Can Philanthropy Save Democracy?
A growing number of grant makers of all ideologies see restoring constructive dialogue among citizens and fairness at the ballot box as vital to their cause.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Fun With Gerrymandering: Mapping Software Gives Ordinary Citizens a Lesson in Civics
A group of seven grant makers in Pennsylvania recently ventured into some unusual territory for most of them: the arcane world of congressional redistricting.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Grant Makers Want to Help People Use Their Voices
Some are working to get specific segments of the population more involved in civic affairs while others are taking a broader-based approach to educate people about the Constitution and the political system.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
The Microsoft alums are major donors who are building a brain trust of the best minds in philanthropy to understand how race undergirds big problems like homelessness and educational disparities.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Tiny Grant Maker North Star Points the Way to Big Shake-Up in Philanthropy
Its “participatory grant making” model, where control of the money is ceded to the community it serves, has drawn notice from bigger foundations and young philanthropists.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Most Foundations Expect Their Grant Making to Hold Steady or Decline in 2019
A survey conducted earlier this year by Candid is a worrisome sign for nonprofits that are already feeling the pinch from declines in individual giving.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Billionaire Robert Smith Pushes Plan to Boost Minority Students’ Access to Internships
His pledge to wipe out the student debt of 400 Morehouse graduates drew big headlines, but he has even bigger goals to help minority students, including a plan to help thousands nationwide get their first crucial work experience.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Tyler Cowen’s Free-Market Think Tank Takes Innovative Approach to Tech Grants
Emergent Ventures, a program at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, gives grantees wide latitude to pursue ideas with little oversight.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Justice Funders wants to weaken top-down decision-making at foundations and expand the scope of grantee influence. The group already has a big footprint in California and hopes its ideas catch fire nationwide.
By Alex Daniels and Ben Gose
Carol Larson, Packard CEO Who Took Vigorous Action on Climate Change, Plans to Leave
Larson’s tenure also saw a boost in grant making on health care.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations