… [Read more...] about Philanthropy Can Help Foster Pluralism, But It Can Only Do So Much
Philanthrosphere
Should We Pay for Relationships? Why Philanthropy Needs to Invest in Social Capital
When I started my career in venture philanthropy, I got a baptism by fire in how funders think about risk and reward. Since then, philanthropy has shown a greater willingness to take risks in the education and workforce fields, where I now work as a … [Read more...] about Should We Pay for Relationships? Why Philanthropy Needs to Invest in Social Capital
Why Don’t the Wealthy Give More? This Philanthropy Advisor Has Some Ideas
At Inside Philanthropy, we often point out that many of the nation’s wealthiest individuals and institutions give away just a tiny fraction of their vast wealth. We’ve looked at some of the structural factors that make it easier to hold onto … [Read more...] about Why Don’t the Wealthy Give More? This Philanthropy Advisor Has Some Ideas
Meet the Black Box Billionaires: Are These America’s Most Secretive Megadonors?
Are the following five people really the most secretive megadonors in the United States? In all likelihood, no. That distinction probably belongs to names we have yet to learn — just like no one knew who Chuck Feeney was for years, or that Nat Simons … [Read more...] about Meet the Black Box Billionaires: Are These America’s Most Secretive Megadonors?
Giving USA Annual Report: With Real Giving Down in 2023, the Onus Is on Donors
Giving USA released its annual report on the state of charitable giving in late June, and its findings, while a welcome improvement over last year’s topline that 2022 giving declined by 10.5% after inflation, are still somewhat mixed. Support from … [Read more...] about Giving USA Annual Report: With Real Giving Down in 2023, the Onus Is on Donors
Rising From the Ashes: A Consulting Firm’s Case for Optimism in the Motor City
It’s had a rough few decades, but once again, Detroit is a city on the rise. Known as the birthplace of Motown and for headquartering the “big three” automakers (General Motors, Chrysler and Ford), Detroit has faced a number of issues in recent … [Read more...] about Rising From the Ashes: A Consulting Firm’s Case for Optimism in the Motor City
Succession: Warren Buffett Will Leave Behind the Largest Experiment in Family Giving of Our Time
What I Learned From Foundation Leaders Overseeing Spend-Downs
Last year, I spoke with Priscilla Enriquez, the CEO of the James B. McClatchy Foundation, about the Sacramento-based funder’s plan to sunset by 2030. The board announced their intentions in 2016, and during our call, Enriquez said that as the … [Read more...] about What I Learned From Foundation Leaders Overseeing Spend-Downs
Confronted with Urgent Crises, Family Foundations Are Reappraising the Question of Perpetuity
As the president and chief executive officer of the National Center for Family Philanthropy, Nicholas Tedesco helps leaders at family foundations become more effective stewards of their philanthropic dollars. These discussions hit on many topics, … [Read more...] about Confronted with Urgent Crises, Family Foundations Are Reappraising the Question of Perpetuity
With Racial Equity Under Fire, Will Grantmakers Sustain Their Commitments?
Today marks 159 years since Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to free the last remaining slaves in the U.S., two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. This is also the third year that Juneteenth, sometimes known … [Read more...] about With Racial Equity Under Fire, Will Grantmakers Sustain Their Commitments?
Many Large Private Foundations Fail to Pay Out 5% of Assets. Here’s Why
In a March piece in the New York Times, David A. Fahrenthold and Ryan Mac reported that Elon Musk’s Musk Foundation did not meet the IRS requirement to distribute 5% of the fair market value of its assets for charitable purposes in 2021 and 2022. In … [Read more...] about Many Large Private Foundations Fail to Pay Out 5% of Assets. Here’s Why
Nearing the End of a 10-Year Sunset, This Family Foundation Will Have Awarded $1.3 Billion
Careful What You Wish For: House GOP Pushes Philanthropy Reform to Punish Liberal Donors
Endowment-Ready: Preparing for a Mega-Gift from MacKenzie Scott (or Anyone Else)
As the director of the endowment and foundations national practice at the Delaware-based financial services firm Wilmington Trust, Walter Dillingham spends his days helping nonprofit clients grow their endowments. In January 2022, Dillingham answered … [Read more...] about Endowment-Ready: Preparing for a Mega-Gift from MacKenzie Scott (or Anyone Else)
Seven Things to Know About Amber Miller, the Hewlett Foundation’s Incoming President
Here’s What You Need to Know About MacArthur’s Latest $100 Million Competition
Melinda French Gates Charts a Course for a “New Chapter.” Here Are Some Takeaways
It didn’t take her long. Just two weeks after the news broke that Melinda French Gates was leaving the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, she made another big announcement: She is committing $1 billion through 2026 “for people and organizations working … [Read more...] about Melinda French Gates Charts a Course for a “New Chapter.” Here Are Some Takeaways
This Network Wants to Galvanize Philanthropy in an Underfunded Region
Appalachia is home to 26.3 million people. The region, which spans 423 counties across 13 states, faces a number of issues that, while not necessarily unique to the region, have had a disproportionate impact on its residents. Data from the … [Read more...] about This Network Wants to Galvanize Philanthropy in an Underfunded Region
Conversations on Creating a Blueprint for Better Giving from Skoll’s Latest Forum
At the Skoll World Forum, which took place earlier this spring, systems change anchored discussions across disciplines from climate change to democracy and healthcare. Skoll celebrated changemakers who lead local solutions, as we covered in last … [Read more...] about Conversations on Creating a Blueprint for Better Giving from Skoll’s Latest Forum
Five Questions for Angela F. Williams, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide
Pretty much anyone working in the nonprofit sector will be familiar with United Way, with its vast network of local fundraising affiliates spanning the United States and reaching overseas. From the small donors who give through its local workplace … [Read more...] about Five Questions for Angela F. Williams, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide
What Dark Money Critics Are Getting Wrong About Philanthropic Intermediaries Like Tides
Melinda’s Making Her Break from the Foundation After All. Here Are Some Questions We’re Asking
The Nation’s Richest Are Moving Enormous Sums Via LLCs and DAFs. We Should Demand Transparency
It’s easy to lose sight of just how much power today’s billionaire donors wield via their philanthropy. In many cases, the sums they’re spending on tax-deductible giving, often with policy ramifications, dwarf the amounts spent to elect and influence … [Read more...] about The Nation’s Richest Are Moving Enormous Sums Via LLCs and DAFs. We Should Demand Transparency
“We’ve Always Been in Spend-Down.” How a Sunsetting Family Foundation Manages the Process
Eleven years ago, Rhonnel Sotelo was interviewing for the chief strategy officer position at the Rogers Family Foundation, an Oakland-based funder primarily focused on serving the city’s public schools. During the final round, he sat across the table … [Read more...] about “We’ve Always Been in Spend-Down.” How a Sunsetting Family Foundation Manages the Process
A Look Under the Hood of MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Open Call
In March, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced the winners of its inaugural open call, capping a year-long process in which philanthropy’s most-talked-about donor partnered with Lever for Change, a nonprofit affiliated with the MacArthur … [Read more...] about A Look Under the Hood of MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Open Call
The Sunsetting Swift Foundation Is Giving Grantees the Power to Sustain Themselves
Established in 1999 by conservationist and organic farmer John Swift, the Santa Barbara-based Swift Foundation is dedicated to Indigenous rights, food sovereignty in Indigenous communities throughout South and North America, and biocultural … [Read more...] about The Sunsetting Swift Foundation Is Giving Grantees the Power to Sustain Themselves
In a Field Plagued by Burnout, Can This Consulting Firm Change the Culture of Fundraising?
The industry of people offering advice for fundraisers may rival the profession itself. Between consultants (on and offline), books, blog posts and the volume of opinions offered by nonprofessionals — including nonprofit leadership, board members, … [Read more...] about In a Field Plagued by Burnout, Can This Consulting Firm Change the Culture of Fundraising?
New Report Finds Giving Circles Are Moving Significant Money, a Hopeful Sign for Civil Society
When Inside Philanthropy last checked in with Philanthropy Together, the PSO for giving circles was in the midst of conducting in-depth research into the collective giving movement. Its new report dropped in early April and the results are pretty … [Read more...] about New Report Finds Giving Circles Are Moving Significant Money, a Hopeful Sign for Civil Society
An Open Letter to MacKenzie Scott: Three Ways to Change Up Philanthropy’s Damaged Status Quo
Dear Ms. Scott,In your 2019 Medium post outlining the approach you planned to take after committing to the Giving Pledge, you wrote about the “tremendous value [that] comes when people act quickly on the impulse to give.” You said, I think correctly, … [Read more...] about An Open Letter to MacKenzie Scott: Three Ways to Change Up Philanthropy’s Damaged Status Quo
Crappy Funding Practices Gives Nonprofit Staff a Chance to Vent. It Might Also Make a Difference
Every fundraising professional has horror stories about the frequently nonsensical, time- and money-consuming, and even demoralizing process of applying for grants and managing funders’ expectations. But the power imbalance between grantors and … [Read more...] about Crappy Funding Practices Gives Nonprofit Staff a Chance to Vent. It Might Also Make a Difference
