New ideas about philanthropy are springing up from all sorts of places. Meet some of the innovators who are helping nonprofits break the mold.
By Drew Lindsay
Contributor
New Venture Connects Socially Minded Artists With Cash
Laura Callanan worries that “new philanthropy,” which tends to focus on creative investments in education and social-service nonprofits, will leave cultural causes behind.
By Drew Lindsay
Contributor
Former Rabble-Rouser Works With ‘the System’ to Cut Recidivism
A Boston-area nonprofit leader and investors like Goldman Sachs and the Kresge Foundation gamble on the nation’s largest pay-for-success program, with seven years to show results.
By Drew Lindsay
Contributor
Small Firm Cuts Big Deals to Fight Global Problems
Tiny Geneva Global attracts Wall Street types to neglected international causes by focusing on results and sharing data with donors.
By Drew Lindsay
Contributor
$53 Million Fund Blends Philanthropy and Investing for a Big Bet in Education
Reach Capital pools dollars from Silicon Valley moguls and traditional grant makers to back ed-tech companies.
By Drew Lindsay
Contributor
Leader Seeks to Break Crisis-Response Pattern After Shootings by Police
Susan Taylor Batten, head of the Association of Black Foundation Executives, works to help grant makers understand — and address — the systemic racism underlying police killings of unarmed African-Americans.
By Drew Lindsay
Contributor
Sibling Engineers ‘Crowdfund’ Health Data to Improve Lives
Harnessing the power of the breakout ideas behind Facebook and Kiva, Jamie and Ben Heywood see huge potential in a model for sharing medical information.
By Drew Lindsay
Contributor
Rebuilding With a New Blueprint
A Wisconsin community foundation abandons tradition and takes a prominent role in revitalizing the local economy after devastating job losses.
By Drew Lindsay
Contributor
Spreading the Entrepreneurial Gospel to Christian Social Ventures
Praxis offers a corporate-style “accelerator” program to help faith-grounded nonprofits and social enterprises grow and attract investment while staying true to religious principles.
By Drew Lindsay
Contributor
New Philanthropy’s Biggest Stars
These 17 creative thinkers are finding new ways to fight poverty, support artists, and adapt business practices and other ideas to do good.
By Drew Lindsay
Contributor
Commander-in-Chief to Activist-in-Chief
After leaving the White House, Michelle and Barack Obama are expected to step up as powerhouse nonprofit advocates and fundraisers.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Charities Hope First Lady’s Work on Obesity Is Just the Beginning
Nonprofit leaders say the first lady has used her bully pulpit to bring unprecedented attention to childhood obesity and foster public-private partnerships to tackle the issue — work that will outlive her time in the East Wing.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Why Gender Gap in Nonprofit CEO Pay Just Might Be Closing
A Chronicle analysis of compensation found that median pay for women leading private universities was 93 percent of what their male counterparts made. The divide at social-service organizations was even smaller.
By Drew Lindsay
Contributor
From Anti-Graffiti to Pro-Art: Murals as Engines for Good
An effort to fight graffiti has grown into an enormous public art program that backers see as an engine for education, community empowerment, and economic revitalization.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Suggesting Low Gift Amounts Can Drag Down Fundraising Results, Study Finds
A new report on the practice of “anchoring,” or suggesting specific dollar figures when soliciting donations, indicates that low anchors may depress giving more than high ones bring it up.
By Eden Stiffman
Senior Editor
Why We Should Urge the Next President to Create an Office for Nonprofits
Nobody in the federal government looks out for the ways nonprofits could do more for society — or how their work could be hindered by new policies.
By Alan J. Abramson
Contributor