… [Read more...] about Bainum: How a Youth-Focused Family Philanthropy Has Evolved Over Five Decades
Education
Steven Rales Pumped $1.5 Billion into His Foundation in 2021. Is Money Reaching Nonprofits?
When billionaire Steven M. Rales put $1.5 billion worth of his company’s shares into his foundation in 2021, it seemed like a significant boon for the sector. His contribution rocketed the Indian Paintbrush Foundation into the philanthropic elite, … [Read more...] about Steven Rales Pumped $1.5 Billion into His Foundation in 2021. Is Money Reaching Nonprofits?
How a New Funder Is Taking on the Thorny Issue of Youth Mental Health
Earlier this week, as U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy made a remarkable call to add mental health warning labels to social media apps, he deemed the youth mental health crisis “the defining issue of our time.” It’s certainly one that could do with … [Read more...] about How a New Funder Is Taking on the Thorny Issue of Youth Mental Health
What the Collapse of a Major HBCU Donation Tells Us About Structural Inequities in Philanthropy
Last month, I first started tracking a strange story coming out of Florida A&M University. Florida A&M (FAMU) is an HBCU founded back in 1887 whose alumni include tennis great Althea Gibson, film producer Will Packer and Florida politician Andrew … [Read more...] about What the Collapse of a Major HBCU Donation Tells Us About Structural Inequities in Philanthropy
It’s Time to Invest in Loving Systems to Support Black Male Student Success
This May marked the anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education, a decision that aimed to establish equal access to quality public education for all students regardless of race. Seventy years have passed since the Supreme Court … [Read more...] about It’s Time to Invest in Loving Systems to Support Black Male Student Success
Who’s Supporting This Innovative Effort to Boost Literacy in San Francisco Schools?
One Organization’s Quest to Forge a Civic Path Out of the Culture Wars, and Rally Funders
Seven Funders Working to Improve Child Welfare and Foster Care
Mellon Gives Another Boost to the Humanities in Higher Ed Amid Waning Student Interest
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation wants you to know that — to paraphrase Mark Twain — reports of the demise of the humanities have been greatly exaggerated. An iconic arts and humanities grantmaker, and one that other funders in those fields take cues … [Read more...] about Mellon Gives Another Boost to the Humanities in Higher Ed Amid Waning Student Interest
From CZI to Carnegie: A Leader in Education Philanthropy Talks About Her New Role
Behind a Latina Donor’s Big Gift for Critical Race Studies at UCLA
As has long been the case, university campuses are front and center in today’s culture wars. Philanthropic donors have played and are playing a prominent role in many of those battles, with ongoing skirmishes over institutions’ positions on the … [Read more...] about Behind a Latina Donor’s Big Gift for Critical Race Studies at UCLA
This Pooled Fund Is Driving Progress for Early Care — and Confronting a Possible Setback in D.C.
The last decade has seen an upsurge in awareness of the importance of early care — for children, families and the future — that has not yet translated to substantial change on the ground. Our early care system, which is not a system at all but a … [Read more...] about This Pooled Fund Is Driving Progress for Early Care — and Confronting a Possible Setback in D.C.
The Latest in a Life of Firsts: Carnegie President Louise Richardson Talks About Her Role
Dame Louise Richardson was the first woman to lead the University of St. Andrews, the first woman head of Oxford University, and as of January 2023, the first woman president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Richardson came to the role after … [Read more...] about The Latest in a Life of Firsts: Carnegie President Louise Richardson Talks About Her Role
A Look at the Trellis Foundation’s Work to Reduce Barriers to Success for College Students
One of the big themes that emerged in IP’s State of American Philanthropy survey on giving for higher education was the degree to which funders prioritize support for student access and success. Grantmakers want to ensure that students — especially … [Read more...] about A Look at the Trellis Foundation’s Work to Reduce Barriers to Success for College Students
This Coalition of Funders Aims to Cool the Culture War Flames and Protect Public Schools
The Education Future Fund recently went public with a new website and an official name, but the funders driving the coalition have been working together for some time. The seven philanthropies teamed up as education culture wars erupted in school … [Read more...] about This Coalition of Funders Aims to Cool the Culture War Flames and Protect Public Schools
An Innovative Storytelling Platform Is Bridging Divides — and Landing Big Name Funders
Launched in 2013, Narrative 4 is a global, storytelling-based education nonprofit nurturing compassion and empathy among Gen Z students. A bedrock of the nonprofit’s work is Story Exchange, a facilitation tool that aims to foster deep connections, … [Read more...] about An Innovative Storytelling Platform Is Bridging Divides — and Landing Big Name Funders
How a Family Foundation Backs a Multifaceted Approach to Lifting Families Out of Poverty
Hope. Money. Love. These are the three tools that LIFT employs to break generational cycles of poverty. The nonprofit, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, works by providing funds, coaching and support to parents of young … [Read more...] about How a Family Foundation Backs a Multifaceted Approach to Lifting Families Out of Poverty
Have K-12 Funders Stepped Up for Racial Equity and Justice Since 2020? Not According to This Report
The Schott Foundation for Public Education just published the third edition of Justice Is The Foundation, its annual overview of philanthropic support for racial equity and justice in education. As was the case in previous years, the report’s … [Read more...] about Have K-12 Funders Stepped Up for Racial Equity and Justice Since 2020? Not According to This Report
Universities Raised a Staggering Amount of Money Last Fiscal Year, Despite a Tepid Stock Market
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education just released key findings from its annual Voluntary Support of Education survey, an industry standard for showing how money is flowing across the higher ed sector. And while CASE will publish a … [Read more...] about Universities Raised a Staggering Amount of Money Last Fiscal Year, Despite a Tepid Stock Market
What Is Going on in Education Philanthropy? Here Are the Currents Shaking Up the Field
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a two-part series about a wave of disruption in the world of education philanthropy. In the first installment, we took stock of changes underway at major K-12 funders and how it’s impacting grantees. Here, we … [Read more...] about What Is Going on in Education Philanthropy? Here Are the Currents Shaking Up the Field
What Is Going on in Education Philanthropy? Cutbacks and Shifting Strategies Disrupt the Field
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series about a wave of disruption and uncertainty in the world of education philanthropy. Here, we look at changes underway at major K-12 funders and how it’s impacting grantees. In the second … [Read more...] about What Is Going on in Education Philanthropy? Cutbacks and Shifting Strategies Disrupt the Field
A Huge Gift to Cut Medical School Tuition Looks to Make a Dent in a Deep Systemic Problem
News broke this week of a $1 billion donation to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, a gift that's earmarked to pay for tuition for all future students at the Bronx, New York, institution. It's the latest big philanthropic gift to address one of … [Read more...] about A Huge Gift to Cut Medical School Tuition Looks to Make a Dent in a Deep Systemic Problem
A Conversation With Jim Shelton of Blue Meridian Partners
Jim Shelton is the president and chief investment and impact officer of Blue Meridian Partners, a poverty-focused collaborative of heavy-hitting donors that, among other things, gives serious money to place-based, multisector partnerships, as I wrote … [Read more...] about A Conversation With Jim Shelton of Blue Meridian Partners
“The Time Is Now.” How a Matching Gift Scholarship Challenge Came Together at Juilliard
Some of the world’s most promising musicians, dancers and actors study at the Juilliard School in New York City. But like so many other students pursuing an elite education, they don’t always have the financial means to easily pay their way. For one … [Read more...] about “The Time Is Now.” How a Matching Gift Scholarship Challenge Came Together at Juilliard
This Higher Ed Funder Recognized the Growing Crisis of Student Mental Health Over Ten Years Ago
At its most extreme, the crisis of student mental health shows up in disturbing reports of campus suicide, which are responsible for an estimated 1,100 deaths each year at colleges and universities in the U.S. But mental health on campus is a much … [Read more...] about This Higher Ed Funder Recognized the Growing Crisis of Student Mental Health Over Ten Years Ago
A Family Foundation’s Refreshingly Accessible Approach to Funding Research and Education
At the risk of overgeneralizing, a lot of family foundations tend to be fairly opaque, without much in the way of a public-facing profile. Many do not have websites, post their grants online, publish annual reports and founder’s statements, or accept … [Read more...] about A Family Foundation’s Refreshingly Accessible Approach to Funding Research and Education
L.A. Foundations Back Renovation of a Historic Facility Serving Children with Visual Impairments
Since 1938, the Blind Children’s Center in Los Angeles has provided early care and education for young children with visual impairments and other disabilities. Now, with the help of several philanthropies, the historic building where the center is … [Read more...] about L.A. Foundations Back Renovation of a Historic Facility Serving Children with Visual Impairments
Elon Musk Sent Most of His Charitable Dollars in 2022 to a Brand-New Nonprofit: His New School
Elon Musk owns the world’s most valuable car company, the social media network formerly known as Twitter and the satellite network Ukrainian soldiers rely on to survive on the battlefield. In recent years, he’s vied with the likes of Jeff Bezos and … [Read more...] about Elon Musk Sent Most of His Charitable Dollars in 2022 to a Brand-New Nonprofit: His New School
The Dollar Amounts Are Historic, But Here’s Why We’re Really Bullish About Two Recent HBCU Gifts
The year’s off to an auspicious start for historically Black colleges and universities. On January 11, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) announced it received an unrestricted $100 million grant from the Lilly Endowment that it will apply to its $1 … [Read more...] about The Dollar Amounts Are Historic, But Here’s Why We’re Really Bullish About Two Recent HBCU Gifts
Bloomberg Backs New High Schools Tailored to Boost the Healthcare Workforce
Bloomberg Philanthropies just unveiled a $250 million initiative to “graduate students directly into high-demand healthcare jobs” by standing up new high schools specifically focused on that task. It’s simultaneously aiming to address health system … [Read more...] about Bloomberg Backs New High Schools Tailored to Boost the Healthcare Workforce
