Daily News Roundup: Soros Gives $18 Billion to His Philanthropy
George Soros has transferred the bulk of his wealth to Open Society Foundations. In other news, Vertex Pharmaceuticals is donating $500 million to charity; lawsuits filed last month charged two Washington State hospitals with aggressive tactics against the poor; two families pledge $60 million to the University of North Carolina; and Sen. Al Franken will donate Harvey Weinstein gifts to charity. Plus, read about the common thread between gay and female Boy Scouts, and more.
Daily News Roundup: Google Pledges $1 Billion for Job Training
Grow With Google aims to help anyone with internet access to prepare for a job in technology. In other news, Eli Broad is retiring from his philanthropy; Rutgers decides to keep a $100,000 gift from Harvey Weinstein and his family foundation; the sale of a charity’s headquarters could bring Roy Moore a windfall; and at Case Western Reserve, faculty members protest the role of a donor on a search committee — and the dean fires back with a blistering six-page letter.
Daily News Roundup: GOP Tax Plan Could Put Charities at Risk
Nonprofits that rely on middle-class donors would be especially vulnerable. In other news, a USC administrator responsible for raising hundreds of millions of dollars has stepped down amid sexual-harassment allegations; the Boy Scouts has announced it will establish a program that would allow older girls to aspire to the Eagle Scout rank; plus, more news about aid to Puerto Rico, donations for Las Vegas shooting victims, and more.
Nonprofits Battle to Get Charitable Deduction Extended to All Taxpayers
Such a proposal has a champion on Capitol Hill, but it’s unclear whether it can get serious traction.
By Alex Daniels and Megan O’Neil
Daily News Roundup: ‘MacArthur Genius’ Grants Announced
Winners of the $625,000 awards include the founder of United We Dream and the leader of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network. In other news, a key GOP representative wants to expand the number of people who can claim a tax break for charitable giving; Yale’s endowment posts disappointing returns; Harvey Weinstein steps down from the Robin Hood Foundation board; and Michael Jordan gives $7 million to health clinics in Charlotte, N.C.
Daily News Roundup: Charity Plans to Give Cash to Houstonians to Rebuild
GiveDirectly is going to hand out debit cards with no strings attached to hurricane victims. In other news, a rally in China’s Tencent Holdings adds billions to the philanthropic commitment of internet mogul Pony Ma; Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel peace prize winner, talks about using capitalism for good; Detroit hopes philanthropy could help in its bid to attract Amazon’s new headquarters; and a new app, patterned after Snapchat and Vine, will use video to encourage giving by young people.
Daily News Roundup: Grass-Roots Anti-Nuclear-Weapons Group Wins Nobel
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, known as ICAN, was honored for its efforts on global nuclear disarmament. In other news, Moody’s is considering a downgrade for University of Louisville because of its basketball scandal; an art museum is being sued for allegedly diverting donor funds; Lin-Manuel Miranda uses music and stars to raise money for Puerto Rico; and other gifts are made for hurricane and shooting victims.
Daily News Roundup: Bloomberg to Match Gifts to Fight Gun Violence
The former N.Y. mayor says he will match all contributions to his nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety. In other news, the Red Cross rebuts an article criticizing its response to Hurricane Harvey; liberals and conservatives want to take action against inequalities in college endowments; and a federal watchdog cites scores of instances in which the IRS has targeted liberal nonprofits for extra scrutiny.
Daily News Roundup: Red Cross Fell Through After Harvey, Say Tex. Officials
In some counties, the Red Cross failed to show up as promised. In other news, distributing aid in Puerto Rico has been a challenge — even though supplies are there. GoFundMe has raised more than $8 million for Las Vegas shooting victims, Warren Buffett urges more action to fight poverty, and Lincoln Center scraps its $500 million Geffen Hall renovation.
Daily News Roundup: GoFundMe Raises $3 Million for Las Vegas Victins
More than 43,000 donations have been made through GoFundMe since the Sunday night shooting. In other news, a ministry has dropped its bias claim against GuideStar, which had labeled it a hate group; Oxfam helps out in Puerto Rico, expressing “outrage” at the U.S. government’s “slow, inadequate” response; and poverty-stricken Kenyans start a savings club with money from GiveDirectly.
Mass Shootings and Philanthropy’s Response
A sampling of opinion pieces from The Chronicle in the wake of the disaster in Las Vegas.
Daily News Roundup: Zuckerberg and Facebook Executives Clash Over Philanthropy Work
Mark Zuckerberg initially wanted Facebook employees to help with Chan Zuckerberg Initiative projects. In other news, a New York charity that a Chinese conglomerate said would become its largest shareholder, rethinks its request for nonprofit status; a hotline for human trafficking gets busier; a tech investor commits $10 million for hurricane aid; a D.C. chef feeds displaced people in disaster zones; and the Metropolitan Opera offers its staff buyouts.
Daily News Roundup: Donors Giving Big to Small Colleges
A $50 million gift to tiny Oglethorpe University, whose endowment is just $33.5 million, is one example of how major gifts can change everything for a small institution. In other news, the Trump administration is coming under fire for its hurricane response in Puerto Rico, and efforts in Los Angeles illustrate how developing housing for people in need can be tough even when the money is there.
Daily News Roundup: Trump Inaugural Committee Gives $3 Million for Storm Relief
In other news, the Hillman Foundation for Cancer Research gives the University of Pittsburgh $30 million, and the annual nonprofit ArtPrize contest, started by Betsy DeVos’s son, takes a political twist this year,
Giving Could Plunge $13 Billion Under Tax Plan, Nonprofit Leader Says
Many nonprofits worry that increasing the standard deduction would depress giving.
By Alex Daniels and Megan O’Neil
Daily News Roundup: $300 Million From Tech Firms Boosts Trump Computer-Science Effort
In other news, many Puerto Ricans are still looking for water, gasoline, and outside assistance a week after a powerful hurricane struck the island; the White House is still weeks away from a formal request for aid, sources say.