MacKenzie Scott: Look for a More Active Year After a Quiet 2023
More clues about where the billionaire’s giving is headed may emerge as early as this month when the winners of her first call for proposals are announced.
By Ben Gose
Senior Editor
How the Chronicle Compiled Its List of the Top 50 Donors of 2023
The data comes from Chronicle research of big donors and the organizations they supported.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Former Professor Gives $1 Billion to Make Medical School Free
Plus, a $25 million gift to the Philadelphia Orchestra honors the legendary opera singer and civil-rights activist Marian Anderson, and the sons of Chinese-immigrant parents give $5 million to honor a Black businessman who helped their family in the 1930s.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Girl Scout Troop Resolved to Support Migrants Despite Backlash
At a Manhattan shelter for asylum-seeking families, Girl Scout Troop 6000 is welcoming a new group of girls who have fled dire conditions in South and Central America.
By Sara Herschander
Contributor
Canceling Student Debt Won’t Fix Higher Education. Donors Must Think Bigger.
While wiping out student debt might bring short-term relief, grant makers need to get behind alternative savings and education options that could remake the entire system.
By Steven Taylor
Contributor
Henry Luce Foundation Awards $12.3 Million to Improve Gender Diversity in STEM
Also, the Helmsley Charitable Trust gave $12 million to study how to help people with Type 1 diabetes safely exercise, and the Wyss Foundation donated $5 million to conserve the 15,500-acre Minam River Ranch in northeast Oregon.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Ukraine Is Facing an Education Crisis. Here’s How Philanthropy Can Help.
Investing in programs for children has immediate benefits and should be a focus of grant-making strategies in Ukraine.
By Justin van Fleet
Contributor
A Ukrainian Humanitarian Worker’s Plea to Philanthropy: Don’t Forget Us
Two years after the Russian invasion, funding to Ukraine has slowed to a trickle. Donors must recommit to supporting the country as government aid falls short.
By Alena Druzhynina
Contributor
Iconiq Impact Awards $56 Million Through Its Education and Economic Mobility Co-Lab
Also, the DeVos Family Foundation has split $50 million among three pediatric-health organizations in Michigan, and Pfizer gave $15 million to the American Cancer Society to address racial disparities in cancer care.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
The Decline in Small-Dollar Giving Hurts Bottom Lines — and Democracy
Mega-donations make headlines but send the message that philanthropy is for the wealthy. We need to celebrate the little gifts that add up to even more.
By Amy Schiller
Contributor
Art Institute of Chicago Lands $25 Million Gift From Bucksbaum Family
Plus, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry got $25 million from alumni couple Charles and Gloria Clough, and Colorado College and University Hospitals also received large sums.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
TD Bank Commits $70 Million for Community and Economic Development
Plus, Lilly Endowment has given $45.5 million to the American Camp Association for character-development programs, and the LEGO Foundation awarded $7.8 million to enhance creative learning experiences for children ages 5 to 12 worldwide.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Anger, Protests, and Vandalism Break Out Over Philanthropy’s Support of the Police
While philanthropy debates public safety, critics question whether private dollars should support policing. In Atlanta, it’s all coming to a head.
By Jim Rendon
Executive Editor
Want Proof Funding Pluralism Works? Consider the Story of a Youth Immigrant Soccer Team.
In a deeply divisive year, philanthropy should invest in the leaders putting pluralism into practice — one community at a time.
By Eboo Patel
Contributor
Former Student Activist Couple Gives UCLA $10 Million for Ethnic Studies Centers
Plus, Leonard and Pamela Schaeffer gave USC $59 million to establish the Leonard D. Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service, and Colby College landed $50 million from Paula and Peter Lunder to back efforts to provide more financial aid to students from underserved backgrounds.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Immigrants Are Under Attack. Where’s Philanthropy?
As border legislation stalls in Congress, grant makers should invest in local groups that are winning victories for migrants and strengthening democratic institutions.
By Rini Chakraborty
Contributor