October 05, 2022 After Pooling Their Money to Take on Corporate Monopoly, Funders See Signs of Progress October 05, 2022/ Philip Rojc The Economic Security Project’s Antimonopoly Fund spent three years backing a variety of fronts in the battle against bigness. The movement has notched some wins, but will funders stick with it over the long haul?Read More
September 29, 2022 Billionaires Are Still Stingy, but There May Be Grounds for Hope September 29, 2022/ Philip Rojc A flagging stock market has probably been the biggest contributor to billionaires’ modestly improved giving ratios this year. But while the super-rich still don’t give away much, there’s also a growing list of interesting exceptions.Read More
September 22, 2022 Does Global Philanthropy Have a Colonialism Problem? September 22, 2022/ Philip Rojc Efforts such as Bill Gates’ support for a Green Revolution in Africa are frequently criticized as neo-colonialism. That may be overstating things, but parachuting in with big money and big ideas remains common in global giving.Read More
September 19, 2022 The Great Patagonia Giveaway: The Good News and the Bad News September 19, 2022/ Philip Rojc Is Yvon Chouinard’s giveaway of the company he founded something to celebrate or worry about? As is often the case with billionaire mega-giving, maybe it’s a little bit of both.Read More
September 15, 2022 Philanthropy Has Taken a Big Interest in Narrative Change Strategies. Is It Paying Off? September 15, 2022/ Philip Rojc Interest in funding narrative change is growing, but there’s little consensus on how to pursue that goal, or who should lead the charge. A new report dives into those questions, explicitly acknowledging that “values” are at stake.Read More
September 01, 2022 The Mixed Philanthropic Legacy of Julian Robertson, a Standout Wall Street Giver September 01, 2022/ Philip Rojc Julian Robertson, the famed hedge fund investor and onetime “wizard of Wall Street” who passed away last week, was also an enthusiastic philanthropist. While he moved a lot of money out the door, his giving also had its weak points.Read More
August 30, 2022 Is Everything Really So Underfunded? Or Are We Relying on Bad Data? August 30, 2022/ Philip Rojc We hear it all the time: yet another critical cause is getting a tiny sliver of charitable dollars. While the claim often reflects reality, it’s also the case that a lack of transparency is giving us a shaky picture of philanthropic priorities.Read More
August 23, 2022 Seven Problems That Have Defied Philanthropy August 23, 2022/ Philip Rojc There are certain issues where philanthropy has tried to make a dent and failed. Others are seemingly so intractable that funders have mostly shied away. Here are some key areas where the sector has struggled to move the needle.Read More
August 08, 2022 Rick Caruso Might Be L.A.’s Next Mayor. What’s He Like as a Philanthropist? August 08, 2022/ Philip Rojc The billionaire shopping mall developer has embraced law-and-order messaging in his campaign to become mayor of his home city. Here are some key points to know about how this ambitious Angeleno gives his money away.Read More
August 03, 2022 Philanthropy's Scarcity Mindset Is Hurting the Sector, Not Helping It August 03, 2022/ Philip Rojc Wealthy individuals and institutions say they want to give more. Majorities of the American public and nonprofit professionals want philanthropy to give more. There’s plenty of money to give. What’s the holdup?Read More
July 28, 2022 Where Will Warren Buffett’s Billions Go? 6 Questions We're Asking About the Future of His Fortune July 28, 2022/ Philip Rojc Upon his passing, Warren Buffett’s estate is set to fuel over $100 billion in giving within a decade. Beyond that, there is little certainty and growing speculation about how it will play out. Here are some of the big unknowns.Read More
July 21, 2022 Amid a Surging Housing Crisis, Should More Funders Be Paying Attention to YIMBYism? July 21, 2022/ Philip Rojc As the U.S. housing crisis escalates, a growing movement of advocates are saying yes to more housing in their backyards. While it has its controversies, YIMBYism may be an under-explored opportunity for impact.Read More
July 14, 2022 Staying the Course: 5 Takeaways From Bill Gates' $20 Billion Infusion into the Gates Foundation July 14, 2022/ Philip Rojc Bill Gates’ ultra-gift of $20 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation reaffirms his place as a titan of modern philanthropy. It also signals more of the same to come from the foundation — for better or worse.Read More
July 07, 2022 Ultra-Wealthy Donors to Watch: Who’s Taken the Giving Pledge So Far in 2022? July 07, 2022/ Philip Rojc Although its usefulness as a prod for vastly larger billionaire giving is debatable, the Giving Pledge remains a window into the continued evolution of big-donor philanthropy as a practice. Here’s who’s taken the pledge so far this year.Read More
July 06, 2022 Crusaders: The Philanthropic Funders That Helped Bring an End to Roe v. Wade July 06, 2022/ Philip Rojc Seeing themselves as underdogs in an increasingly ungodly nation, zealous anti-abortion funders played a role in conservatives’ long quest for philanthropic leverage. For them, the Supreme Court has been a choice prize.Read More
June 28, 2022 Philanthropy Claims to Be a Dynamic Sector. Why Isn't It? June 28, 2022/ Philip Rojc Philanthropy often touts itself as a disruptive force, taking risks and accelerating change. But in reality, it mostly sticks to the same causes and metrics-focused strategies. Can it ever shake this tendency? Should it? Read More
June 22, 2022 The New Labor Movement Is Having a Moment. Here Are Eight Funders That Have Its Back June 22, 2022/ Philip Rojc The movement for workers’ rights has never been a philanthropic staple, but recent unionization wins on the ground have coincided with broadening funder support. Here’s a short list of labor-friendly funders we’re keeping an eye on.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
June 09, 2022 Seven Things That Scare Us About the Future of Philanthropy June 09, 2022/ Philip Rojc The philanthrosphere is changing fast, and not necessarily for the better. Want to know what keeps us up at night? Here are seven of our biggest concerns about where the sector’s headed.Read More
June 01, 2022 How the Last Three Tulsa Massacre Survivors Were Finally Compensated — By Donors from New York June 01, 2022/ Philip Rojc They were children when Black Wall Street burned in 1921, and now, over a century later, a family funder from over a thousand miles away has given them $1 million. It’s a noble act, but it’s also no substitute for true reparations.Read More