With the new year come fresh, upbeat reports on the generosity of American donors. The latest is from Schwab Charitable, which boasts that its donor-advised funds (DAFs) gave a record $4.7 billion in grants to charities during 2022.The genre is … [Read more...] about How the DAF Industry Controls the Data and Attempts to Control the Narrative
Philanthropy Reform
For-Profit Philanthropy Is Eroding the Legal Foundations of Charitable Giving
Alternative vehicles and modes of giving — like LLCs, donor-advised funds and strategic corporate giving conducted in-house — are increasingly eroding elite donors’ reliance on the traditional private foundation. These “for-profit philanthropy” … [Read more...] about For-Profit Philanthropy Is Eroding the Legal Foundations of Charitable Giving
Rose-Colored Glasses: The Trouble With Industry Numbers on American Generosity
Judging from many of the reports and figures that tend to be released this time of year, it’s easy to get the impression that we’re living in a golden age of American giving.GivingTuesday’s post-game numbers estimate $3.1 billion in giving in the … [Read more...] about Rose-Colored Glasses: The Trouble With Industry Numbers on American Generosity
How Restricted Project Grants Distort the Missions of Nonprofits
Nonprofit leaders have been calling on foundations to offer more general operating support for decades. Such unrestricted funding, they say, makes it easier for organizations to advance their goals and reduces time spent on fundraising and paperwork. … [Read more...] about How Restricted Project Grants Distort the Missions of Nonprofits
Three Questions We Have About a Philanthropic Future Dominated by DAFs
It’s official. Donor-advised funds have surpassed private foundations as American donors’ charitable vehicle of choice. According to the National Philanthropic Trust’s latest report, DAF contributions came to a whopping $72.67 billion in 2021, … [Read more...] about Three Questions We Have About a Philanthropic Future Dominated by DAFs
Do the Forbes Philanthropy Scores Give Foundation Donors Too Much Credit?
Every September, Forbes magazine updates their Philanthropy Scores for America’s wealthiest people. These scores certainly serve as helpful indicators of billionaire charitability. But the giving estimates behind the scores include some outlays from … [Read more...] about Do the Forbes Philanthropy Scores Give Foundation Donors Too Much Credit?
To Make Education Philanthropy More Equitable, Pay Attention to Who’s Getting Funded
As the executive director of The Equity Lab, and a former educator and school leader, I’ve dedicated my career to building equitable, anti-racist schools and organizations. In every aspect of my career, I’ve witnessed how systemic inequities … [Read more...] about To Make Education Philanthropy More Equitable, Pay Attention to Who’s Getting Funded
How the Brooklyn Community Foundation Brings Grantmaking to the People
Selma Jackson, 77, lives in supportive housing in Brooklyn and has been a resident of the borough much of her life. “I know what some of the restrictions are and the challenges of people in the community. I know what the experience is,” Jackson said. … [Read more...] about How the Brooklyn Community Foundation Brings Grantmaking to the People
Philanthropy’s Scarcity Mindset Is Hurting the Sector, Not Helping It
Writing about the staggering fortunes wielded by people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, it’s always striking how much of the philanthropic sector, and by extension the nonprofit sector, operates under a state of enforced scarcity that’s … [Read more...] about Philanthropy’s Scarcity Mindset Is Hurting the Sector, Not Helping It
New Public Polling Shows Appetite for Bold Charity Reform
Two years ago, we first proposed an Emergency Charity Stimulus to address the urgent crisis nonprofits faced, brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our thinking was simple: Foundations and donor-advised funds were sitting on well over $1.2 trillion in … [Read more...] about New Public Polling Shows Appetite for Bold Charity Reform
We Surveyed Hundreds of Philanthropy Professionals. Here’s What We Found
Here’s something that won’t surprise any veteran of the social sector: People who work at foundations or in fundraising have decidedly mixed feelings about their professional world. Most do believe that philanthropy and nonprofits have a positive … [Read more...] about We Surveyed Hundreds of Philanthropy Professionals. Here’s What We Found
This Funding Initiative Has a Singular Goal: To Encourage Major Donors to Boost Their Giving
The mission of the Crisis Charitable Commitment is featured prominently on its website: to encourage major donors to give more. Its latest strategy to achieve that goal is called Big Bet Bundles, an initiative to raise $41.5 million for three pooled … [Read more...] about This Funding Initiative Has a Singular Goal: To Encourage Major Donors to Boost Their Giving
A Tale of Two Valleys: Five Ways Philanthropy Can Change to Make Silicon Valley More Equitable
Inequality is rampant in the U.S., but perhaps nowhere is the nation’s widening wealth gap more apparent than in Silicon Valley. The year’s Silicon Valley Index found that despite modest gains in median household income, income inequality in the … [Read more...] about A Tale of Two Valleys: Five Ways Philanthropy Can Change to Make Silicon Valley More Equitable
Here Are the Top Philanthropy Stories We’re Following in 2022
Here at Inside Philanthropy, it’s always been our belief that philanthropic giving is one of the fundamental forces shaping society—and that makes it worthy of close attention and scrutiny. We’re always looking to tell new stories and examine new … [Read more...] about Here Are the Top Philanthropy Stories We’re Following in 2022
7 Questions for Lucy Bernholz, Author of “How We Give Now: A Philanthropic Guide for the Rest of Us”
A self-described “philanthropy wonk,” Lucy Bernholz is a senior research scholar at Stanford University’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society and director of the Digital Civil Society Lab. She’s also the author of numerous books exploring the … [Read more...] about 7 Questions for Lucy Bernholz, Author of “How We Give Now: A Philanthropic Guide for the Rest of Us”
Why Philanthropy Continues to Underfund Rural America—and What Grantmakers Can Do
Note: This article was originally published on January 5, 2022.Long before the pandemic hit, Americans living in rural areas have faced a daunting list of problems—a diminishing number of hospitals, limited transportation options, population decline, … [Read more...] about Why Philanthropy Continues to Underfund Rural America—and What Grantmakers Can Do
How the Miser Became a Philanthropist: Revisiting a Holiday Fable in an Era of Modern-Day Scrooges
The spirit of giving, whatever that may be, is said to come alive this time of year. And in that tradition, I’d like to put a small capstone on 2021 by calling back to one of the oldest philanthropy fables out there: Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas … [Read more...] about How the Miser Became a Philanthropist: Revisiting a Holiday Fable in an Era of Modern-Day Scrooges
Celebrating the Voice, Vision and Value of Black Women in Philanthropy
In response to the racial reckoning of 2020, foundations have responded in a variety of ways, seeking to expand their grantmaking, but also to diversify their staff. Some are hiring and elevating new leaders; others have launched innovative programs … [Read more...] about Celebrating the Voice, Vision and Value of Black Women in Philanthropy
Are Billionaires Actually Listening? At Least One of Them Appears to Be
Sometimes—often—critiquing philanthropy can feel like shouting into a void. You’re targeting some of the most powerful, well-resourced people in the world, people who’ve been given every reason to have supreme confidence in what they’re doing, never … [Read more...] about Are Billionaires Actually Listening? At Least One of Them Appears to Be
Report: Green Funders Still Won’t Share Diversity Data, Even Anonymously
Foundations can be infamous for all that they ask of grantees: giant proposals for puny grants, quarterly or even weekly reports, mountains of metrics—the list goes on.But one environmental nonprofit’s campaign to get green funders to share data on … [Read more...] about Report: Green Funders Still Won’t Share Diversity Data, Even Anonymously
To Counter #PhilanthropySoWhite, a Foundation Offers a Paid Introduction to the Sector
People from both outside and inside philanthropy frequently criticize the sector for how overly white it is, and a 2021 survey from the Council on Foundations is the latest dataset to back up their critiques. The report found that the workforce is … [Read more...] about To Counter #PhilanthropySoWhite, a Foundation Offers a Paid Introduction to the Sector
With a Billionaires Tax Circling the Drain, Philanthropy Reform Is All the More Critical
It’s pretty much the most progressive tax proposal ever drafted—a “billionaires tax” targeting the unrealized asset gains of about 700 of the nation’s wealthiest people. Introduced by Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), the tax is one proposed … [Read more...] about With a Billionaires Tax Circling the Drain, Philanthropy Reform Is All the More Critical
Three Lessons for Funders Exploring Participatory Decision-Making
We are two former educators now working for organizations that support efforts to reimagine learning and improve education for each and every young person. Knowing and understanding the assets and needs of the communities we serve is critical for the … [Read more...] about Three Lessons for Funders Exploring Participatory Decision-Making
An Ambitious New Commission Sets Out to Diagnose Civil Society’s Ills. But Will It Make a Difference?
If I told you that charitable giving from middle- and lower-income Americans was down right now, you’d probably say something like, yeah, no kidding. There’s a pandemic going on, one that has wreaked massive disruption on Main Street and thrown … [Read more...] about An Ambitious New Commission Sets Out to Diagnose Civil Society’s Ills. But Will It Make a Difference?
“That’s How Change Is Generated.” 9 Questions for Surdna’s Javier Torres-Campos
Javier Torres-Campos serves as program director of the Surdna Foundation’s Thriving Cultures program, overseeing a $9 million grantmaking portfolio to advance the foundation’s social justice mission. Torres-Campos previously served as the director of … [Read more...] about “That’s How Change Is Generated.” 9 Questions for Surdna’s Javier Torres-Campos
“Lower Than Ever.” Forbes’ Latest Rankings Show the Extent of Billionaires’ Philanthropic Stinginess
From day one here at Inside Philanthropy, we’ve been clearheaded about the fact that while many super-rich Americans support interesting and vital nonprofit work, billionaires as a class are a stingy lot. Forbes’ latest list of the 400 richest people … [Read more...] about “Lower Than Ever.” Forbes’ Latest Rankings Show the Extent of Billionaires’ Philanthropic Stinginess
How Philanthropy Can Follow the Lead of Girls of Color
My family has always been philanthropic—from my grandparents hosting everyone on holidays, to volunteering with our church for back-to-school fairs and holiday drives, to the ways we show up for each other in both celebration and crisis. But it … [Read more...] about How Philanthropy Can Follow the Lead of Girls of Color
The U.S. Is a Tax Haven, and 4 Other Things the Pandora Papers Tell Us About Elite Wealth
By now you’ve probably heard of the so-called Pandora Papers, a leak of 11.9 million confidential records—2.94 terabytes of data—from 14 offshore financial services firms. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which … [Read more...] about The U.S. Is a Tax Haven, and 4 Other Things the Pandora Papers Tell Us About Elite Wealth
“Revisit the Assumptions.” A New Report Poses Big Questions About Funders’ Impact in the 2020s
In 1946, George Orwell wrote an essay titled “In Front of Your Nose” in which he questioned the conventional wisdom around topics like political stability in Hong Kong and the economic benefits of a low birthrate.“To see what is in front of one’s … [Read more...] about “Revisit the Assumptions.” A New Report Poses Big Questions About Funders’ Impact in the 2020s
Is the Giving Pledge Obsolete? Over a Decade On, What Was Promising Now Seems Passé
A lot can change in a decade. Back in 2009, as the world’s economy reeled from crash and recession, a coterie of billionaires gathered over dinner in New York City to talk philanthropy. Oprah was there, and so was New York’s billionaire mayor, … [Read more...] about Is the Giving Pledge Obsolete? Over a Decade On, What Was Promising Now Seems Passé
