February 01, 2023 Seven Questions for Cate Fox, Director of the Center for Cultural Innovation's AmbitioUS Program February 01, 2023/ Mike Scutari Cate Fox, formerly of MacArthur, leads AmbitioUS, which invests in alternative economic models for creative communities. We chatted with her about her work, the limits of philanthropy’s self-examination, and more.Read More
January 19, 2023 Four Years After Launch, Here’s How MacArthur’s Lever for Change Is Galvanizing Big Giving January 19, 2023/ Mike Scutari In 2019, the MacArthur Foundation launched Lever for Change, enabling funders to run their own prize competitions. We check in with CEO Cecilia Conrad to discuss how it came together, lessons learned and what’s next.Read More
January 18, 2023 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: The Best and Worst Ways Foundations End Funding Relationships January 18, 2023/ Celia Wexler Regardless of the reason, it’s always painful when a funder winds down a program or a longstanding funding relationship. Some foundations handle it better than others.Read More
December 21, 2022 Green Heavyweights: The Nation’s 25 Largest Environmental Grantmakers December 21, 2022/ Michael Kavate We compiled a list of the top green funders in the U.S., based on the most recent full year of giving data available. One big takeaway: Living billionaires now dominate the list.Read More
November 03, 2022 In the Climate Fight, Who’s Funding the Eco-Right? More Big Names Than You Might Expect November 03, 2022/ Michael Kavate There’s a relatively small list of conservative groups calling for climate action, and they have not drawn a lot of funding. But they do count some big, perhaps surprising names among their backers. Here’s a list.Read More
September 22, 2022 A Major Funder Is Overhauling How it Backs Local Arts Groups. What Will That Mean for Grantees? September 22, 2022/ Mike Scutari Part of an ongoing effort to be more equitable, MacArthur is transitioning to a participatory regranting partnership to support Chicago’s small to midsized arts organizations. How will grantees be impacted? Read More
August 24, 2022 What Was Philanthropy’s Role in Passing the Biggest Climate Bill in U.S. History? August 24, 2022/ Michael Kavate The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act was a massive effort involving players from all sectors. Philanthropy, too, had a supporting role. Here are key areas where funders contributed, from movement-building to policy work.Read More
July 12, 2022 This Major Funder Hopes to Break the Link Between Homelessness and Incarceration July 12, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen A new partnership run by the MacArthur Foundation and the Urban Institute aims to disrupt the connection between housing instability and time in jail — starting in four communities across the country.Read More
May 25, 2022 "An Epidemic Within the Pandemic." How Eight Funders Back Gun Violence Prevention May 25, 2022/ Philip Rojc In this article that originally ran in 2021, in the wake of two mass shootings, IP’s Philip Rojc looked at key funders of gun violence prevention. We are republishing in response to yesterday’s devastating school shooting.Read More
May 04, 2022 “Healthcare, Not a Crime.” How Ipas Backs Abortion Care Abroad, and What U.S. Funders Can Learn May 04, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen As the U.S. backslides on abortion rights, much of the rest of the world is moving in the other direction. Here’s one abortion care organization that’s been leading that charge, even as support from U.S. philanthropy remains lackluster.Read More
April 14, 2022 Where's David Rockefeller When We Need Him? Ukraine and the Case for Peacebuilding April 14, 2022/ Philip Rojc Philanthropic funding for global peace and security has been trending down for a long time. Will the war in Ukraine make a difference? And how should peacebuilding philanthropy evolve to face 21st-century problems?Read More
April 08, 2022 This Chicago Journalism Merger Is a Breakthrough for Local News—and Funders Are Taking Note April 08, 2022/ Katherine Don Long-beleaguered and previously bankrupt, the storied Chicago Sun-Times has gotten a new lease on life by merging with a nonprofit public media company. Here’s how philanthropy helped make that happen.Read More
March 30, 2022 IP Briefing: What's Going on With Philanthropy for Theater? March 30, 2022/ IP Staff Like all the performing arts, theater has been hit hard by the pandemic, and funders are making moves to bolster the nonprofit theater world now and into the future. Here’s our rundown of who’s doing what.Read More
March 10, 2022 Six Questions for Deborah Philbrick, MacArthur Climate Solutions Program Officer March 10, 2022/ Michael Kavate Deborah Philbrick tells us about MacArthur’s funding at the intersection of climate and voting rights—and what her beloved Liverpool FC soccer team can teach the climate movement.Read More
March 03, 2022 Six Questions for Valerie Chang, Managing Director of Programs at the MacArthur Foundation March 03, 2022/ Mike Scutari Valerie Chang will be stepping away from the MacArthur Foundation in late June, after a 19-year run at the funder. We checked in with her to discuss her influences, why she’s optimistic about the state of philanthropy, and more.Read More
March 02, 2022 In Ukraine, a Vindication for OSF and a Call for More Global Democracy Funding March 02, 2022/ Philip Rojc In recent years, philanthropy’s efforts to promote democracy abroad—with OSF in the lead—have faced an uphill battle. What does Ukraine’s story of resilience tell us about such funding? And will more funders join the fight?Read More
February 24, 2022 Eleven Ways Funders Are Supporting Social Justice Within and Through the Arts February 24, 2022/ IP Staff An increasing number of funders have been looking to spur social change through their arts funding, especially during the pandemic. Here are 11 examples we’ve been following.Read More
February 08, 2022 IP Briefing: What's Going on With Philanthropy for Writing and Literature? February 08, 2022/ IP Staff Philanthropy for writing and literature is minuscule compared to other arts, but the field has some steadfast supporters, including major foundations and smaller family foundations. Read More
February 02, 2022 IP Briefing: What's Going on With Philanthropy for Criminal Justice Reform? February 02, 2022/ IP Staff Giving to organizations working on criminal justice reform has soared in recent years, expanding the work of existing organizations and seeding the creation of new groups. But fundraisers are wondering how long this trend will last.Read More
January 04, 2022 After 200 Years, the Reparations Fight Is Gaining New Traction and Philanthropy Is Slowly Getting on Board January 04, 2022/ Dawn Wolfe For more than 200 years, advocates have been calling for reparations to Black Americans for the harms of slavery, Jim Crow and more. For the first time, some major foundations are backing them up.Read More