Robert Smith, Carnegie Hall’s first African-American board chair, is making a splash with his giving.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
Beware the Bearer of Big Gifts
Praise for megadonors like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and David Rubenstein is now tinged with questions about whether their good works are really good for society.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
Billionaire John Arnold Defends His Philanthropy, Big Gifts, and Mark Zuckerberg
“It is easier to criticize a personality than an organization,” Mr. Arnold says in an interview with The Chronicle, in which he also explains his support for a controversial Baltimore surveillance program.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
The 2017 Philanthropy 50: Where They Live, Where They Give, and More
We break down our ranking by geography, age, and source of wealth and examine a decade of big-donor giving.
By Maria Di Mento and Nidhi Singh
How Many Forbes 400 Billionaires Gave Big in 2016?
The number who made the Philanthropy 50 may surprise you. Plus: We list the Giving Pledge members who stepped up last year.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Decline in Giving by Individuals Last Year Kept College Fundraising Flat
U.S. universities raised $41 billion, barely more than the previous year. Harvard led the way, taking in nearly $1.2 billion.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
The Chronicle Digs Deep to Compile Annual List of Top 50 Donors
Inside the methodology for tallying which philanthropists gave away the most in in 2016.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual ranking of America’s biggest donors, with details about their gifts and favorite causes. Plus: Read about Sheryl Sandberg, Roxanne Quimby, Robert Smith, and others changing the face of philanthropy.
Gifts Roundup: $25 Million Donation Boosts U. of Texas Medical School
Other notable gifts include $25 million for a new music building at Notre Dame and $12.5 million for a student center at Weill Cornell Medicine.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
A Small Nonprofit’s Investment in Fundraising Pays Off
The Community Sailing Center in Vermont made the most of a government grant and a surprise donation to build its development capability.
By Rebecca Koenig
Contributor
U. of Michigan Fundraisers Land Big Gifts Faster Thanks to Videos From Dean
Gift officers at the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering use personalized messages to get the dean involved earlier in the cultivation process.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
How One Nonprofit Formed a Planned-Giving Council and How You Can, Too
An advisory group can help manage bequests and planned gifts — and potentially build ties to wealthy prospective donors.
By Timothy Sandoval
Contributor
Gifts Roundup: Bay Area Billionaires Give $100 Million for STEM Campus
Other notable donations include $12 million to expand the University of Utah’s business school and $8 million plus a trove of Old Master drawings to the University of North Carolina’s Ackland Art Museum.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Daily News Roundup: Faith-Based Resettlement Charities Decry Trump Order
Also, household-products giant SC Johnson and its CEO give $150 million Cornell’s business school, and a Republican gay-rights group commits to working with the Trump White House.
Big Charities Closed Out 2016 With a Surge in Donations
Nonprofits hope 2017 will be a success, too, but worry about President Trump’s position on numerous issues and that an economic downturn might be looming.
By Timothy Sandoval and Eden Stiffman
Daily News Roundup: Finalists Named for $20 Million X Prize Moon Shot
Also, David Cameron joins the nonprofit world as head of a British Alzheimer’s charity, and the New York Philharmonic loses its president.