Back to School in New Shoes: A Simple but Powerful Way to Support Kids Experiencing Homelessness
For children in need, something as basic as a new pair of shoes can make a huge impact. With support from an array of funders, Soles4Souls distributes free foot... Read more.
“The Solutions Are There.” Funding Challenge Backs Community-Led Efforts to Save Mothers and Infants
The winners of the Maternal & Infant Health Award, organized by Lever for Change and several funding partners, are working in high-need communities to save the ... Read more.
A Call to Action for Philanthropy in the Face of a Mental Health Crisis
Mindful Philanthropy, which was created in 2020 by mental health funders, has set an ambitious goal for philanthropy: to increase the sector’s funding for men... Read more.
How Three Funders Are Linking Up Public Health and Community Leaders to Tackle Inequities
The Kresge, de Beaumont and Robert Wood Johnson foundations teamed up on an initiative to strengthen our ailing public health system and address inequities by c... Read more.
A Philanthropy Built on Chocolate Expands its Mission to Support Early Childhood
Chocolate magnate Milton Hershey and his wife Catherine left behind a fortune to provide a K-12 education for low-income children. Now, the Hershey Trust is ope... Read more.
Why This L.A. Funder Created a Children’s Library at Men’s Central Jail
Gordon Philanthropies focuses on education and literacy, including by funding a new children’s library at Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles. The library aim... Read more.
Can This Sustainability Challenge Help Revive a Struggling City?
Deloitte, Salesforce and the World Economic Forum launched a challenge that they hope will help revive a struggling San Francisco. But can backing social entrep... Read more.
AI in Education? Salesforce Takes the Plunge
Artificial intelligence loomed very large at several recent Bay Area functions hosted by Salesforce. As the trailblazing corporate funder leans into AI in its e... Read more.
Why This Major Antipoverty Funder Is Ramping Up Its Investment in HBCUs
Against the backdrop of rising funder interest and a controversial Supreme Court decision, the big-donor funding collaborative Blue Meridian Partners is triplin... Read more.
Hands-On Help: The Other Side of MacKenzie Scott’s Recent Early Childhood Ramp-Up
In her early childhood giving this year, MacKenzie Scott is pairing advocacy with direct service funding, including support for programs that provide one-on-one... Read more.
Funders Get Behind a New Plan for School-Based “Health Hubs” in Detroit
Located at school sites and offering free health care for students and other resources for families, the health hubs have secured philanthropic backing from the... Read more.
As the Opioid Crisis Rips Across America, Where Is Philanthropy?
Some of the country’s largest health philanthropies have shifted their focus away, and only a handful of others have stepped up. Why isn’t philanthropy doin... Read more.
MacKenzie Scott’s Recent Giving for Early Education Spotlights the Power of Advocacy
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 adv... Read more.
Recent Layoffs Raise Questions About the Future of Education Funding at CZI
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a committed ed funder, just cut its education team by 30%. What do these layoffs mean for the philanthropy’s education support... Read more.
The Wealthy Donors Behind the Assault on Affirmative Action
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 bankroll... Read more.
A Billionaire Couple Takes Aim at the Medical Debt Weighing Down American Families
Medical debt forces families to choose between buying groceries and paying bills, and prevents them from seeking further care. The Jane and Daniel Och Family Fo... Read more.
As Book Banning Campaigns Spread, this Funder is Defending the Right to Read
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 Sol... Read more.
A Big K-12 Funding Push Seeks to Create More Pathways to Career Success
A number of education funders have been backing workforce development and career readiness programs. The latest big commitment comes from CZI, and seeks to give... Read more.
A Global Philanthropic Competition to Save the Lives of Mothers and Babies
Lever for Change recently announced finalists in its Maternal & Infant Health Award grants competition. Can this approach, which supports community-based health... Read more.
As Numbers Trend in the Wrong Direction, This Foundation’s Focusing on Maternal Health
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 it... Read more.
Joint Philanthropic Initiative Looks to Mend an Ailing U.S. Public Health System
Three health foundations are backing a new effort to promote public health leadership, strengthen our weakened systems, and build stronger connections in commun... Read more.
Facing Deep Regional Inequality, Silicon Valley Community Foundation Zeroes in on Early Childhood
Silicon Valley has pockets of deep poverty — and child care deserts — alongside areas of immense, tech-fueled wealth. SVCF’s Christine Thorsteinson detail... Read more.
Inside a Media Funding Partnership to Get the Word Out about Early Childhood
Backing journalism can be a powerful way for philanthropy to raise the profile of critical but neglected issues like early childhood care and education. Here’... Read more.
Two Years in, The 1954 Project is Moving the Needle on Funding for Black Leaders in Education
For Black-led education organizations, accessing philanthropic dollars is far tougher than for their white counterparts. This pooled funding effort is prying op... Read more.
New Funder Survey Explores the State of Ed Philanthropy and Where It’s Headed
Last week, Grantmakers for Education released the results of its first national survey of ed funders since the pandemic. We caught up with co-Interim Executive ... Read more.
“Rockstar Successful.” Why Early Ed Funders Are Backing This Unique Approach to Training Educators
One thing holding back the American early childhood education system is a serious teacher shortage. EDvance is making the required education more accessible, dr... Read more.
“This is How We’re Supposed to Care for Each Other.” Direct Giving Initiative Tackles Poverty in Flint
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is supporting a plan to provide direct cash payments to expectant mothers and their newborns in Flint, Michigan. Organizers ... Read more.
An Audacious Effort to Transform the Foster Care System Gets a Big Funding Boost
Think of Us has a bold mission: to transform the foster care system from the ground up. The organization’s approach, which elevates those with lived experienc... Read more.
This Los Angeles-Based Foundation Is Giving Children With Disabilities a Welcome Boost
The S. Mark Taper Foundation may not be widely known in the world of philanthropy, but it is making a big difference in the lives of low-income children with di... Read more.
The Education Culture Wars Are Only Growing Fiercer. These Funders Are Fighting Back
A handful of philanthropies are supporting grassroots efforts to push back against well-funded attacks on public education. They’re hoping more funders will t... Read more.
