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
December 13, 2022 What Do We Know About Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos’ Partner in Philanthropy? December 13, 2022/ Ade Adeniji Jeff Bezos and partner Lauren Sanchez recently announced their plans to give away most of the Amazon founder’s fortune. What do we know about Sanchez, and how might her interests shape the couple’s future philanthropy? Read More
November 17, 2022 Why a California Health Foundation is Backing Graduate Education Loans for Dreamers November 17, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen For young adults brought to the U.S. when they were children, paying for college can be prohibitively expensive. That’s especially true for graduate school, so Cal Wellness is backing a unique fund that provides financial aid.Read More
July 28, 2022 A Fund's Unique Mission Helps Refugees and Immigrants Chart a Better Path to the Future July 28, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen The WES Mariam Assefa Fund supports efforts in the U.S. and Canada to give immigrants and refugees a leg up — and a decent paycheck.Read More
July 25, 2022 Charities Aiding Immigrants and Refugees Fare Better When They Raise Money from Private Sources July 25, 2022/ Holly Hall Ongoing crises and political developments have challenged nonprofits serving immigrants and refugees, but sometimes also pose fundraising opportunities. Unsurprisingly, well-established operations tend to have a leg up.Read More
March 10, 2022 A New Book on George Soros’ “Life in Full” Examines His Giving—and Impact on Philanthropy March 10, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen A new book edited by Peter L.W. Osnos examines the many facets of the life of George Soros, including a chapter on his philanthropy written by Ford’s Darren Walker. It’s an insightful look at what makes Soros so unique as a donor.Read More
March 07, 2022 What's Next for the Weingart Foundation? March 07, 2022/ Martha Ramirez A longtime Los Angeles grantmaking institution, the Weingart Foundation has thoroughly committed itself to addressing the region’s stark inequalities. As part of that process, it’s also looking inward.Read More
January 26, 2022 How Hispanics in Philanthropy Is Serving Latin America—with a Big Boost from MacKenzie Scott January 26, 2022/ Liz Longley Hispanics in Philanthropy acts as an affinity group, a donor network, a grantmaker, a crowdfunding platform, and more, and a big portion of its work serves communities in Latin America. Here’s how this work is evolving.Read More
January 21, 2022 Two Immigration Nonprofits Decided to Merge. Here's How Their Funders Reacted January 21, 2022/ Michael Kavate Last month, the American Immigration Council and New American Economy announced they were combining their operations. Such nonprofit mergers are rare. According to some funders, maybe they shouldn’t be.Read More
December 21, 2021 An Award for Scholars Backing Movements Inside and Outside the Academy Walls December 21, 2021/ Connie Matthiessen Through its Freedom Scholars initiative, the Marguerite Casey Foundation recognizes academics whose work both supports and channels activist movements pushing for social justice.Read More
December 07, 2021 How the LEGO Foundation Adapted to Support Children Struggling During the Pandemic December 07, 2021/ Liz Longley Since 1986, the LEGO Foundation has been supporting children based on a core belief in the “power of play.” When the pandemic hit, the funder had to reconfigure its giving to meet new, urgent needs. Read More
October 06, 2021 How Foundations and Local Governments Partnered to Provide Legal Support to Immigrants in L.A. October 06, 2021/ Martha Ramirez The L.A. Justice Fund, a project of two California foundations and city and county government, has been providing legal support for immigrants since 2017. After the pilot project’s success, it’s being adopted as a county program.Read More
September 30, 2021 A Focus on Immigration: The Basics of the Chavez Family Foundation’s Bay Area Giving September 30, 2021/ Alyssa Ochs The Chavez Family Foundation is a San Francisco-based grantmaker that is often involved in immigration-related collaborations. Here's how local nonprofits in nine Bay Area counties can get involved with this funder.Read More
September 15, 2021 For Immigrants, Legal Services Are Critical. Here’s How Philanthropy Can Expand Access September 15, 2021/ Sara Campos, Navin Moul and Kevin Douglas, Guest Contributors Despite the promise of a new administration, immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers still face significant threats. In this guest post, three leaders from the field call on philanthropy to support crucial immigration legal services. Read More
September 07, 2021 Carnegie's Geri Mannion Talks Democracy, Immigration and Her Philanthropic Career September 07, 2021/ Ade Adeniji From a humble Bronx background, Geri Mannion rose to become a star program officer at the Carnegie Corporation. We talk to the foundation veteran about her rise, and her work on timely issues like democracy and immigration.Read More
May 10, 2021 The Four Freedoms Fund Has Backed Immigrant Rights for 18 Years. Here’s How, and What’s Next May 10, 2021/ Martha Ramirez The Four Freedoms Fund, established 18 years ago in the wake of 9/11, is a leading philanthropic hub for the immigrant rights movement. A recent report highlights its history, accomplishments and goals for the future.Read More
May 06, 2021 How MacArthur Wound Down Its Funding in Mexico After 36 Years—and What It Learned May 06, 2021/ Liz Longley Even before the pandemic upended many funders’ giving strategies, a number of leading philanthropies were changing course. MacArthur shares what it learned from responsibly exiting its work in Mexico, which began in 1984.Read More
April 29, 2021 Citizen of the World: Vartan Gregorian’s Vision of a Pluralistic Society April 29, 2021/ Philip Rojc Carnegie Corporation President Vartan Gregorian was many things: scholar, mentor, master fundraiser and savior of the New York Public Library. He was also an immigrant, an identity that shaped his vision of American citizenship.Read More
March 18, 2021 “Dignity, Resilience and Beauty.” Funding Initiative Seeks to Reclaim Border Narratives March 18, 2021/ Martha Ramirez Narratives around the U.S.-Mexico border are often grim and misleading, which shapes public opinion and policy on immigration. A new initiative led by the Ford Foundation seeks to uplift the authentic stories of border communities. Read More
February 24, 2021 The Danger of Anti-Immigrant Extremism Posing as Environmentalism—and Who Funds It February 24, 2021/ Michael Kavate The toxic narrative that immigrants are to blame for environmental degradation is on the rise, with the help of some foundations and DAFs. A new report shines a light on the roots of the ideology, who backs it, and why funders must fight it.Read More