March 10, 2023 These Health Research Funders Are Facing Down the Next Pandemic Threat — Whatever It May Be March 10, 2023/ Paul Karon The Gates Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation and Open Philanthropy are collaborating under a partnership called Pandemic Antiviral Discovery, funding research to develop treatments that may be needed for future pandemics.Read More
March 09, 2023 In a World Beset by Conflict, Could Better Ways to Measure Peace Change the Funding Equation? March 09, 2023/ Philip Rojc Despite the need for peacebuilding dollars, U.S. philanthropies’ support for that work suffers from a lack of viable metrics. Search for Common Ground is tackling a complex task: how to better measure peace.Read More
March 09, 2023 This Midwest Real Estate Couple Has Been Cutting Some Big Checks. Here's Where the Money's Going March 09, 2023/ Ade Adeniji Ohio-based Harry and Linda Fath gave $275 million in 2022, up from just $50 million in 2017. We spoke with Harry Fath about what they support, how they operate, and why they will never have a foundation.Read More
February 23, 2023 Can Philanthropy Curb the Growing Threat of Wildfire? West Coast Funders Are Giving It a Shot February 23, 2023/ Paul Karon For a century, communities in the Western U.S. have worked hard to prevent and extinguish wildfires. But residents may have to learn to get along with a certain amount of fire. A few funders are navigating this tricky territory. Read More
February 13, 2023 A Top Science Funder Wants to Keep Ukraine's Scientists at the Blackboard February 13, 2023/ Paul Karon The war in Ukraine offers scope for funders to draw on their strengths to assist the embattled nation. For the Simons Foundation, that means helping Ukraine's physicists, biologists and other scientists continue their work.Read More
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 06, 2023 Think the Gates Foundation Is Too Influential? It May Get a Lot Bigger — Or Never Go Away February 06, 2023/ Michael Kavate The largest foundation in the U.S. will soon spend $9 billion a year. But a look at the numbers suggests that’s still far from enough to fulfill its pledge to spend down, if that’s actually the plan.Read More
February 01, 2023 “You Have to Show Up.” The Howard G. Buffett Foundation’s Expansive Support for Ukraine February 01, 2023/ Liz Longley The Howard G. Buffett Foundation has moved nearly $150 million to Ukraine since the war began. Buffett himself has spent a lot of time in the country, learning about needs and responding with a wide-ranging set of grants.Read More
January 31, 2023 With Big Backing From MacKenzie Scott and More, Co-Impact Targets Global Gender Inequality January 31, 2023/ Liz Longley Co-Impact seeks to improve health, education and economic outcomes for women across the Global South by tackling underlying forces at play. Here’s why the philanthropic collaborative has been a big draw for funders.Read More
January 25, 2023 Philanthropy Can Better Support the Youngest Migrants and Refugees by Investing in Cities January 25, 2023/ Peter Laugharn and Vittoria Zanuso, Guest Contributors Millions of children have been forced to move in recent years due to conflict, climate change and more. Guest authors outline how directly funding cities is a powerful way to help refugees, including through a new pooled fund.Read More
January 24, 2023 How a Boston-area Funder is Continuing the Legacy of a Champion of Global Health January 24, 2023/ Paul Karon The Cummings Foundation is mainly focused on Massachusetts, but is extending its sizable support for healthcare in Rwanda. A new $52 million gift carries on the legacy of global health legend Paul Farmer.Read More
January 23, 2023 Regenerative Agriculture Is Having a Moment. Here's How the Rockefeller Foundation's Pitching In January 23, 2023/ Martha Ramirez With a new slate of grants, Rockefeller wants to scale up holistic agriculture practices to improve food production systems, mitigate climate change and help the planet heal — all while empowering Indigenous people.Read More
January 17, 2023 Report: What Philanthropy Can Do About Workers’ Struggles in a Digitalized Global Economy January 17, 2023/ Martha Ramirez Though touted as a force for progress, digital technology has negatively impacted many workers, especially in the Global South. A new report backed by the Ford Foundation lays out the problem and how funders can respond.Read More
January 10, 2023 A Matter of Trust: With a Big Boost from MacKenzie Scott, GiveDirectly is on the Rise January 10, 2023/ Liz Longley GiveDirectly, a leader in the push to give unconditional cash donations to those in need, has grown significantly since the pandemic hit. Part of that growth is a result of some huge gifts from MacKenzie Scott. Read More
January 09, 2023 Funders Partner with the Biden Administration to Back Workers' Rights Around the Globe January 09, 2023/ Martha Ramirez With support from major U.S. funders, a new initiative called M-POWER is combining the forces of government, philanthropy and labor organizations to bolster workers’ rights and advance democracy.Read More
January 05, 2023 MacKenzie Scott Is Funding to Empower People Globally. Here’s What We Know About Her Priorities January 05, 2023/ Liz Longley and Tate Williams At the end of the year, we gained a lot of new data about what MacKenzie Scott is funding, including a growing international portfolio. Here’s what we’re learning based on the latest donations and a new database.Read More
January 05, 2023 Bill Gates' Perpetuity Problem January 05, 2023/ Philip Rojc Bill Gates says he wants to spend down in 25 years, but that’s hard to square with the foundation he’s built — a technocratic global health juggernaut that, in an earlier era, would almost certainly have been intended for perpetuity.Read More
December 12, 2022 Child Marriage Severely Limits Opportunity for Girls. This Powerhouse Trio Is on the Case December 12, 2022/ Liz Longley Michelle Obama, Melinda French Gates and Amal Clooney joined forces this fall to take on child marriage, a human rights violation that affects an estimated 23 girls a minute. Here’s what each philanthropist is bringing to the table.Read More
December 08, 2022 How One Organization Is Tapping Into the Lucrative Wedding Industry to Combat Child Marriage December 08, 2022/ Dawn Wolfe The wedding industry has a $160 billion market value, and it continues to grow. With organizational support from some big funders, VOW for Girls is channeling a slice of those profits toward ending child marriage.Read More
December 08, 2022 Don’t Give Up on Funding Human Rights December 08, 2022/ Regan Ralph, Guest Contributor Despite the doom-and-gloom headlines, local civil society around the world is making real progress on human rights. Outgoing head of the Fund for Global Human Rights encourages funders to stay diligent, and offers a path forward.Read More