Lessons for Philanthropy From the 2020 Census
Foundations and nonprofits joined forces at the national and local levels in ways that ensure that even the pandemic and political threats didn’t get in the way of an accurate count, an essential move given how important the census is to achieving grant makers’ missions.
Philanthropy Buzzwords 2022: For Good or Bad, Technology Will Rule
Certainties for the coming year, including the continuing pandemic and ongoing racial inequities, will combine with explosive growth in technological innovations — and the techno-lingo that comes with it.
By Lucy Bernholz
Contributor
Merck Commits Additional $150 Million to Improve Health Equity for Mothers
Also, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has committed $103 million for Gulf Coast restoration projects, and the Open Society Foundations awarded $42.5 million to 15 organizations that serve Asian American and Muslim communities.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
2022 Is the Year for Grant Makers to Stop Talking and Start Doing
Because philanthropy has so little external scrutiny, foundation officials must assess whether they are actually making enough of a difference, writes Lisa Pilar Cowan, the author of a series of essays on grant making in a time of upheaval.
By Lisa Pilar Cowan
Contributor
Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation Commits $200 Million for Nonprofit Arts Scene in Detroit and Buffalo
Also, Trinity Church Wall Street gave $20.1 million to charities that aid vulnerable communities in New York City.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
More Civil-Rights Lawyers Are Needed to Fight Racial-Justice Battles. Philanthropy Can Help.
As the racial reckoning of 2020 plays out in courtrooms and state legislatures, grant makers should embrace a range of strategies, including funding law-school scholarship programs and public-interest centers, to help build a well-trained army of civil-rights attorneys.
As Foundation Assets Grow Fast, Some Grant Makers Are Giving Much More
Investments made by foundations with assets greater than $500 million saw a return of 13.1 percent this year through November, prompting debates in many boardrooms about the wisdom of sending more money out the door now.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Bezos Earth Fund Announces Recipients of Nearly $450 Million
The grants will go to nonprofits that work on climate justice here in the United States and organizations around the world that support forest conservation by local and Indigenous communities.
By Jim Rendon
Executive Editor
To Do Their Jobs Effectively, Nonprofit Grassroots Leaders Need Health and Wellness Support
Philanthropy can improve its impact if it invests in the physical and mental wellbeing of community organizers, especially at a time when they are contending with multiple ongoing crises, including Covid-19 and the fight for racial justice.
By Gloria Walton
Contributor
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates Offer Post-Divorce Philanthropic Plans
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates say that despite their divorce, they will still work with the Giving Pledge, the campaign they co-founded with Warren Buffett in 2010 to encourage billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth through philanthropy.
Marketing Helps Nonprofits Reach People in Need. Why Do Grant Makers Refuse to Fund It?
Donors should recognize that new technology-fueled communications and marketing tools allow grantees to get the word out about the critical services they provide — especially during a crisis when people aren’t sure where to turn.
By Lisa David
Contributor
8 Big Foundations Call on Wealthy Countries to Spread Vaccines to Poor Nations
In response to the Omicron variant, grant makers also urged global leaders to lift travel restrictions imposed in recent days.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Richard King Mellon Foundation Gives Another $100 Million for Pittsburgh Tech Hub
Also, the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund has awarded $96 million to 32 nonprofit groups to prevent homelessness in the United States, and Bayer AG and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation together gave $71 million to improve women’s sexual and reproductive health in Africa and Asia.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Did the U.S. News College Rankings Cost My School Millions in Philanthropic Dollars?
A college ranking guide that rewards wealth and privilege should never be factored into decisions about where to direct philanthropic dollars. Instead, donors should follow MacKenzie Scott’s well-researched and thoughtful approach to giving to HBCUs.
By Walter Kimbrough
Contributor
You Say the Arts Don’t Matter? A 10-Year, $150 Million Venture Set Out to Prove You Wrong
ArtPlace America, funded by some of the country’s largest grant makers, argued that arts and culture are community builders and not just some esoteric good.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects
How an Artist Translated Science and Tragedy to Help a Town Fight Toxic Pollution
Federal officials committed to a $20 million remediation of contaminated groundwater in Ashland, Mass., after an experiential art project illustrated what lay beneath homes and businesses.
By Drew Lindsay
Senior Editor, Special Projects