s why grant makers need to encourage and support alliances between artists and advocates.
By Ken Grossinger
Contributor
I Spent 3 Years in Solitary Confinement. Why Isn’t Philanthropy Doing More to End This Torture?
A movement to end solitary confinement is gaining momentum, but criminal justice donors feel their money is better spent elsewhere. That’s a mistake.
By Johnny Perez
Contributor
Financial Climate and Trust Issues Trouble Nonprofit Sector, Report Finds
Workers are financially stressed and burnt out, nonprofits are less involved in lobbying and advocacy than they were a generation ago, and public trust and donor participation are declining, according to a study from Independent Sector.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
What Palestine Needs From U.S. Philanthropy
Donors committed to human rights must stop turning a blind eye to the assault on Gaza.
By Muhi Khwaja
Contributor
The Best Hope for Ending the Israel-Hamas War? Civil Society Peace-Builders
Grant makers are reluctant to support the risky work of groups struggling to build peace in the Middle East. But they need us now more than ever.
By Perry Cammack
Contributor
Why Competitions Can Actually Level the Philanthropic Playing Field
When done right, grant competitions can encourage equity and quickly create lasting change.
By Cecilia A. Conrad
Contributor