Bob Bothwell’s Fearless and Effective Advocacy Shifted Power in Philanthropy to Nonprofits
As the first leader of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, a watchdog group founded in 1976, he spoke bluntly about what was wrong with grant making and pushed for change in an era when foundation critiques were rarely welcomed.
By Aaron Dorfman and James Abernathy
The Exodus of Everyday Donors Is Bad for America. Here’s How to Stop It.
The decline in charitable giving by average Americans threatens democracy. Among the solutions: pooled micro-donations, giving incentives, and a focus on the donor relationship.
By Victoria Vrana
Contributor
The PEN America Crisis, Free Speech, and the Future of Big Tent Organizations
Foundations that fund organizations focused on free speech and bridging ideological divides must ask themselves which ideas are worth defending.
By Joel Simon
Contributor
Which Pro-Democracy Initiatives Work? Philanthropy Has No Idea
Clear answers will require investments in solutions-focused research — and an easily accessible evidence base.
By Andrew J. Seligsohn
Contributor
Here’s Why So Little Humanitarian Aid Is Reaching Gaza
A professor who has spent decades overseeing relief operations around the world says many things are hampering desperately needed relief: Israel controls all of the border crossings into Gaza and does intensive searches of trucks for security reasons, slowing down the deliveries. Even if aid does cross into Gaza, it does not mean the goods will reach people in need.
By Raymond C. Offenheiser
Contributor
A Trip to Alabama, Lessons About Race, and the Payoffs of Out-of-the Box Grants
Visiting the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice helped grantees better understand America’s history of racial injustice while promoting empathy and awareness.
By Anne Marie Burgoyne
Contributor
Where Should the Nonprofit World Stand on Campus Protests?
Stop romanticizing student demonstrators against the war in Gaza, and start encouraging them to reexamine their strategy.
By Eboo Patel
Contributor
Expiring Tax Breaks, Charitable Giving, and What’s at Stake for Philanthropy
Proposed changes to the tax code will significantly reduce donations, the author argues, spelling trouble for charities.
By Jack Salmon
Contributor
MacKenzie Scott and the Case for Giving to Very Small Nonprofits Like Mine
Ninety-two percent of organizations — including the one I founded — have budgets of less than $1 million and know what their communities need most. But Scott and others make it impossible for us to get needed funds.
By Sneha Dave
Contributor
Ahead of the Curve: Patricia Bauman Set the Standard for Multiyear Giving
Long before it was common, Bauman devoted family assets to protecting democracy — and acted as a tugboat to pull wealthier foundations into the cause.