Where the Wild Things Really Are: Urban Backyards
With the help of citizen scientists and a crowdsourcing app, a museum in Los Angeles is compiling what it says is the world’s largest urban biodiversity inventory.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Lawyer Mobilizes Nonprofit to Force Reckoning on History of Racism
Acclaimed author and death-row attorney Bryan Stevenson wants America to learn how a long history of injustice underlies many of today’s most vexing problems.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
San Francisco Mulls ‘Tech Tax’ to Subsidize Programs for Needy
A group of nonprofit activists and city supervisors is pushing a payroll levy on technology companies to help pay for affordable housing and programs for the homeless, the growing need for which is viewed by many in the area as a byproduct of the tech boom, writes The New York Times.
Apple and Google Intrigued by Upstart Nonprofit’s Effort to Diversify Tech Field
Laura Weidman Powers is expanding a nonprofit — with support from some giant companies — that helps people of color move beyond internships.
By Heather Joslyn
Contributor
Red Cross Apologizes for Safety Poster Decried as Racist
The charity issued a mea culpa for a poster it produced promoting pool safety that drew online criticism for making its examples of misbehavior primarily children of color, CNN reports.
Court Stops Construction of Diller’s $130 Million N.Y. Park
A New York State appeals court granted a preliminary injunction Thursday temporarily halting work on the Hudson River park project financially backed by billionaire media mogul Barry Diller, writes The New York Times.
Prospects Still Dim for Ex-Va. Governor’s Slavery Museum
Former governor Douglas Wilder’s attempt to resurrect his planned United States National Slavery Museum in Richmond, Va., appears no closer to fruition than his original proposal, which foundered after more than two decades of planning and fundraising, writes The New York Times.
U. of Maryland Foundation Joins Fossil-Fuel Divestment Push
The university affiliate that oversees the system’s $1 billion endowment will withdraw all direct investments in coal, oil, and natural gas and appoint a staff member to focus on financial opportunities in renewables, The Baltimore Sun reports.
Study Gives Top Human-Rights Groups Low Marks on Transparency
Human Rights Watch, the United States Institute of Peace, and the Open Society Foundations ranked near the bottom in the study by watchdog group Transparify, which rated 200 think tanks and advocacy nonprofits on their level and quality of donor disclosure, the Thomson Reuters Foundation writes.
‘Mein Kampf’ Profits to Benefit Care for Holocaust Survivors
After drawing ire for a plan to use the money for projects supporting tolerance generally rather than Jewish causes, publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt agreed to give its proceeds from Hitler’s notorious manifesto to a charity that supports survivors of the Nazi regime, The Boston Globe reports.
Milk Magnate Sets Pace in China With Embrace of Big Giving
The Financial Times profiles Chinese dairy magnate Niu Gensheng, one of the first of his country’s business titans to commit to large-scale philanthropy.
6 Pitfalls of Donor Databases and How to Avoid Them
An expert on nonprofit database management offers tips for anticipating and preparing for common challenges.
By Christopher Moy
Contributor
Founder of Schools Nonprofit Enters 2017 Race for L.A. Mayor
The candidacy of Steve Barr, former leader of charter-school network Green Dot, raises the potential for education to take center stage in next year’s city election, the Los Angeles Times writes.
Walton Fund Commits $250 Million to Expand Charter Schools
The foundation headed by heirs to the Walmart fortune will facilitate financing for charter groups across the country to add 250,000 student spots by 2027, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Charity Loophole Opens Way for Import of Endangered Animals
Hunters, breeders, and attractions like zoos, circuses, and theme parks have been able to get around federal restrictions on the import of endangered species by making donations of a few thousand dollars to conservation charities, Reuters reports.
Podcast: Fine-Tuning Fundraising to Draw Female Donors
Andrea Pactor of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy talks about what nonprofits can do to draw support from a growing class of wealthy women.
By TONY MARTIGNETTI
Contributor