… [Read more...] about Excess Wealth Critic Scott Ellis on Why Philanthropy is Failing Society
Philanthropy Reform
It’s Time for Foundations to Interrogate Perpetuity, Even If That Means Spending Down
J.D. Vance Has Set His Sights on Philanthropy Before. What Should the Sector Expect?
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?
Careful What You Wish For: House GOP Pushes Philanthropy Reform to Punish Liberal Donors
What Dark Money Critics Are Getting Wrong About Philanthropic Intermediaries Like Tides
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
These Donors Are Revolting Against the “Charity Lobby” to Push Sweeping Philanthropic Reform
For over a half-century, going all the way back to the Tax Reform Act of 1969, significant reform to the laws governing foundations, donor-advised funds and charitable giving has been a nonstarter. Meaningful changes to what are often toothless and … [Read more...] about These Donors Are Revolting Against the “Charity Lobby” to Push Sweeping Philanthropic Reform
New Poll, Old News: Philanthropy Lobby Is Still Out of Step with Public Opinion on Charity Reform
A new national Ipsos poll illuminates that there is broad and nonpartisan support for changes in laws governing charitable giving. The March 2024 poll was the product of a common-ground collaboration between Inequality.org and The Giving Review. It … [Read more...] about New Poll, Old News: Philanthropy Lobby Is Still Out of Step with Public Opinion on Charity Reform
To Increase Trust in Philanthropy, We Have to Put a Stop to “Billionaire Shell Games”
Several years ago, my spouse told me about something both fascinating and sad that he observed while we were walking around St. James Park in London on vacation. There was a shell game on a walkway near one of the bridges over the River Thames that … [Read more...] about To Increase Trust in Philanthropy, We Have to Put a Stop to “Billionaire Shell Games”
The True Cost of Billionaire Philanthropy: How the Taxpayer Subsidizes Stockpiled Wealth
In a politically polarized time, charity reform may be one place where alliances are forming across parties. A recent seminar hosted by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, How to Rebuild Public Trust in Philanthropy, brought together a right-left medley … [Read more...] about The True Cost of Billionaire Philanthropy: How the Taxpayer Subsidizes Stockpiled Wealth
If You’re Serious About Funding Real Change, You Need to Change the Way You Fund (Yes, Again)
Today’s model for funding nonprofits and social enterprises is broken. Despite shifts toward trust-based philanthropy, the majority of foundations still give grants that are project specific and time limited, with only 18% of funding explicitly … [Read more...] about If You’re Serious About Funding Real Change, You Need to Change the Way You Fund (Yes, Again)
With Congress in Turmoil, Philanthropy Reform Seems Unlikely — Which Is How the Sector Likes It
Will the field of philanthropy ever face severe and sustained public backlash? And will that backlash spur lawmakers to drastically alter the laws governing how philanthropic dollars move?Those are questions we’ve been asking pretty much since Inside … [Read more...] about With Congress in Turmoil, Philanthropy Reform Seems Unlikely — Which Is How the Sector Likes It
Disruption Isn’t Always the Answer: Why We Embraced Traditional Grant Cycles
How are we transforming philanthropy? This question and its many answers have become an increasingly popular topic of conversation among progressive funders in the past few years. Embedded within this question is a clear desire on the part of funders … [Read more...] about Disruption Isn’t Always the Answer: Why We Embraced Traditional Grant Cycles
“The Time Was Right.” How Three Funders Joined Forces to Simplify the Grant Application Process
In July 2021, San Francisco-based Vogl Consulting published a report gauging the impact of emergency funding distributed to Bay Area artists and cultural organizations during the pandemic. The study, which was commissioned by the Walter & Elise Haas … [Read more...] about “The Time Was Right.” How Three Funders Joined Forces to Simplify the Grant Application Process
Unlocking Abundance: A New Philanthropic Status Quo
Communities all over the world are overflowing with abundance — abundance of talent, ideas and solutions. The trouble is, for all the promise of this abundance, and remarkable and ready potential, we must unlock the resources needed to support … [Read more...] about Unlocking Abundance: A New Philanthropic Status Quo
A New Report Shows Promising Shifts in Funders’ Practices. Whether It’s Enough Is Still Up for Debate
We’ve spent a good amount of time here at IP gauging the nature and evolution of philanthropy’s response to the pandemic. In those harrowing days in the spring of 2020, funders pledged to roll out emergency funding, ramp up general operating support … [Read more...] about A New Report Shows Promising Shifts in Funders’ Practices. Whether It’s Enough Is Still Up for Debate
What Exactly Is a Philanthropic LLC? Here Are Five Types, Ranked By Transparency
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan famously started one to channel their giving. So did Laura and John Arnold. MacKenzie Scott and Laurene Powell Jobs each operate their own. And younger billionaires, like Lukas Walton, continue to embrace them. I’m … [Read more...] about What Exactly Is a Philanthropic LLC? Here Are Five Types, Ranked By Transparency
This One-of-a-Kind Nonprofit Collaboration Just Might Upend the Funder-Grantee Power Dynamic
When a foundation CEO recently asked Prevention Works CEO Danielle Sielatycki for permission to bring in a busload of donors for a nearly day-long site visit, Sielatycki did something that most nonprofit leaders would only do in their dreams: she … [Read more...] about This One-of-a-Kind Nonprofit Collaboration Just Might Upend the Funder-Grantee Power Dynamic
The Future of Equitable Giving: Understanding and Implementing Trust-Based Philanthropy
Amid global shifts due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a nationwide reckoning around social justice, philanthropy has taken a new shape. More donors are exploring trust-based philanthropy, a charitable approach that aims to make giving more democratic, … [Read more...] about The Future of Equitable Giving: Understanding and Implementing Trust-Based Philanthropy
Foundations Are Giving More and More Money to DAFs. Is That a Problem?
It’s one of main gripes of donor-advised funds’ critics: Foundations, some of them channeling the fortunes of the nation’s richest, appear to be using DAF gifts to do an end run around the 5% annual payout mandate, rendering optional what was … [Read more...] about Foundations Are Giving More and More Money to DAFs. Is That a Problem?
It’s Time for Real Truth and Reconciliation — and Restorative Justice — in Philanthropy
With the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, as well as last year’s Dobbs ruling, there is no better time for philanthropy to take the lead in setting an agenda for equity and democracy. But first, institutional philanthropy has some … [Read more...] about It’s Time for Real Truth and Reconciliation — and Restorative Justice — in Philanthropy
Big Change Requires Bold Funding: Why We’re Upping Our Annual Grantee Payout to 11%
“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” — Assata Shakur, “Assata: An Autobiography”In June last year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned … [Read more...] about Big Change Requires Bold Funding: Why We’re Upping Our Annual Grantee Payout to 11%
Why Philanthropy’s a Bigger Deal Than You Might Think
Giving USA released its top-level numbers for 2022 last week, and the overall discourse around them has been justifiably downbeat. After inflation, charitable giving in the U.S. declined by 10.5% last year, prompting the Chronicle of Philanthropy to … [Read more...] about Why Philanthropy’s a Bigger Deal Than You Might Think
Philanthropy Does a Lot of Navel-Gazing. Is That Accomplishing Anything?
Every professional sector has its own specialized practices, jargon and internal debates, and philanthropy’s no different. Just as marketing pros puzzle over the merits of social media ad strategies, or just as parking minimums and building height … [Read more...] about Philanthropy Does a Lot of Navel-Gazing. Is That Accomplishing Anything?
Major Philanthropy Sector Groups Are Dragging Their Feet or Outright Opposing DAF Reform. Why Is That?
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on May 23, 2023.There’s no real way around it: Donor-advised funds represent a fundamental problem for philanthropy. That’s because, especially as they become an ever more prominent part of the … [Read more...] about Major Philanthropy Sector Groups Are Dragging Their Feet or Outright Opposing DAF Reform. Why Is That?
Is Excessive Wealth a Disorder? If So, This New Nonprofit Aims to Cure It
The Excessive Wealth Disorder Institute (EWDI) is exactly what its name implies — a think tank that seeks to cure the societal illnesses caused by laws and policies that make it possible for the top 0.1% of the country’s wealth holders to amass, and … [Read more...] about Is Excessive Wealth a Disorder? If So, This New Nonprofit Aims to Cure It
DAF Reform Is on Biden’s Wish List. Does It Stand a Chance?
Billionaires love donor-advised funds. Just look at the hundreds of millions of dollars in gifts that their foundations shower on DAFs each year.Google co-founder Larry Page sent all but 0.000004% of his foundation’s grants to a DAF in recent years. … [Read more...] about DAF Reform Is on Biden’s Wish List. Does It Stand a Chance?
Four Things We Actually Like About DAFs
The DAF debate has been raging for a while, and suffice it to say, opinions still differ. Around the middle of the last decade, it became clear that these flexible giving vehicles, long overshadowed by foundations, were skyrocketing in popularity. It … [Read more...] about Four Things We Actually Like About DAFs
