Solar Company’s Charitable Work Offers a Popular Perk: Travel Abroad
SolarCity, whose chairman is Elon Musk, has created a foundation that aims to light up 1,000 schools worldwide this year, including in earthquake-ravaged Nepal.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
Opinion: ‘Effective Altruism’ Promotes Analytical Giving
The New York Times’ Economic View column examines the burgeoning “effective altruism” movement, which encourages donors to take a more scientific, less emotional approach to philanthropy.
ALS Researcher Credits Ice Bucket Dollars for Progress Toward Cure
VICE reports on a new study in Science Magazine showing major progress in the search for the cause of ALS, work that one researcher attributes to donations generated by last summer’s Ice Bucket Challenge.
Google Co-Founder Views Tech Investment as a Way to Give
This week’s announcement of Google’s restructuring under the umbrella company Alphabet, which will allow co-founder Larry Page more freedom to pursue big “long-shot” projects, echoes his belief that for-profit enterprise can do more to change the world than traditional philanthropy, writes Vox columnist Dylan Matthews.
Silicon Valley Incubator Favors Nonprofits With Sustainable Funding
An article in Financial Times looks at the four nonprofits selected to participate in the next cohort at Y Combinator, the prestigious start-up incubator in Silicon Valley.
Opinion: Has Effective Altruism Lost Its Focus on Real Problems?
After attending the Effective Altruism Global conference, columnist Dylan Matthews of Vox suggests that the movement’s dominance by white male tech industry workers is skewing its focus away from problems like poverty and toward existential risks like an artificial-intelligence apocalypse.
Marshall Project Expands Role but Still Faces Money Challenges
Eight months after the launch of the Marshall Project, Nieman Journalism Lab finds that the nonprofit criminal justice-focused news site has diversified its coverage and developed effective partnerships with other media, but fundraising remains challenging.
After Katrina, a Housing Project is Reborn as Mixed-Income Model
Marketplace visits the Columbia Parc at the Bayou District, a nonprofit-financed mixed-income development in New Orleans that replaced a housing project damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
What a Donor Learned After Giving $1 Million, $1,000 a Day
The foundation, which provides $1,000 grants every day of the year, recently gave out its millionth dollar. The group’s leaders reflect on what they’ve learned.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Music Festivals Increasingly Add Charity to the (Dance) Mix
From Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan to Drake and the Strokes, the industry is seizing the opportunity to reach a younger crowd while raising money for causes.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Massachusetts Land Trust Uses Crowdfunding to Conserve Acreage
Two hundred and twenty six individuals donated a total of $25,000 during the seven-week campaign for Sudbury Valley Trustees, which was run through WorthWild, a company that specializes in environmental fundraising, according to The Boston Globe.
Trish Tchume’s Social-Media Favorites
The inaugural director of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network shares some of her favorite individuals to follow.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor
Rebuilding After Katrina, the Toyota Way
The St. Bernard Project, founded to help New Orleans residents recover from the hurricane, cuts wasted time using methods pioneered by the world’s largest car maker.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Blooms Behind Bars: Making Prisons More Humane
A green revolution is sprouting behind the nation’s prison walls, with nonprofits helping inmates return to society healthier, more peaceful, and more productive.
By Heather Joslyn
Contributor
Student Advice on How to Attract Young Talent to Nonprofits
Interns from Americans for the Arts said that to attract them to jobs, charities need to embrace change, be honest about the workload, and pay more.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor
Opinion: Is Technology Helping People Do Good or Do Well?
As Silicon Valley moguls talk up technology’s promise to drive social change, six academics, futurists, and philanthropists consider whether the tech industry is improving the world or just improving bottom lines, in The New York Times Room for Debate opinion feature.