Craig Newmark’s interests are wide ranging and eclectic, and include veterans and military families, journalism, food security, women in tech, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, pigeon rescue and comedy — not necessarily in that order. Newmark, who started the pioneering online classifieds site Craigslist in 1995, now devotes most of his time to his foundation, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, which allows him to support the many causes he cares about.
One of Newmark’s primary philanthropic interests these days is American democracy, which he believes is in peril. And one of the best ways to counter current threats, according to Newmark, is by providing voters with reliable information. For years, he has poured resources into quality journalism and fought disinformation, including support for the News Integrity Initiative, ProPublica and the Poynter Institute, as IP’s Mike Scutari has reported. In 2018, he gave $20 million to City University of New York’s journalism school, and earlier this year, he provided the school, now named the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, $10 million more to help it become tuition free.
Now it’s election year, and Newmark is ramping up efforts to educate the public. To mark Super Tuesday, Newmark helped fund the sixth annual State of America Summit, a free virtual session created by New York City’s renowned 92 Street Y (92NY). The Summit explored issues that promise to loom large in the upcoming presidential campaign, including reproductive rights and immigration. He also teamed up with 92NY to launch the Newmark Civic Life Series, which features conversations with journalists, scholars, legal experts and others to explore threats to democracy, and pro-democracy efforts around the world.
In a recent conversation in the series, NYU law professors Melissa Murray and Andrew Weissmann explored pending charges against Donald Trump and their implications. Murray and Weissmann’s new book, “The Trump Indictments,” provides detailed analysis of all the legal cases faced by the former president. Upcoming events in the series, which are available both in person and online, will include conversations with U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, Sen. Cory Booker, Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, and New York Times political correspondent Maggie Haberman.
A number of other funders share Newmark’s concerns about attacks on democracy, such as disinformation campaigns, partisan gerrymandering, voting rights restrictions, and the January 6 attack on the Capitol. In a recent article on how philanthropy will influence the 2024 election, IP’s Philip Rojc spotlighted some of the philanthropies, including both legacy funders and large individual donors, who are likely to have a role in this year’s contest. In a one example, Public Wise, a newer funder, is working to identify participants in January 6 who are now seeking or holding public office; it is also supporting groups that are working to engage and inform underrepresented voters. (Also check out Rojc’s advice for those interested in democracy funding, and the case for why now is the time to invest in democracy, by IP guest contributors Joe Goldman, Laleh Ispahani and Deepak Bhargava.)
Newmark’s pro-democracy strategy includes support for voting rights and access, which he believes are vital, but he is also convinced that ensuring the public is informed and engaged is the best way to protect and maintain a healthy system of self-government. Quality journalism plays a key role, of course, but so do other forums, like the Newmark Civic Life Series.
“People need to hear straight, insightful stories about what’s going on in the country, and how we can make things better for everyone,” Newmark said in a recent interview. “I know I need that myself, and lots of other people do, too. Because the world is complicated, fascinating and scary. We want news that helps us understand what we can do together, and we need honest, smart people to talk to, and the Civic Life series provides that. There are people of goodwill who want to know what’s really going on. When you know what is going on, you can take action — which starts with registering to vote and voting, and hopefully doesn’t end there.”
“Blame Craig”
In conversation and on his foundation’s website, Newmark credits his Sunday School teachers and a high school politics and civics teacher, along with Marshall McLuhan, Leonard Cohen and Batman, for helping him develop the values that drive his work and his philanthropy. His parents, he says, modeled a strong sense of patriotism.
“I grew up in the ’50s with Greatest Generation parents,” he said. “They both did their part. My dad fought in the Pacific — he was behind a desk, but he was there. My mom took over bookkeeping duties so the bookkeeper could fight. So for me, patriotism is the thing, it’s expected. Because we’re all in this together; it’s kind of like we’ve got to ‘Greatest Generation’ this so everyone comes out ahead.”
Newmark’s approach to philanthropy involves finding experts doing work for causes he believes in, providing them support, and leaving them to it. “I find people who are smarter and more successful than I am about something and I share power with them — meaning money and influence — and then I get out of the way. I do ask them to tolerate my sense of humor without actually encouraging me. I know that I’m not as funny as I think.”
Newmark wears his nerdiness as a badge of honor (his website features this tagline: “I’m an old-school nerd helping to protect the people who protect our country”) and he has a wry, self-deprecating sense of humor. Several years ago, he told my colleague Ade Adeniji that he was working with a comedy tutor, but when I asked him about this in a recent interview, he said he’s concluded that his talents lie elsewhere. “While I may occasionally get in a witticism, it is better for our species if I don’t quit my day job.”
A couple of areas in which Newmark is well-versed are AI and cybersecurity, and he is spending time working in both of these areas. “There are many things that I don’t know enough about and knowing enough about them would take years of study,” he said. “But on the technology side, I already know a fair amount. So that’s where I put my a lot of time and I figure this is the way I can indulge myself in my sunset years and I don’t have to feel entirely useless.”
Newmark believes that improving and strengthening cybersecurity is essential, as IP’s Paul Karon has reported. “I’m spending a lot of energy helping people defend the country in the area of cybersecurity. I’m trying to support the people who are fighting that war. Some of them are run out of nonprofits, some are run out of states or local governments.” In 2022, Newmark gave $100 million to launch a Cyber Civil Defense network to protect the country from cyber attacks. The effort focuses on “citizen cyber education and literacy, cyber tool development, and cybersecurity workforce programs aimed at diversifying the growing field,” according to the website.
Newmark is currently considering a new campaign to encourage public participation in cyber civil defense. He explained that people often ignore system update messages on their computers, but these messages often indicate a security hole that an update can fix. Updates can prevent cyberattacks, including those that have compromised city government and financial systems in many areas. Newmark’s campaign would encourage people to protect and update their systems, and take the onus off employers and government officials to issue reminders.
“If someone at a company asks the IT shop, ‘Hey, are you updating your systems?’ the IT shop people may resent this. Or if an employer tells his employees. With my campaign getting the word out, you can just tell them to ‘Blame Craig,’” Newmark said. “I keep thinking about World War II, when everyone was expected to play a role and there were messages like, ‘Loose Lips Sink Ships.’ The idea is that this is a modest way to do the Greatest Generation thing.”
‘Democracy is Coming to the USA’
Newmark has no intention of holding onto his fortune. “I’ve already given away the vast majority of what I have, so I’m not fooling around with the Giving Pledge.” The resources that remain are in a donor-advised fund, and Newmark plans to distribute the money through Craig Newmark Philanthropies over the next 10 years. “I’m 71 now, so I’ll figure out over the next 10 years what to do with the remainder, assuming I’m still in existence. I’ll make sure the family has enough, and I’ll make sure the pigeons are suitably protected. There’s not much point in leaving behind a lot after after you’ve made your family happy.”
He clearly enjoys the process. “I need to focus on the hopeful, since by luck, I’ve acquired the resources to help people who might help us all in the here and now. And that’s where I’ve got to spend my time and influence and money. It feels like I’m fulfilling my life’s mission. There are some things that I should be doing, and that includes sometimes helping people and sometimes fighting for democracy.”
To illustrate his outlook on the country and his personal brand of patriotism, Newmark likes to point to the last stanza from the song, “Democracy,” by Leonard Cohen, which is included in the bio on his website. Newmark calls it his mission statement:
“I’m sentimental, if you know what I mean
I love the country but I can’t stand the scene
I’m neither left or right
I’m just staying home tonight
Getting lost in that hopeless little screen.
But I’m stubborn as those garbage bags.
That time cannot decay.
I’m junk, but I’m holding up
This little wild bouquet:
Democracy is coming
To the USA.
To the USA.”
