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?

November 17, 2022

Will Jeff Bezos Disrupt Philanthropy Like He Disrupted Retail? It's Doubtful

November 17, 2022/ Philip Rojc

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez announced this week they will give most of the Amazon founder’s fortune away. Staggering dollar amounts aside, we can likely expect a fairly conventional philanthropic project.

June 14, 2022

The U.S. Billionaires Funding Work to Keep the Planet Green and Clean

June 14, 2022/ Michael Kavate

Philanthropy is one of several forces that works to preserve landscapes, fight pollution and improve agricultural practices. Find out who among America’s wealthiest is putting the most toward such causes.

May 10, 2022

What If Five Top Tech Billionaires Emulated MacKenzie Scott's Approach to Giving?

May 10, 2022/ Mike Scutari

When MacKenzie Scott embarked on her innovative philanthropic project two years ago, we wondered if her approach would capture the imaginations of other tech billionaires. It didn’t. But what if it miraculously did?

February 08, 2022

What We Know About Jeff Bezos' Funding for Education So Far

February 08, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen

A lot has happened since 2018, when Jeff Bezos first made a $2 billion pledge for early education. We take a look at his giving to date, including a major focus on his expanding network of Bezos Academy preschools.

December 16, 2021

Eight Questions for Danielle Deane-Ryan, Director of Equitable Climate Solutions at Bezos Earth Fund

December 16, 2021/ Michael Kavate

Jeff Bezos’ $10 billion fund hired a respected veteran of philanthropy and climate justice for a key position in November. Danielle Deane-Ryan discusses what drew her to the role and her views on the state of climate philanthropy.

December 08, 2021

What We're Learning From the Latest List of Bezos Earth Fund Grantees

December 08, 2021/ Michael Kavate

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ $10 billion fund has released the names of a new crop of grantees, giving fresh insight into the fund’s priorities and approach. Here’s our take on the latest details.

December 02, 2021

The American Billionaires Most Engaged in the Climate Fight

December 02, 2021/ Michael Kavate

Climate change was a relatively small niche in philanthropy for years, but has been gaining traction among the country’s wealthiest donors. Here are some of the billionaires who are most involved in the issue.

November 11, 2021

Having a Hard Time Keeping Up with All the Recent Climate Pledges? Here’s a List

November 11, 2021/ Michael Kavate

The recent U.N. climate change summit and the U.N. General Assembly before that prompted quite a few billionaires and foundations to announce new philanthropic commitments. We’ve collected the most notable ones here.

November 03, 2021

Another Big Pledge from Bezos: What We Know About a Commitment to Land and Food Systems

November 03, 2021/ Michael Kavate

COP26 in Glasgow has unleashed a flurry of philanthropic commitments, and one of the biggest came from Jeff Bezos. Here’s what we know and don’t know about a $2 billion pledge toward land restoration and food systems.

December 10, 2020

Tree Planting Was Hot This Year—and Hotly Debated. Who’s Funding it, and Does it Make Sense?

December 10, 2020/ Michael Kavate

Tree planting took the spotlight in climate change discourse this year, both celebrated as an untapped solution, and criticized as a distraction. We take a closer look at who is funding the push for more trees, along with the pros and cons.

December 08, 2020

For the New CEO of a Climate Justice Grantmaker, Funding From Bezos is Just the Beginning

December 08, 2020/ Michael Kavate

Rooted in grassroots organizing, Gloria Walton takes the helm at The Solutions Project as the fund prepares to move $43 million in funding from Jeff Bezos. Walton tells us how the gift came about and what lies ahead.

November 18, 2020

Bezos Made Some Surprising Climate Justice Grants. What Does That Mean for the Field?

November 18, 2020/ Michael Kavate

This week, Jeff Bezos announced all 16 recipient organizations in his first round of climate funding. The fund is indeed showering the wealthiest green groups with hundreds of millions, but the full list delivers some encouraging surprises.

November 05, 2020

First Details on Bezos’s Massive Climate Giving Favor Big Greens, Predictable Approaches

November 05, 2020/ Michael Kavate and Tate Williams

Long-awaited details on where Jeff Bezos will send his $10 billion climate commitment are beginning to come to light, and the first reported round of grants offers no surprises, backing the world’s largest environmental groups.

April 15, 2020

Alarms Are Sounding on Food Insecurity in the U.S. Who’s Answering the Call?

April 15, 2020/ Liz Longley

Millions of Americans faced food insecurity even before the pandemic hit. Now, with schools out and unemployment rising, the situation is growing dire for many. How are foundations, corporations and individual donors stepping up?

October 21, 2019

Silicon Valley Greens: Here Are the Top Environmental Givers From Tech

October 21, 2019/ John Freund

The environment is among the many areas where tech philanthropists have emerged as a greater force in recent years, bankrolling existing green groups, but also creating some new organizations. Who’s doing what?

January 14, 2019

Tough Problem, Deep Pockets: Parsing Bezos Philanthropy's Initial Steps on Homelessness

January 14, 2019/ Philip Rojc

While Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos’ separation is making headlines, a slew of grants announced last fall by their Day 1 Families Fund made the couple among the nation’s largest givers for homelessness. How’s that playing out so far?

January 07, 2019

In Leadership Picks, Clues About the Education Plans of Top Tech Philanthropists

January 07, 2019/ Caitlin Reilly

The founders of Amazon and Facebook both plan to give away billions for education. With these efforts still in an early phase, we’re keeping a close eye on the leaders these philanthropists are tapping to advance their ambitious goals—including two recent executive hires.

September 20, 2018

Primed: The Future of Bezos Education Giving Takes Shape

September 20, 2018/ Caitlin Reilly

Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos are poised to become the biggest national funders of early childhood learning. We explore how their new effort will build on work already underway and could shape trends in this space.

September 13, 2018

Jeff Bezos is Doing Smart Philanthropy. Now He Needs to Show Real Moral Leadership

September 13, 2018/ David Callahan

As Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos turn to large-scale giving, they’re targeting two urgent but neglected areas. That’s smart. But if Jeff is really worried about inequality, his real power lies in changing how Amazon operates.