March 08, 2023 In Response to Violent Extremism, Some Funders Seek to Defuse Hate March 08, 2023/ Laurie Udesky Following disturbing acts of violence in recent years, some foundations are getting involved in anti-hate work, including efforts to curb division in American communities.Read More
March 07, 2023 Evolving Family Models Alter the Ways a New Generation Gives Back March 07, 2023/ Dan Rothblatt, Guest Contributor More and more people are opting not to have children, even as the greatest wealth transfer in history gets underway. Guest author Dan Rothblatt discusses why donors without children are poised to change modern-day philanthropy.Read More
February 28, 2023 Seeing Progress and Potential, Jewish LGBTQ Donors Form a Network to Support Their Community February 28, 2023/ Simone Ellin More Jewish donors are supporting LGBTQ communities, but there’s still much room for growth. Three philanthropists formed the Jewish LGBTQ Donor Network to increase giving, educate and build connections.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
November 28, 2022 Cultivation: How the Grinspoon Foundation Is Helping Build a Jewish Future November 28, 2022/ Simone Ellin For the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, cultivating giving from others is a big part of its efforts to move money out the door for the Jewish community. Here are some key approaches the foundation’s taking.Read More
October 25, 2022 How Daniel and Bonnie Tisch Support New York Nonprofits Through the Damial Foundation October 25, 2022/ Alyssa Ochs Here's what nonprofits should know about the Tisch family and how they award grants in New York City through their Damial Foundation.Read More
June 21, 2022 Meet Laura Lauder, a Jewish Venture Philanthropist Committed to the Bay Area June 21, 2022/ Alyssa Ochs The Laura and Gary Lauder Family Venture Philanthropy Fund has existed since 1995. Here are some details about Laura Lauder’s approach to philanthropy to guide grantseekers in the Bay Area.Read More
April 06, 2022 How Jewish Funders Are Mobilizing to Fight Climate Change April 06, 2022/ Simone Ellin Jewish voters rank climate change as a top priority, and many Jewish philanthropists have demonstrated similar concern. Donors and philanthropic leaders explain what motivates them and how they’re taking action.Read More
March 16, 2022 Which Russian Oligarchs Have Been Major Donors in the United States? March 16, 2022/ Philip Rojc The invasion of Ukraine has led to growing pressure from the international community on many fronts, including scrutiny of Russian billionaires who donate to Western institutions. Here’s a list of donors facing backlash.Read More
February 15, 2022 What, Exactly, Is Going on at the Nathan Cummings Foundation? February 15, 2022/ Philip Rojc Last October, Kavita N. Ramdas became the Nathan Cummings Foundation’s new CEO. This month, she abruptly left the role. It isn’t the first unceremonious departure from the family foundation in recent years. What’s happening?Read More
January 26, 2022 Hilton’s Equity Funding Expands—for a Disability Rights Group, It’s a “Game-Changer” January 26, 2022/ Simone Ellin Philanthropy historically underfunds disability rights and equity. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation recently made a $1 million grant to disability-led organization RespectAbility as part of a growing fund dedicated to equity issues.Read More
January 24, 2022 A Look at This Jewish University’s New $613 Million Fundraising Campaign January 24, 2022/ Simone Ellin New York-based Yeshiva University is looking to expand via an ambitious new fundraising campaign with a goal inspired by the Torah. We look at what the university has planned, and some headwinds it faces.Read More
December 06, 2021 How a Foundation Mobilized to Keep Jewish Summer Camps Afloat During COVID December 06, 2021/ Simone Ellin When the pandemic shut down Jewish summer camps nationwide, the Foundation for Jewish Camp went into action to keep programs running. It’s a good example of how intermediaries can coordinate in specific funding niches.Read More
November 29, 2021 Over 350,000 Holocaust Survivors Are Still With Us. Who’s Addressing Their Basic Needs? November 29, 2021/ Connie Matthiessen Even as the world experiences an alarming rise in antisemitism and Holocaust denial, hundreds of thousands of Holocaust survivors still live with us. The Blue Card helps them remain in their homes and age with dignity.Read More
November 17, 2021 What’s Next for Miriam Adelson’s Philanthropy? Nobody Seems to Know November 17, 2021/ Simone Ellin Following Sheldon Adelson’s death in January, Miriam Adelson controls the couple’s fortune and presumably their sizable philanthropy. We tried to get a read on where giving might be headed—nobody wanted to talk about it. Read More
November 11, 2021 Funder Spotlight: How the Koret Foundation Supports the Bay Area and Jewish Causes November 11, 2021/ Mike Scutari In our latest Funder Spotlight, we look at the Koret Foundation. The San Francisco-based funder supports colleges, K-12 and cultural organizations in the Bay Area as well as Jewish causes locally, nationally and worldwide.Read More
July 15, 2021 "Honored and Elated." 3 Jewish Organizations React After a Windfall from MacKenzie Scott July 15, 2021/ Simone Ellin In MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett’s latest round, several groups rooted in religion made the list, including three Jewish organizations. We checked in with them to get their reactions and find out what they have planned.Read More
April 22, 2021 How a Youth Program Is Engaging the Next Generation of Jewish Philanthropy April 22, 2021/ Simone Ellin Honeycomb, a program of the Jewish Funders Network, engages teens in charitable giving while strengthening their connection to Jewish values. With a new executive director, the program is expanding its offerings.Read More
March 26, 2021 Amid a Lack of Support, This Funding Collaborative Backs Jewish Arts and Culture March 26, 2021/ Simone Ellin Philanthropic support for Jewish arts and culture has declined in recent years, a trend the pandemic has only exacerbated. Here’s how a funding collaborative called CANVAS is shoring up the field and covering new ground.Read More
March 24, 2021 A Look at Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw’s Support for Jewish Causes and Social Justice March 24, 2021/ Ade Adeniji Billionaire filmmaker Steven Spielberg has been a serious philanthropist for years. Here’s a rundown of what he and his wife Kate Capshaw support, and what to expect from the Hollywood donor going forward.Read More