Spend-down
A “Philanthropy Abolitionist” Looks Back on His Foundation’s Democratized Spend-Down
What I Learned From Foundation Leaders Overseeing Spend-Downs
Last year, I spoke with Priscilla Enriquez, the CEO of the James B. McClatchy Foundation, about the Sacramento-based funder’s plan to sunset by 2030. The board announced their intentions in 2016, and during our call, Enriquez said that as the … [Read more...] about What I Learned From Foundation Leaders Overseeing Spend-Downs
Confronted with Urgent Crises, Family Foundations Are Reappraising the Question of Perpetuity
As the president and chief executive officer of the National Center for Family Philanthropy, Nicholas Tedesco helps leaders at family foundations become more effective stewards of their philanthropic dollars. These discussions hit on many topics, … [Read more...] about Confronted with Urgent Crises, Family Foundations Are Reappraising the Question of Perpetuity
Many Large Private Foundations Fail to Pay Out 5% of Assets. Here’s Why
In a March piece in the New York Times, David A. Fahrenthold and Ryan Mac reported that Elon Musk’s Musk Foundation did not meet the IRS requirement to distribute 5% of the fair market value of its assets for charitable purposes in 2021 and 2022. In … [Read more...] about Many Large Private Foundations Fail to Pay Out 5% of Assets. Here’s Why
Nearing the End of a 10-Year Sunset, This Family Foundation Will Have Awarded $1.3 Billion
Endowment-Ready: Preparing for a Mega-Gift from MacKenzie Scott (or Anyone Else)
As the director of the endowment and foundations national practice at the Delaware-based financial services firm Wilmington Trust, Walter Dillingham spends his days helping nonprofit clients grow their endowments. In January 2022, Dillingham answered … [Read more...] about Endowment-Ready: Preparing for a Mega-Gift from MacKenzie Scott (or Anyone Else)
Melinda’s Making Her Break from the Foundation After All. Here Are Some Questions We’re Asking
“We’ve Always Been in Spend-Down.” How a Sunsetting Family Foundation Manages the Process
Eleven years ago, Rhonnel Sotelo was interviewing for the chief strategy officer position at the Rogers Family Foundation, an Oakland-based funder primarily focused on serving the city’s public schools. During the final round, he sat across the table … [Read more...] about “We’ve Always Been in Spend-Down.” How a Sunsetting Family Foundation Manages the Process
The Sunsetting Swift Foundation Is Giving Grantees the Power to Sustain Themselves
Established in 1999 by conservationist and organic farmer John Swift, the Santa Barbara-based Swift Foundation is dedicated to Indigenous rights, food sovereignty in Indigenous communities throughout South and North America, and biocultural … [Read more...] about The Sunsetting Swift Foundation Is Giving Grantees the Power to Sustain Themselves
“That’s Where We Come In.” How Chamber Music America Supports the Field’s Artists and Ensembles
When it comes to philanthropic support for the performing arts, regrantor organizations often play an important role. One to note is Chamber Music America (CMA), which supports the chamber music field through offerings like grant programs, … [Read more...] about “That’s Where We Come In.” How Chamber Music America Supports the Field’s Artists and Ensembles
In Vermont, the Richard E. and Deborah L. Tarrant Foundation Is Spending Big to Shut Down in 2040
One funder that Vermont organizations should know is the Richard E. and Deborah L. Tarrant Foundation. This Winooski, Vermont-based grantmaker is accessible to nonprofits and one of the most active private foundations in the state. It's a small … [Read more...] about In Vermont, the Richard E. and Deborah L. Tarrant Foundation Is Spending Big to Shut Down in 2040
How Much of Foundations’ Money Is in Impact Investments? Just 5% Is Common, Says Report
In the stock market collapse that kicked off the Great Recession, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund lost $90 million in 90 days, or about a quarter of the value of its endowment. The Jacksonville, Florida-based foundation’s trustees suddenly had a much … [Read more...] about How Much of Foundations’ Money Is in Impact Investments? Just 5% Is Common, Says Report
“The Theater Is My Favorite Church.” MAP Fund Supports Artists Through Cash and Coaching
Founded in 1988 and launched by the Rockefeller Foundation, MAP Fund is one of the nation’s longest-running private grantmakers for new performance pieces, and a somewhat rare example of an arts funder focused on individual creators, artist duos or … [Read more...] about “The Theater Is My Favorite Church.” MAP Fund Supports Artists Through Cash and Coaching
Five Questions We Should Be Asking About Trust-Based Philanthropy
When trust-based philanthropy shows up in the charitable giving conversation, most of the time, it’s proponents calling for more of it and citing familiar arguments about overweening funder power and the evils of restricted funding. Recently, … [Read more...] about Five Questions We Should Be Asking About Trust-Based Philanthropy
Eight Questions for Ryan Easterly of WITH Foundation and the Disability & Philanthropy Forum
In July 2023, the Disability & Philanthropy Forum announced that Ryan Easterly had assumed the role of co-chair of the Presidents' Council of the Disability & Philanthropy Forum, a peer community of 17 foundation presidents disrupting ableism in … [Read more...] about Eight Questions for Ryan Easterly of WITH Foundation and the Disability & Philanthropy Forum
As the Gates Foundation’s Budget Balloons, More U.S. Grantmaking Should Be On the Table
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced its largest budget ever last week. It’ll spend $8.6 billion in 2024, a staggering sum that puts it well within striking distance of its goal to bump up its annual outlay to $9 billion by 2026.The Gates … [Read more...] about As the Gates Foundation’s Budget Balloons, More U.S. Grantmaking Should Be On the Table
Grand Finale: A Family Foundation Focused on Free Concerts Announces its Spend Down
Philanthropy Awards, 2023
Following a few years of chaotic change and disruption, it’s tempting to view 2023 as a year in which philanthropy slid back into its comfy, often frustrating norms. After all, data is emerging to suggest that there was not, and there probably won’t … [Read more...] about Philanthropy Awards, 2023
Meet the Song Foundation: A Michigan Take on Silicon Valley Philanthropy
Tech philanthropy often carries a geographical association with the California Bay Area, and for good reason. But Silicon Valley isn’t the only place in the U.S. where some of the distinctive patterns of tech giving are showing up. Take the Song … [Read more...] about Meet the Song Foundation: A Michigan Take on Silicon Valley Philanthropy
Six Reasons Why Effective Altruism Isn’t Going Anywhere
Sam Bankman-Fried might have a lengthy prison sentence in his future, but reports of the death of effective altruism, the philanthropic movement he vocally espoused, have been greatly exaggerated. For over a year now, the downfall of the crypto mogul … [Read more...] about Six Reasons Why Effective Altruism Isn’t Going Anywhere
Nonprofits Are Uniquely Positioned to Harness the Oncoming Tidal Wave of Catalytic Capital
A tidal wave of catalytic capital is gathering. Let us not squander its force. Since 1969, when program-related investments (PRIs) were first written into the U.S. Tax Code, U.S.-based private foundations could make investments that count as grant … [Read more...] about Nonprofits Are Uniquely Positioned to Harness the Oncoming Tidal Wave of Catalytic Capital
After 35 Years, the Tow Foundation Reflects on the Past and Looks to the Future
Founded by Leonard and Claire Tow, the Tow Foundation recently held a 35th anniversary event called “Past Informed, Future Focused,” which nicely sums up this unique moment in time for the Connecticut-based family foundation. In addition to a major … [Read more...] about After 35 Years, the Tow Foundation Reflects on the Past and Looks to the Future
A Closer Look at the Philanthropy of First Wave Tech Billionaire John Morgridge and His Family
Looking back over the history of tech, we can group the industry’s most consequential philanthropists into a series of generational “waves” corresponding to transformational advancements in the sector. The first wave included givers who presided over … [Read more...] about A Closer Look at the Philanthropy of First Wave Tech Billionaire John Morgridge and His Family
The Kendeda Fund is Writing its Last Checks — and the Last Chapter of a 30-Year Story of Giving
About 30 years ago, Diana Blank began to ramp up her philanthropy through what became known as the Kendeda Fund, drawing the name from her three children, Kenny, Dena and Danielle. Tapping into wealth derived from the Home Depot empire, which was … [Read more...] about The Kendeda Fund is Writing its Last Checks — and the Last Chapter of a 30-Year Story of Giving
Vague Pledges Notwithstanding, Top Billionaires Remain a Stingy Lot
When Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffett created the Giving Pledge in 2010, some hailed it as a turning point toward an era of much greater generosity from the super-rich than we’d yet seen. Thirteen years on, those hopes seem … [Read more...] about Vague Pledges Notwithstanding, Top Billionaires Remain a Stingy Lot
The Passing of Chuck Feeney Raises the Question: Why Haven’t There Been More Chuck Feeneys?
When Chuck Feeney, who passed away earlier this week at 92, set out on his quest to give away nearly all of his wealth back in 1984, “giving while living” was hardly the staple of philanthropic discourse that it later became. Feeney transferred his … [Read more...] about The Passing of Chuck Feeney Raises the Question: Why Haven’t There Been More Chuck Feeneys?
How the Meadows Foundation Supports the People (and Animals) of Texas
On a hot Sunday in September, Ellen Jefferson, a veterinarian, animal-welfare advocate, and president and CEO of Austin Pets Alive, held a very cute, very scared white puppy with gray ears in her lap. The last of the puppy’s siblings had been adopted … [Read more...] about How the Meadows Foundation Supports the People (and Animals) of Texas
Funder Spotlight: How the Samuels Foundation Supports the Performing Arts and Healthy Aging
We periodically publish quick overviews of grantmakers on our radar, looking at recent developments and key details about how they operate. Today, we’re taking a look at the Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation (the Samuels Foundation).The New York … [Read more...] about Funder Spotlight: How the Samuels Foundation Supports the Performing Arts and Healthy Aging
To Spend Down or Not to Spend Down? This Network Helps Family Funders Answer the Question
Throughout the 20th century, philanthropists established perpetual family foundations guided by a desire to carry on the family legacy and address needs in the near to distant future. But a confluence of recent developments — including the pandemic, … [Read more...] about To Spend Down or Not to Spend Down? This Network Helps Family Funders Answer the Question
