RECENT POSTS
Several criticisms have circulated around Press Forward, a recently-announced $500 million local news initiative backed by a host of funders. One issue stands out: its vague, noncommittal language around racial equity.
While some strides have been made, many Black-led nonprofits are still out in the cold. New insight from the Young, Black, and Giving Back Institute focuses on resourcing the smallest grassroots groups.
Citing their own organizations’ partnership as an example, guest authors Suzanne Singer and Emily Teitsworth argue that trust-based giving is key to helping all communities benefit from the transition to renewable energy.
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.
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.
Inspired by the story of a formerly enslaved woman who went on to become a prominent businesswoman and philanthropist in 19th century L.A., Jackie Broxton helped found a philanthropy that serves local foster youth.
Ray Colmenar recently succeeded Lateefah Simon as president of the Oakland-based Akonadi Foundation. We spoke to him about his career, the notion of co-governance, Akonadi’s racial justice commitments and more.
Across the country, it’s looking as if the days of legacy preferences may be numbered. Will ending the policy hurt revenues, or bring about a welcome change in the higher ed fundraising landscape?
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and billionaire Robert F. Smith partnered with the National Park Service’s nonprofit arm on a new national monument honoring Emmett Till, one of several such sites the foundation’s supporting.
The campaign against affirmative action isn’t a lonely crusade by a committed activist and a band of disgruntled students; it’s an organized effort bankrolled by a powerful network of conservative funders.
The Castellano Family Foundation, which was founded after the family behind it won the lottery, has sunsetted. But its work will live on through a new fund housed at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
The NBA Foundation got started in 2020 with a $300 million pledge and a focus on opportunity for Black youth. We check in with leaders about where it’s at, including board member and Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris.
With an experienced organizer at the helm, the Valiente Fund is supporting organizations to build the civic, economic and cultural power of Latinos.
Mildred Whittier helped launch Women for Golden Futures, a fundraising effort to support her alma mater Spelman College. We heard from her about the initiative, her history with Spelman, and how HBCUs can pull in more funding.
The longtime American Express chief was one of the first Black CEOs of a Fortune 500 firm. Chenault backs a range of causes alongside his wife Kathryn, with HBCUs and arts and culture looming large.
Across the country, conservative groups are working to ban books. The American Library Association is standing up to these challenges, with a big boost from Solidarity Giving, founded by billionaires Brian and Tegan Acton.
The Supreme Court decision ending affirmative action sent a shockwave throughout higher ed philanthropy. Leaders in the field offer a to-do list to help fellow funders carry out their missions in this new legal landscape.
HBCUs are poised to become a larger philanthropic cause following the Supreme Court ruling rejecting affirmative action. But for years, Black donors have been among their largest backers. Here are some of the biggest donors.
Commitments to racial justice surged after the summer of 2020. Now, amid a cultural, legal and policy backlash, a group of funders is encouraging others to stay the course, and keep pursuing power-sharing practices.
As the rights of marginalized groups and the nation’s very civic culture come under threat, guest author Farai Chideya spotlights the need for honest soul-searching in philanthropy, and shares some practical steps for funders.
This basketball and broadcasting star has been supporting higher ed and other causes for years. The Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action ruling influenced one of his biggest commitments to date.
Languages are disappearing at a rapid clip worldwide, and with them dies unique knowledge and opportunities to heal and strengthen communities. Yet, to date, U.S. philanthropy has been largely absent in this area.
As left-of-center groups grow ever more reliant on big funders, is there a price to be paid? If and when the liberal donor class pulls back, the fallout may leave its beneficiaries impoverished in multiple ways.
The philanthropy of Steve and Connie Ballmer has become a major funder of antipoverty work, including in Los Angeles County. The head of Ballmer’s L.A. office tells us about her work, career path and second job as a novelist.
Having a baby in the U.S. is riskier than in any other developed country. With maternal mortality on the rise, Elevance Health Foundation is doubling down on its support for “high-touch,” racial equity-focused approaches.
The Russell Sage Foundation's Pipeline Grants Competition, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, promotes the careers of diverse academics who study economic opportunity, equality and social mobility.
Three health foundations are backing a new effort to promote public health leadership, strengthen our weakened systems, and build stronger connections in communities.
It’s been a year since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. In this guest piece, Surina Khan and Janette Robinson Flint call on funders to better support Black women at the vanguard of the fight for reproductive rights.
There’s more racial diversity in the American Jewish community than you might expect, but Jews of color are underrepresented in organizational leadership. This fellowship is cultivating diverse Jewish leaders in philanthropy.
In this guest article, Asian American Futures Executive Director Reshma Shamasunder calls on philanthropy to be more supportive toward young Asian Americans working to build a more equitable world.