April 21, 2023

Seven Questions for Dr. Hanh Cao Yu, Chief Learning Officer at The California Endowment

April 21, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

We caught up with Dr. Hanh Cao Yu to talk about how her experiences as a refugee of the war in Vietnam shaped her, what led to her career in philanthropy, her current work, and more.

April 17, 2023

Voter Turnout Lags Among Rural Youth. This New Fund Aims to Change That

April 17, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

Young people in rural areas are some of the nation’s most persuadable voters. They’re also one of its most neglected voter demographics. But this new fund from the Rural Democracy Initiative is paying attention.

April 10, 2023

Here Are Five Grantmakers Funding the Rural Midwest

April 10, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

Over 25% of the Midwest’s population lives in rural areas. These funders focus their efforts there, despite the fact that philanthropy at large chronically underfunds rural America.

April 05, 2023

Is “Tech for Good” Actually Good? A New Framework Seeks to Help Funders Vet Proposals

April 05, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

Philanthropy is often approached to fund tech that will make the public sector more effective or equitable, but such projects often have unintended outcomes. Ford released a new report to help funders navigate proposals.

March 20, 2023

The Collective Future Fund Is Expanding Its Long-Term Work to End Gender-Based Violence

March 20, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

Launched alongside the #MeToo movement, the pooled fund provided rapid-response grants as gender-based violence surged during COVID. Now, it’s pivoting to multiyear support.

March 13, 2023

Closing Gaps: How This Boston-Based Fund Supports a Growing Latino Population

March 13, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

In Massachusetts and elsewhere, Latinos have been among the slowest population groups to recover from COVID challenges. The Latino Equity Fund, housed at the Boston Foundation, is working to close those gaps in its area.

March 06, 2023

For This New Fund, “There Is No Technology Justice Without Disability Justice”

March 06, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

Disabled people rarely get a seat at the table when it comes to tech development and policy. With their new Disability x Tech Fund, the Ford Foundation and Borealis Philanthropy want to change that.

February 24, 2023

Here Are Four Major National Funders Supporting Rural America

February 24, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

Rural communities are chronically overlooked by large national funders, with most rural grantmaking coming from place-based or regional givers. It’s a short list, but here are a few bigger names to note.

February 15, 2023

Who’s Betting Big on Sustainable Agriculture? Here Are Some of the Key Funders

February 15, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

This growing field of philanthropy is attracting funders interested in everything from climate change to children’s health. Here’s a list of some of the most influential players.

February 08, 2023

How the Economic Security Project Is Rallying Funders to Support Guaranteed Income

February 08, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

The idea of Americans receiving a monthly check, no strings attached, has gone from fringe to mainstream in a remarkably short time. This funding intermediary has been a driving force, and has a long list of backers.

January 31, 2023

Funders Get Behind a New Effort to Create Unifying Economic Messaging for Progressives

January 31, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

The Rural Democracy Initiative, Open Society Foundations and more are supporting the Winning Jobs Narrative Project, which aims to build strong progressive messaging about workers, jobs and the economy.

January 23, 2023

Regenerative Agriculture Is Having a Moment. Here's How the Rockefeller Foundation's Pitching In

January 23, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

With a new slate of grants, Rockefeller wants to scale up holistic agriculture practices to improve food production systems, mitigate climate change and help the planet heal — all while empowering Indigenous people.

January 17, 2023

Report: What Philanthropy Can Do About Workers’ Struggles in a Digitalized Global Economy

January 17, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

Though touted as a force for progress, digital technology has negatively impacted many workers, especially in the Global South. A new report backed by the Ford Foundation lays out the problem and how funders can respond.

January 09, 2023

Funders Partner with the Biden Administration to Back Workers' Rights Around the Globe

January 09, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

With support from major U.S. funders, a new initiative called M-POWER is combining the forces of government, philanthropy and labor organizations to bolster workers’ rights and advance democracy.

December 01, 2022

Visual Storytellers and Journalists Face Growing Risks. What Can Funders Do to Protect Them?

December 01, 2022/ Martha Ramirez

Backed by the Ford Foundation and others, a recent report from the Safer Storytellers Project outlines the steps funders can take to protect creators from increasing attacks and threats to their safety.

November 03, 2022

An L.A. Program Takes a Unique Approach to Participatory Grantmaking — Putting it to a Vote

November 03, 2022/ Martha Ramirez

For this year’s LA 2050 Grants Challenge, the Goldhirsh Foundation asked Angelenos to weigh in on what issues would receive funding. The resulting platform of priorities received over $2 million in support.

October 25, 2022

Team Lift: Foundations and Labor Unions Partner up to Support U.S. Workers in the South

October 25, 2022/ Martha Ramirez

Backed by a unique combination of major foundations and unions, the Southern Workers Opportunity (SWO) Fund aims to strengthen workers’ rights in the South, with implications nationwide.