For Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Tobacco Is a Social-Justice Issue
The grant maker has given $10 million largely to help poor people, rural whites, and people of color.
By Marc Gunther
Contributor
Bloomberg’s Millions Funded an Effective Campaign Against Vaping. Could It Do More Harm Than Good?
In September 2019, Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire philanthropist, and Matthew Myers, president of the nonprofit Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, unveiled a $160 million, three-year campaign to end what they described as an epidemic of e-cigarette use among kids.
By Marc Gunther
Contributor
What One Grant Maker Learned in This Pandemic Year: Keep Asking Questions
Brave grantees and fast decision making by foundations were key to getting through the scariest days since lockdown. But it became clearer than ever that foundation officials have a lot to learn, writes Lisa Pilar Cowan.
By Lisa Pilar Cowan
Contributor
$300 Million Health Gift; $85 Million to Okla. Community Foundation
Plus, two medical centers, a global development charity, and a university all landed big gifts.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
2 Years of Strong Fundraising Returns Projected, and 5 Other Giving Predictions
One report forecasts a 4.1 percent increase in total giving in 2021 and a 5.7 percent increase in 2022. Plus, what fundraisers need to know about the future of individual giving, grant making with no strings, the focus on racial justice, and more.
By Michael Theis
Contributor
Conservatives Should Applaud — Not Fight — Efforts to Change Philanthropic Giving Rules
Rather than attacking proposals to overhaul donor-advised funds and other giving practices, conservative groups need to focus on the real culprit — the growing use of donor dollars to support political activities.
By Craig Kennedy and William Schambra
The Pandemic Response Shows Why Charities, Not Governments, Are the Best Option for Those in Need
Calls for more government help fail to recognize who is actually doing the hard work during this time of extreme crisis — the local groups that know their communities best and can respond quickly.
By Megan Rose
Contributor
Companies Committed Two-Thirds of Total Giving Earmarked for Racial Equity
Companies donated or pledged about $8.2 billion of the $12 billion in total contributions that were earmarked for racial equity since the police killing of George Floyd.
By Haleluya Hadero
Associated Press
As Violence Against Asian Americans Intensifies, the Moment for Philanthropy to Act Is Now
Grant makers can use the power of their voice and their dollars to make a difference, write the leaders of groups that represent Asian Americans and Native Americans.
Goldman Sachs Commits $100 Million for One Million Black Women Program
Also, the J.P. Fletcher Foundation has given $25.5 million to Boston Children’s Hospital for a neuroscience center, and Google.org has pledged $25 million to its new Impact Challenge for Women and Girls.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Foundation Helps Nonprofits Boost Social-Media Fundraising With Expertise and Matching Grants
The Jessie Ball duPont Fund offered grantees crash courses in how to use Twitter and Facebook to boost fundraising. The results for nonprofits, such as the Jacksonville Humane Society, were impressive.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Billionaire Casino Magnate Steve Wynn and Wife Give $50 Million to Upstate N.Y. Hospital
Plus, Cornell, DePaul, the University of Missouri, and New York Public Library received gifts of more than $10 million.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
To Achieve Racial Justice in Philanthropy, We Must Invest in Fundraising and Make It Inclusive
Foundations only represent a small segment of philanthropy, but many fundraisers assign an outsize amount of clout to grant makers.
By Armando Enrique Zumaya
Contributor
FedEx Awards $100 Million to Create an Institute at Yale to Reduce Carbon in the Atmosphere
Also, Bloomberg Philanthropies has given $25 million to endow a fellowship program at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, and the Citi Foundation will make $25 million in grants to charities that work directly with small businesses owned by people of color.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
$10 Billion Bezos Earth Fund’s New CEO Expected to Provide Strategy and Transparency
Andrew Steer, who leads the environmental think tank World Resources Institute, says the Bezos fund plans to give all its money away in a decade.
By dan.parks
Contributor
Attacking Traditional Philanthropy Is Wrongheaded and Out of Sync With Most Americans’ Giving
Systemic social and economic change is not and should not be the primary focus of philanthropic support. Expanding the reach of our nation’s great charitable institutions and supporting local causes is still the best way to help people achieve the American Dream.
By Howard Husock
Contributor