February 24, 2023

Here Are Four Major National Funders Supporting Rural America

February 24, 2023/ Martha Ramirez

Rural communities are chronically overlooked by large national funders, with most rural grantmaking coming from place-based or regional givers. It’s a short list, but here are a few bigger names to note.

October 27, 2022

What Can We Learn from the Results of Kellogg's Big Racial Equity Challenge?

October 27, 2022/ Philip Rojc

Structured as a global competition, Racial Equity 2030 prompted both excitement and criticism when it launched two years ago. Five winners have been revealed, but the work is just beginning. Here are some takeaways.

June 01, 2022

Here Are 5 of the Top Funders Supporting AAPI Causes

June 01, 2022/ Martha Ramirez

The latest Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month wrapped up yesterday, but AAPI causes continue to be an important and growing corner of philanthropy. Here are some of the top funders of AAPI communities.

November 09, 2021

Seeking Policy Solutions, a Big Grant Backs More Robust Data on Latino Communities

November 09, 2021/ Martha Ramirez

Kellogg made a $2.5 million grant to a UCLA initiative to create two new databases on Latino communities and their needs. For the grantmaker, the project is a necessary step to ensure fair representation and policies.

May 12, 2021

With a $50 Million Launch, a Pooled Fund Looks to Build Caregiving Infrastructure

May 12, 2021/ Martha Ramirez

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear how much the nation’s economy relies on caregivers. Backed by Ford, OSF, Kellogg and more, a new fund looks to create more comprehensive and equitable care infrastructure.

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.

March 11, 2021

Why One Healthcare System’s Philanthropy Is Focusing on "Factors Outside Our Walls"

March 11, 2021/ Connie Matthiessen

When it comes to addressing social determinants of health like food, housing and financial stability, the healthcare industry is “late to the party.” The ProMedica Foundation aims to scale its upstream approach to healthcare.

June 19, 2020

Inside the Foundation Payout Debate: How Crisis and Opportunity Are Forcing Change

June 19, 2020/ Michael Kavate

Foundations have clung to 5% payout for decades, but an escalating debate over how much they give has become the “defining question in philanthropy today.” We explore the aligning forces pushing the sector to move more money.

October 01, 2019

A New Collaborative Funding Push Looks to Bolster Worker Rights Around the World

October 01, 2019/ Liz Longley

Amid the rise of globalization, philanthropy largely remained on the sidelines in the contest between capital and labor. But that’s changing, as the Open Society Foundations and other funders step up efforts to build a future with fair labor.

March 07, 2019

He Was a Young Hedge Funder with a Lucrative Job. Now He’s Working to Scale Access to Healthy Food

March 07, 2019/ Ade Adeniji

At the age of 30, Sam Polk walked away from a highly paid trading job to enter the social change arena. With help from the Kellogg Foundation and other backers, he’s building a social enterprise that’s focused on food equity and has big ambitions.

October 30, 2018

One Fair Wage: The Funders Behind a Key Player in the New Labor Movement

October 30, 2018/ Philip Rojc

Funders often balk at supporting hard-hitting worker advocacy organizations like Restaurant Opportunities Centers United. But some foundations have swung strongly behind efforts to boost low-wage workers.

May 09, 2018

Who's Qualified? A Funder-Backed Effort to Open Up Early Childhood Teaching

May 09, 2018/ L.S. Hall

Many states require early childhood teachers to hold bachelor’s degrees. A collaborative backed by a network of funders, however, is pushing to change this as momentum grows to expand preschool programs.

March 01, 2018

Support by Education Funders for Family Engagement Is Growing. Why Is That?

March 01, 2018/ Caitlin Reilly

Family engagement is attracting renewed interest from foundations, to the tune of $230 million a year. What's behind funders' push to involve parents more deeply in the push to improve education?

May 25, 2017

Who's Giving Grants to Close the Racial Wealth Gap?

May 25, 2017/ Philip Rojc and David Callahan

The mix of funders worried about America's vast gaps by race in wealth and income is getting more diverse and interesting. That said, we're not surprised to see who's writing some of the biggest checks.

February 22, 2017

Why Are Mississippi’s Youngest Students a Top Priority For This Big Foundation?

February 22, 2017/ Alyssa Ochs

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has a long history of early childhood funding, as well as working in the deep South. Here's how those priorities came together in a big recent grant for pre-K.