September 26, 2023 Major Philanthropies Launch $50 Million Fund to Shepherd Federal Dollars on Jobs, Climate September 26, 2023/ Michael Kavate With the launch of BuildUS, another intermediary fund enters an increasingly crowded field of regrantors, in the climate space in particular. We learned more about how this one will work, and the rationale for its creation.Read More
September 25, 2023 What the Heck Happened in New York Last Week? A Climate Philanthropy Roundup September 25, 2023/ Michael Kavate One of the year’s busiest weeks for the climate movement and philanthropy concluded last Wednesday. Here’s a look at some of the most notable philanthropic pledges that emerged from Climate Week NYC.Read More
September 20, 2023 AI in Education? Salesforce Takes the Plunge September 20, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Artificial intelligence loomed very large at several recent Bay Area functions hosted by Salesforce. As the trailblazing corporate funder leans into AI in its education giving, are there pitfalls to consider?Read More
September 19, 2023 This Bespoke Funding Intermediary Focuses Donors on a Dozen Highly Vetted Global Grantees September 19, 2023/ Wendy Paris Founded by a private equity veteran, Focusing Philanthropy brings a venture-capital-informed approach to the role of philanthropic go-between, routing donor dollars to a carefully curated set of nonprofits.Read More
September 18, 2023 “Transformation” at the JPB Foundation: Eight Questions with Deepak Bhargava, President-Elect September 18, 2023/ Michael Kavate Bhargava, a longtime insider and former grantee of the JPB Foundation, will take over from founding donor and president Barbara Picower in February 2024. We connected with him to learn more about the transition.Read More
September 13, 2023 Why This Major Antipoverty Funder Is Ramping Up Its Investment in HBCUs September 13, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Against the backdrop of rising funder interest and a controversial Supreme Court decision, the big-donor funding collaborative Blue Meridian Partners is tripling its investment in the HBCU Transformation Project.Read More
September 13, 2023 Report: The Nonprofit Hiring Crisis Is Still a Thing September 13, 2023/ Dawn Wolfe The National Council of Nonprofits’ newly updated Nonprofit Workforce Survey makes it clear that across the sector, organizations still can’t hire and retain essential staff. Funding, obviously, is a big part of the problem.Read More
September 12, 2023 Talent for Philanthropy: A Look Inside the UTA Foundation September 12, 2023/ Ade Adeniji The United Talent Agency is a major player in Hollywood, with celebrity clients across film and television, media and sports. We connected with Rene Jones, chief of social impact, to find out how the agency rallies talent for giving.Read More
September 11, 2023 Hands-On Help: The Other Side of MacKenzie Scott’s Recent Early Childhood Ramp-Up September 11, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen In her early childhood giving this year, MacKenzie Scott is pairing advocacy with direct service funding, including support for programs that provide one-on-one, in-home maternal and infant healthcare.Read More
September 08, 2023 Five Reasons Corporate Philanthropy Remains a Mystery September 08, 2023/ Celia Wexler Corporations tend to do a lot of talking about their giving. But when it comes time to drill into the specifics, up-to-date information and real transparency are often nowhere to be found.Read More
September 07, 2023 Billionaires Are Backing Brazil and the Amazon. What Do Locals and Longtime Funders Think? September 07, 2023/ Michael Kavate A wave of new commitments from foreign billionaires has some Amazon conservationists and activists feeling hopeful. But they’re also voicing concerns about where and how the money’s flowing.Read More
September 07, 2023 Stephen and Ayesha Curry Tell Us About the Future of Their Philanthropy September 07, 2023/ Ade Adeniji The NBA power couple are ramping up their giving in their adopted home city of Oakland, with a continued focus on healthy food, education and recreation for youth. We connected with them to learn more.Read More
September 06, 2023 The 14 Most Important Players in Corporate Philanthropy September 06, 2023/ Celia Wexler For all the hype corporate giving can generate, getting a handle on it isn’t easy. Still, there are some clear leaders, encompassing the nation’s biggest banks, tech giants, pharmaceutical companies and retailers.Read More
September 05, 2023 “We Follow Their Lead.” How Residents Guide the Black Belt Community Foundation’s Grantmaking September 05, 2023/ Mike Scutari Serving a 12-county region in southern Alabama, the Black Belt Community Foundation relies on community volunteers to guide its discretionary grantmaking. President Felecia Lucky walks us through how that works.Read More
August 31, 2023 As the Opioid Crisis Rips Across America, Where Is Philanthropy? August 31, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Some of the country’s largest health philanthropies have shifted their focus away, and only a handful of others have stepped up. Why isn’t philanthropy doing more about this national health emergency?Read More
August 30, 2023 Here Are Some of the Funders Working to End Modern Slavery Around the Globe August 30, 2023/ Martha Ramirez Although some may think of slavery as a thing of the past, close to 50 million people are enslaved today. These philanthropic funders are backing work toward truly putting slavery behind us.Read More
August 29, 2023 Righting the World: How Five Globally Bestselling Authors Give August 29, 2023/ Liz Longley While writers don’t often make it into the ranks of the very rich, these bestselling authors have engaged in some substantial philanthropy. Their giving varies widely, but they do share some interests in common.Read More
August 29, 2023 Bridgespan Looks to Inspire “A Mass Rush Off the Sidelines” for Climate Philanthropy August 29, 2023/ Michael Kavate The Bridgespan Group’s trying to get funders to step up and get in gear on climate with a new report. It’s a helpful framework — and jibes with takeaways from our own reporting.Read More
August 28, 2023 MacKenzie Scott’s Recent Giving for Early Education Spotlights the Power of Advocacy August 28, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Much of the celebrated megadonor’s recent giving has made its way to organizations promoting early childhood care and education. Many place their focus on advocacy, a strategy some other funders are hesitant to support.Read More
August 25, 2023 Gates Remains Among the Few in Philanthropy to Drive Research for an HIV Vaccine August 25, 2023/ Paul Karon Philanthropy makes up only a small fraction of spending on research and support for people with HIV, still a major threat around the world. In the push for a vaccine, Gates and Gilead are leading the pack.Read More