… [Read more...] about Philanthropy Must Push Back Against Social Media Misinformation
Tech Philanthropy
Tech Philanthropy Watch: WhatsApp Founder Jan Koum Has a New $1.5 Billion Fund
Two Big Reasons Why Criminal Justice Reform Funding Took a Dive — and Hasn’t Recovered
“AI Opened a Window.” Omidyar Network’s Mike Kubzansky on the Funder’s Strategic Evolution
When I caught up with Omidyar Network CEO Mike Kubzansky last week, he was holed up in a hotel room in Denver. “I was lightning-stormed out of my connection,” he said with a chuckle. “I will hustle through the airport to get to my final destination … [Read more...] about “AI Opened a Window.” Omidyar Network’s Mike Kubzansky on the Funder’s Strategic Evolution
What a Facebook Cofounder’s Latest $1.9 Billion for His Foundation Says about Philanthropy’s Future
Trust-Based Practices Top of Mind at Tech Billionaire Couple David and Angela Filo’s Foundation
It probably feels like it was a century ago, but we’re only several decades removed from a time when ambitious young entrepreneurs like Pierre Omidyar, Jeff Skoll and Tim Gill, flush with riches from the dot-com boom, kicked off the second … [Read more...] about Trust-Based Practices Top of Mind at Tech Billionaire Couple David and Angela Filo’s Foundation
A Closer Look at the Philanthropy of Tech Billionaire Couple Phillip and Susan Ragon
On June 18, representatives from the Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University gathered in Cambridge to commemorate the opening of the institute’s new headquarters. A photo on … [Read more...] about A Closer Look at the Philanthropy of Tech Billionaire Couple Phillip and Susan Ragon
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?
Behind an Early Nvidia Employee’s Big Gift for Healthcare AI
Nvidia cofounder and CEO Jensen Huang and his wife Lori recently became centibillionaires, powered by the company’s leading role in manufacturing the GPU chips that help make AI systems possible. However, the Huangs aren’t the only Nvidia insiders … [Read more...] about Behind an Early Nvidia Employee’s Big Gift for Healthcare AI
Another Tech-Fueled, Multibillion-Dollar Foundation. Have You Even Heard of It?
Between a karate studio and a shuttered dessert shop called Sweet Orchid is a Menlo Park, California, branch of the UPS Store that holds the mailbox, and main public address, for one of the largest foundations in the United States — and a case study … [Read more...] about Another Tech-Fueled, Multibillion-Dollar Foundation. Have You Even Heard of It?
AI Has Made Nvidia’s Founder a Centibillionaire. What Will That Mean for His Philanthropy?
Welcome to the centibillionaire club, Jensen and Lori Huang.The Nvidia cofounder and CEO and his wife are now among earth’s wealthiest dozen-plus residents, thanks to the A.I. boom that last month turned the chip maker — of which he owns roughly 3% — … [Read more...] about AI Has Made Nvidia’s Founder a Centibillionaire. What Will That Mean for His Philanthropy?
What’s Next for the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation?
Centibillionaires Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer might be the richest philanthropists minted at Microsoft, but there’s another such figure whose philanthropic legacy is still very much evolving – even though he passed away in 2018. The late Paul G. … [Read more...] about What’s Next for the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation?
AI Is Here, for Better and for Worse. This Tech Funder Doesn’t Want to Leave It to the Marketplace
In late December last year, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation announced a new round of grants totaling $66.4 million to roughly 150 recipients developing artificial intelligence and other data solutions that advance the public good. That’s a … [Read more...] about AI Is Here, for Better and for Worse. This Tech Funder Doesn’t Want to Leave It to the Marketplace
Google Gets Behind Guaranteed Income to Relieve Homelessness on Its Home Turf
There is growing momentum behind the concept of guaranteed income — that is, programs that provide recurring direct cash payments to ease poverty. Pilots have been rolled out around the country — more than 150 to date — and preliminary analyses show … [Read more...] about Google Gets Behind Guaranteed Income to Relieve Homelessness on Its Home Turf
Merging Trust-Based Philanthropy and VC-Style Support to Help Communities Bloom
Say you’re a nice boy from New York who’s made it big and you want to start giving back in earnest. How do you get started? You might ask your friends for advice. This was the approach taken by Peter Levine, a tech sales and marketing executive … [Read more...] about Merging Trust-Based Philanthropy and VC-Style Support to Help Communities Bloom
Why Craig Newmark Is Concerned — and Hopeful — for American Democracy
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, … [Read more...] about Why Craig Newmark Is Concerned — and Hopeful — for American Democracy
The Leader of This Growing West Coast Funder Is Zeroing in on the Promise and Perils of AI
A year into her new job as president and CEO of the Heising-Simons Foundation, Sushma Raman is turning her attention — and some of the foundation’s resources — to the potential risks and benefits of technology, particularly artificial … [Read more...] about The Leader of This Growing West Coast Funder Is Zeroing in on the Promise and Perils of AI
Elon Musk Sent Most of His Charitable Dollars in 2022 to a Brand-New Nonprofit: His New School
Elon Musk owns the world’s most valuable car company, the social media network formerly known as Twitter and the satellite network Ukrainian soldiers rely on to survive on the battlefield. In recent years, he’s vied with the likes of Jeff Bezos and … [Read more...] about Elon Musk Sent Most of His Charitable Dollars in 2022 to a Brand-New Nonprofit: His New School
By the Numbers, Google Founders’ Philanthropies Are Now Peers to Legacy Giants
Nearly two decades have passed since Google went public and its founders officially joined the billionaire class. Now, a new set of filings show that their philanthropy is starting to rival, at least by the numbers, that of some of the largest and … [Read more...] about By the Numbers, Google Founders’ Philanthropies Are Now Peers to Legacy Giants
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
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
How a Transformative Educational Experience Led to a Tech Winner’s Huge Surprise Bequest
The name Franklin Antonio may not ring a bell, but chances are high that you regularly use technology he helped develop. Antonio, who died in 2022 at the age of 69, was cofounder and chief scientist of the semiconductor giant Qualcomm, which makes … [Read more...] about How a Transformative Educational Experience Led to a Tech Winner’s Huge Surprise Bequest
Can This Sustainability Challenge Help Revive a Struggling City?
It’s a perennial question: Can technology solve society’s many challenges — from widespread mental health crises to climate disaster? Like many people, I’m skeptical of the tech sector’s confidence in its ability to swoop in and solve entrenched … [Read more...] about Can This Sustainability Challenge Help Revive a Struggling City?
AI in Education? Salesforce Takes the Plunge
It was a clear September day in San Francisco, and guests at the Salesforce Back to School celebration, held on a terrace at George Washington High School, had a ravishing view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The event was organized to herald Salesforce’s … [Read more...] about AI in Education? Salesforce Takes the Plunge
Recent Layoffs Raise Questions About the Future of Education Funding at CZI
Recent developments at Chan Zuckerberg Initiative haven’t received much attention: During the second week of August, the philanthropy created by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, cut its education team, laying off 48 … [Read more...] about Recent Layoffs Raise Questions About the Future of Education Funding at CZI
AI for the Planet: How One of the World’s Biggest Tech Firms Is Backing AI-Powered Climate Science
Last summer, as the COVID-19 pandemic settled into a state of relative control, Google.org turned its attention to an even larger and more complex global emergency: climate change. The corporate philanthropy's 2022 Impact Challenge on Climate … [Read more...] about AI for the Planet: How One of the World’s Biggest Tech Firms Is Backing AI-Powered Climate Science
Inside The Audacious Project: How the Billionaires’ Funding Collaborative Picks its Winners
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on August 9, 2023. Nearly every year, some of the world’s wealthiest people gather for two and a half days to decide which from a short list of nonprofits they will bless with game-changing sums of … [Read more...] about Inside The Audacious Project: How the Billionaires’ Funding Collaborative Picks its Winners
Still an Apex Donor? What’s Changing, and Staying the Same, About Jack Dorsey’s Giving
In 2021, Jack Dorsey seemed poised to become a philanthropic power player. Having taken away President Donald Trump’s most potent megaphone with a Twitter ban following the January 6 insurrection, Dorsey was also busy fire-hosing nonprofits with … [Read more...] about Still an Apex Donor? What’s Changing, and Staying the Same, About Jack Dorsey’s Giving
AI Is Suddenly Everywhere, but Philanthropy Has Been Involved for Years. Here Are the Top Funders
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on July 26, 2023.Artificial intelligence has been advancing rapidly and working away in the background of any number of business and academic applications for decades now. But it’s recently gone a … [Read more...] about AI Is Suddenly Everywhere, but Philanthropy Has Been Involved for Years. Here Are the Top Funders
