January 03, 2023 What We Learned From a Deep Dive Into Cancer Research Giving January 03, 2023/ Mike Scutari As part of IP’s State of American Philanthropy project, we recently published an in-depth paper on trends in cancer research funding. Author Mike Scutari overviews what we learned and offers clues on what to expect going forward.Read More
December 23, 2022 Six Questions for Michael Roberts, President and CEO of First Nations Development Institute December 23, 2022/ Mike Scutari Michael Roberts heads First Nations Development Institute, which seeks to improve economic conditions for Native Americans. We chatted with him about the best advice he’s ever received, the perils of “racial equity fatigue,” and more.Read More
December 15, 2022 How a Grantmaker Focused on Rare Diseases Galvanizes Critical Research and Patient Support December 15, 2022/ Mike Scutari Over 25 million Americans live with rare diseases, and 90% of rare diseases do not have an FDA-approved treatment. We look at how the National Organization for Rare Disorders is moving the needle in this evolving field.Read More
December 13, 2022 Backed by a Huge Bequest, a New Arts Funder’s Grantmaking Strategy Begins to Takes Shape December 13, 2022/ Mike Scutari The Ruth Foundation for the Arts has made a big splash in the arts world thanks to its penchant for flexible funding and a $440 endowment. We check in with executive director Karen Patterson on the foundation’s inaugural year.Read More
December 09, 2022 A Funding Leader Lays Out Key Priorities in Neuromuscular Disease Research December 09, 2022/ Mike Scutari The Chicago-based Muscular Dystrophy Association is a leading funder in the field of neuromuscular diseases. We check in with Chief Research Officer Dr. Sharon Hesterlee to discuss current challenges and priorities.Read More
December 06, 2022 MacKenzie Scott Is Proving What We All Knew: Generous, Unrestricted Giving Works December 06, 2022/ Mike Scutari A report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy looks at how MacKenzie Scott’s gifts have transformed recipient organizations. We look at some of the key strengths and downsides to her approach.Read More
December 02, 2022 A Conversation with Jeffreen Hayes, Executive Director of Chicago-Based Arts Funder Threewalls December 02, 2022/ Mike Scutari Dr. Jeffreen Hayes heads the Chicago-based arts organization and grantmaker Threewalls. We chatted with her to discuss her career trajectory, why she’s optimistic about the state of philanthropy, and more.Read More
November 29, 2022 As Americans Grow Older, These Funders are Advancing the Field of Cognitive Aging Research November 29, 2022/ Mike Scutari Millions will experience the effects of cognitive decline without being diagnosed with a neurological disease. Two prominent funders of cognitive aging research share how they are working to overcome this challenge.Read More
November 21, 2022 FTX Collapsed and Sam Bankman-Fried’s Wealth Vaporized. Where Does Effective Altruism Stand? November 21, 2022/ Mike Scutari The EA field is at a crossroads in the aftermath of the FTX meltdown. We take a look at the movement’s pre-collapse identity crisis, SBF’s outsized influence, and where EA goes from here now that he’s out of the picture.Read More
November 17, 2022 This Research Funder Is on a Mission to Cure — and Destigmatize — Epilepsy November 17, 2022/ Mike Scutari CURE Epilepsy funds research to cure and more effectively treat a neurological condition that affects 3.4 million Americans. Part of that mission involves ending the silence that still surrounds epilepsy.Read More
November 14, 2022 “A Period of Rapid Change.” How the ALS Association Shepherded a New Treatment to Market November 14, 2022/ Mike Scutari The FDA recently approved a new drug to treat ALS. Here’s how the ALS Association, equipped with funding from 2014’s viral Ice Bucket Challenge, contributed to that outcome — and what it’s looking to do next.Read More
November 08, 2022 “There’s No Going Back.” Six Questions for Sage Crump of the National Performance Network November 08, 2022/ Mike Scutari NPN recently named Sage Crump director of its Department of Racial Justice and Movement Building, advancing social justice through arts and culture. She fills us in on the group’s work, her biggest influences, and more.Read More
October 26, 2022 “Explore the Gaps.” A Closer Look at the Kavli Foundation’s Neuroscience Grantmaking October 26, 2022/ Mike Scutari The Kavli Foundation is one of philanthropy’s most impactful supporters of neuroscience research. We check with Life Sciences Director Amy Bernard about the funder’s grantmaking priorities and an emerging area of focus.Read More
October 25, 2022 Six Questions with Mendi Blue Paca, New President of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation October 25, 2022/ Mike Scutari Mendi Blue Paca is president and CEO of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation in Connecticut. We chatted with her about her background, her influences, and how community foundations can talk about race.Read More
October 24, 2022 The Bezos Family Committed $710 Million to Disease Research. Here’s How That Came Together October 24, 2022/ Mike Scutari The Bezos family’s mega-commitment to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center will fund cancer and infectious disease research. The gift has a 20-year backstory, and offers a peek at how the fantastically wealthy clan operates.Read More
October 18, 2022 Six Questions for Alberto Mejia, National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures Deputy Director October 18, 2022/ Mike Scutari Alberto Mejia is the deputy director of NALAC, an influential supporter of Latino arts and culture in the United States. In this Q&A, Mejia discusses his start as a hip hop performer, his take on the state of philanthropy, and more.Read More
October 12, 2022 Outcomes and Accountability: How Arnold Ventures Is Working to Reform a “Broken” Higher Ed System October 12, 2022/ Mike Scutari President Biden’s loan forgiveness plan will make a dent in the student debt crisis, but it won’t solve it. Kelly McManus explains some of the policy solutions Arnold Ventures is pursuing in its expanding higher ed program.Read More
October 11, 2022 Taking on Paralysis, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Seeks to "Care and Cure" October 11, 2022/ Mike Scutari Once viewed as the “graveyard of neuroscience,” the field of spinal cord injury has made headway thanks to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. We check in with two leaders to discuss challenges and opportunities.Read More
October 05, 2022 How Much Funding Is Going to the Arts? And Where Is it Headed? Tax Data Offers Fresh Insights October 05, 2022/ Mike Scutari In what may be the largest data-driven analysis of its kind, researchers crunched mountains of data from arts foundations’ digitized tax forms. They uncovered some telling numbers and disparities in giving. Read More
September 27, 2022 Seven Questions for Amy Freitag, the New York Community Trust’s New President September 27, 2022/ Mike Scutari In July, Amy Freitag assumed her role as only the fourth president in the New York Community Trust’s 97-year history. Freitag discusses the job so far, her influences, and her vision for what community foundations can accomplish.Read More