New Chair of Rockefeller Brothers Fund Wants the Public to Understand How Philanthropy Works
In an interview, Joseph Pierson, the new chair, and Valerie Rockefeller, the outgoing board leader, discuss general operating support, MacKenzie Scott’s giving approach, whether philanthropy should work to dismantle capitalism, and how the grant maker decided to divest from fossil fuels.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Foundations and Big Donors Step In to Tackle the Nation’s Nurse Shortage
Grant makers are backing ways to pay educational costs and make the jobs more attractive, especially to people of color, who often don’t choose the profession, and promoting innovations such as the use of robots for routine tasks.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
The nation’s biggest private supporter of education says helping kids do better in math will help ensure they graduate high school and get well-paying jobs as adults. That means cutting support for reading, writing, and the arts.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
A new study by the Council on Foundations finds that grant makers are boosting benefits to make up for lack of pay raises. Meanwhile, the boards of foundations aren’t keeping up with strides in race and gender diversity of staff.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Walton Foundation’s Caryl Stern Plans to Step Down After Pandemic Leadership
The nonprofit veteran said she wanted to focus on advancing social change in different ways. Stern’s prior leadership role at Unicef helped her move quickly to advance an ambitious response to the pandemic, which erupted just six weeks after she took over the foundation.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Ford Offers $80 Million to Boost Nonprofit Resilience in the Face of Global Authoritarianism
The new effort will be focused on Africa, Asia, and South America and comes as nonprofits face threats to the safety of their staffs and the survival of their organizations from repressive regimes.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Lion’s Share of Americans Support Giving Everyday Donors Tax Breaks, Poll Finds
Some 85 percent of adults say federal charity deductions shouldn’t be limited to just the wealthiest.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Foundations and Government Team Up to Pay for Legal Help for Immigrants Facing Deportation
Some say government funds shouldn’t provide such services, but others say it’s a smart fiscal move since families left behind may need more social services.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Philanthropy Jumps Into the Spotlight at Next Week’s U.N. Meetings
Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, Hillary and Bill Clinton, and Melinda French Gates will be among the leaders of meetings designed to channel new funds to solving problems like the global refugee crisis, threats to democracy, climate change, and pandemic recovery.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
As More Foundations Seek to Influence Public Perceptions, New Approaches Abound
Grant makers are pouring millions of dollars into work to change public attitudes, but some nonprofits say equal effort needs to be put into building social movements that can advance new policies and ideas.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations