Vaping and Philanthropy: Debating Strategies That Work
Bloomberg Philanthropies and other anti-smoking advocates respond to a Chronicle article about the billionaire’s work, and a former FDA official offers strategies foundations can use to resolve conflicts over tobacco policies.
A $350 Million Pledge Aims to Build Economic Development in Detroit
Plus, Georgetown University receives $100 million from Frank McCourt Jr. to diversify the public-policy field, and a medical school receives $2 million to improve health care for the homeless.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Nearly 500 Foundation Leaders Unite to Push for More Support of Asian Americans
A letter circulated by Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy noted a “perpetual outsider” status felt by its members. The group also released a study outlining the paucity of philanthropic support directed toward Asian American communities.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
2 Billionaire Couples Provide $300 Million to Launch New Health Research Institute
Wendy and Eric Schmidt and Eli and Edythe Broad provided the money to build a new scientific discipline that combines biology and computer science to improve human health.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Do the Math: Foundations Can Afford to Advance the Nation’s Covid Reset
Solving big problems revealed by a year of cascading crises demands a surge in grant making. Fortunately, endowments have swelled enough in the past year to enable steady increases in giving.
By Aaron Dorfman and Ellen Dorsey
Gates and Others Give to Malaria-Free Zambia Program
Also, the Hospital for Special Surgery is getting $35 million to expand, Howard University is receiving $10 million to prepare students for careers in finance, and the Ford Foundation awarded $4.5 million to amplify stories about communities that live along the U.S.-Mexico border.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
The Bezos Earth Fund Needs to Stop Shortchanging Environmental-Justice Nonprofits
The $10 billion fund should lead the way toward increased giving to groups working in communities hit hardest by climate change — rather than giving more to large, well-resourced environmental policy organizations.
By Peggy Shepard
Contributor
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