February 08, 2023 With the Right Wing in Charge in Israel, Jewish Donors Can't Afford to Turn Away February 08, 2023/ Jo-Ann Mort, Guest Contributor Donors from the U.S. helped sow the seeds for Israel’s current right-wing leadership. Guest author Jo-Ann Mort discusses how that happened and calls on liberal and progressive Jewish donors to step up at a critical moment.Read More
February 02, 2023 Omidyar’s Latest Effort to “Reimagine Capitalism” — Funding Intrepid Journalists February 02, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The Omidyar Network’s Reporters in Residence program is backing journalists who cover economic issues neglected by the mainstream media. It’s the latest philanthropic effort to boost a struggling field — and spur systemic change.Read More
December 21, 2022 Out of One, Many: The Role of Individual Giving in Safeguarding Democracy’s Future December 21, 2022/ Leslie Gross, Guest Contributor While some threats to American democracy were averted in the 2022 midterms, much work remains. Guest author Leslie Gross from The Philanthropy Workshop encourages individual and family donors to take the lead. Read More
November 30, 2022 Amid a Flurry of State Laws and Court Battles, New Funders Wade Into Pro-Democracy Litigation November 30, 2022/ Laurie Udesky Voters stood up to threats against democracy in the midterms, but the fight continues, including ongoing legal battles. Here are three funders who decided to back litigation in defense of free and fair elections.Read More
November 30, 2022 To Combat an "Urgent Threat," a Donor Couple Makes a Big Commitment to News Literacy November 30, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Billionaire couple Melanie and Richard Lundquist are throwing their support behind the News Literacy Project to arm students and the public against mis- and disinformation.Read More
November 10, 2022 Five Midterm Election Takeaways for Philanthropy November 10, 2022/ Philip Rojc The 2022 midterm elections turned out not to be the bloodbath that Democrats — and funders supporting progressive issues — feared it would be. What can philanthropy learn from our latest fraught election cycle? Read More
November 09, 2022 In a Fast-Changing Political Landscape, How Is the Democracy Alliance Evolving? November 09, 2022/ Philip Rojc It’s a very different world than it was when the Democracy Alliance formed, way back in the Bush era. How has this progressive donor powerhouse, once the only game in town, changed over the years? And where is it headed?Read More
November 02, 2022 "Downright Dangerous." How a Donor Couple is Tackling the Thorny Issue of Wealth Inequality November 02, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen James Stone is one of a growing number of wealthy donors highly concerned about inequality. The James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Foundation is supporting research examining the forces that create and perpetuate it.Read More
October 24, 2022 Philanthropy Needs New Strategies to Save American Democracy October 24, 2022/ Mike Berkowitz and Rachel Kleinfeld, Guest Contributors With U.S. democracy in crisis, guest contributors Mike Berkowitz and Rachel Kleinfeld argue that philanthropy cannot stick to its usual playbook. They outline five ways funders can update their approach.Read More
October 19, 2022 Here’s What We Know About James and Kathryn Murdoch’s Giving for Climate, Democracy and More October 19, 2022/ Michael Kavate The son and daughter-in-law of billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch have expanded their grantmaking and put an emphasis on democracy and climate change in recent years. Here’s where the money’s going.Read More
October 17, 2022 How Philanthropy Can Combat a “Ferocious” Wave of Book Bans October 17, 2022/ Simone Ellin As book bans in schools become a key front in the culture wars, organizations like PEN America are betting that Americans’ faith in free speech will prove stronger. Do funders have their backs?Read More
September 20, 2022 Looking Beyond the Midterms, King Family Looks to Empower "Frontline Workers of Democracy” September 20, 2022/ Mike Scutari Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King launched the Drum Major Coalition, providing organizations with flexible support for power-building. We spoke with the Kings about how it came together and what’s next.Read More
July 21, 2022 Funders Set Out to Advance Public Interest Technology. What’s the State of the Field? July 21, 2022/ Mike Scutari Funders like Ford and Hewlett have committed millions to develop a new field with the goal of using technology to serve the public good. We check in on their efforts thus far and opportunities moving forward.Read More
June 27, 2022 Will Pluralism Solve America’s Problems? Philanthropy Can Help Answer the Question June 27, 2022/ Uma Viswanathan, Guest Contributor The New Pluralists funder collaborative is taking on a steep challenge: toxic polarization in America. Guest contributor Uma Viswanathan discusses the group’s approach to bridging divides and its first moves.Read More
June 16, 2022 Supporting Democracy Dollars Is a Powerful Way Funders Can Protect Local Elections June 16, 2022/ Raúl Macías and Tiffany Mendoza, Guest Contributors Democracy in America is in a precarious state, and local elections are just as vulnerable to monied interests. Guest authors Raúl Macías and Tiffany Mendoza offer a creative solution that can help level the playing field. Read More
June 15, 2022 This Funder Collaborative Is All About Fostering Pluralism. Can It Succeed? June 15, 2022/ Philip Rojc The New Pluralists funder collaborative is tackling polarization head-on, focusing on “culture change” on the community level. Its approach has attracted diverse backing, but can it really make a difference?Read More
May 25, 2022 Dear MacKenzie and Dan: Advice for America’s Biggest Donors May 25, 2022/ David Callahan IP founder David Callahan lays out some big ideas for how MacKenzie Scott and her husband Dan Jewett can build on their historic philanthropy to better take on America’s entrenched economic and political inequality.Read More
May 05, 2022 How Eight Grantmakers Fund Civic Engagement and Democracy on College Campuses May 05, 2022/ Mike Scutari Giving for civic engagement on campus is a small but increasingly important component of the higher ed funding ecosystem. Here’s a list of eight key grantmakers and how they approach that work.Read More
May 04, 2022 This Nonprofit Is Cultivating In-State Donors to Sustain Progressive Power in Arizona May 04, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Instituto works through a 501(c)(3), a 501(c)(4) and a PAC to cultivate in-state funding. Here’s what it’s doing to support progressive power-building, and how it’s reckoning with the fact that demographics doesn’t always equal destiny.Read More
April 28, 2022 “Fighting for Our Lives.” Veteran Progressive Donor Patricia Bauman Is Going All in for Democracy April 28, 2022/ Celia Wexler For decades, Patricia Bauman has had an outsized impact in progressive philanthropy, as both donor and organizer. She’s now narrowing her foundation’s focus to confront dire threats to democracy.Read More