NoVo Boosts Commitment to Grass-Roots Collaboration to $34 Million
The foundation established by Jennifer and Peter Buffett, the daughter-in-law and son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, aims for a “bolder” statement in the Trump era.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
Special Breed of Grant Makers Hunts for New Ways to Solve Bedeviling Problems
Strategists from more than a dozen foundations are at the forefront of a movement to identify off-the-radar needs where philanthropy could make a big difference.
By Alex Daniels
Senior Editor, Foundations
Craigslist Founder’s $20 Million Gift Signals Ongoing Commitment to Journalism
Billionaire Craig Newmark says his donation to the City University of New York’s graduate journalism program is part of a campaign to counter fake news and “bad actors” who are undermining democracy.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
Grants Roundup: Stanford Receives $15 Million for Women’s Leadership
Also, the Ikea Foundation invests $2.3 million in clean electricity for 1 million people in India and East Africa, and the Kentucky Derby Museum will use $1 million for an expansion project.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Gates Jumps Into International Education With $68 Million for Data-Based Solutions
The four-year commitment is intended to help figure out what works, especially in poor countries.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
How to Navigate an Open Request for Grant Proposals
More foundations are conducting open grant-making: sharing project proposals publicly and asking for comments. We asked one nonprofit what it learned from its successful bid in GHR Foundation’s “radically open” process.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
Grants Roundup: Google.org and Accenture Pledge Big Grants for Economic Development
Also, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation puts $27.5 million toward revitalizing agriculture in Greece, and the actor Ashton Kutcher funnels $4 million through his tech company to the Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Grants Roundup: $100 Million Given for Health Care and Housing in Puerto Rico
The money will be split between Habitat for Humanity and Direct Relief. Also, the National Air and Space Museum will use $1 million to build a design hangar, Virginia Tech gets $3 million to teach blockchain programming, and other noteworthy grants.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Daily News Roundup: ‘Free-Market Philanthropy’s’ Impact on Scientific Research
Billionaires are investing more in biotechnology, raising questions about diversity and more. In other articles, a former Gates Foundation executive will be chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education; the Education Department is conducting a review after a report that teachers’ grants had been converted to loans; a House Committee subpoenaed bank records of a nonprofit tied to Missouri Gov. Greitens; and other articles about sexual misconduct and museums and more.
Kaiser Permanente Puts $200 Million Into Low-Cost Housing
The health-care giant says it has created a $200 million impact-investing fund to address the issue.
By Alex Daniels
Contributor
Behind the Scenes of Sloan’s $180 Million Effort to Connect Science and the Humanities
The documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, one of the foundation’s latest projects, tells the little-known story of how a famous actress invented technologies that helped change the world — and led to the technology behind Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
Grants Roundup: Communities in Schools Gets $17 Million, Plus $15 Million for Detroit
Also, the University of Kentucky will use $4.9 million to treat opioid addiction in pregnant women, and the MeToo Fund gets a $1 million boost.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Daily News Roundup: Food for the Poor’s Charity Status Under Attack
The California attorney general says the charity inflates the value of donated pharmaceuticals in its tax filings. In other articles, tables for a lavish Clinton Foundation gala are going for as much as $100,000; Democrats are giving nearly $9,000 in contributions from former N.Y. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to a domestic-violence charity; an app has helped deliver a million pounds of food to the hungry in Atlanta; and more about giving and the arts and harassment.
What to Do If a Grant Maker Won’t Call You Back
Be persistent but don’t be a pest, let your reputation speak for itself, and be gracious with grant makers — they’re human, too.
By TYLER NICKERSON
Contributor
Grants Roundup: Barr Foundation Awards $30 Million for the Arts in Mass.
Also, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative gives $14 million for personalized-learning programs in Chicago public schools, and the University of California at San Diego gets $4.7 million to study a chemical found in marijuana as a potential treatment for autism.
By M.J. Prest
Senior Editor, Solutions
Tips for Mastering Data to Demonstrate Impact
Identify the metrics that matter most, don’t be afraid to show short-term results for long-term goals, and weave your data into stories that resonate with grant makers.
By Lisa Schohl
Director, Nonprofit Learning