March 03, 2023 Backed By Diverse Funders, Liberation Ventures Is Pushing for Reparations and a "Culture of Repair" March 03, 2023/ Dawn Wolfe With an eclectic mix of funders and a holistic and long-term plan, this field-building organization is seeking reparations for Black Americans. We connected with co-founder and managing director Aria Florant to learn more.Read More
January 30, 2023 “Funded to Win.” These 11 Funders — and Counting — Are Stepping Up for Black Feminist Movements January 30, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen In an open letter to philanthropy, 11 major funders have called on their peers to support Black feminist movements in the U.S. and abroad. Leaders from the Black Feminist Fund say this work is crucial to a safer and more just world.Read More
January 17, 2023 This Fund Wants to Dial in on Discriminatory Justice Policy in Massachusetts. Can It Succeed? January 17, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The New Commonwealth Fund is on a mission to tackle systemic racism and the racial funding gap. Its latest grants include a data-driven effort to show how criminal justice policy in the Bay State adversely affects youth of color.Read More
December 23, 2022 Six Questions for Michael Roberts, President and CEO of First Nations Development Institute December 23, 2022/ Mike Scutari Michael Roberts heads First Nations Development Institute, which seeks to improve economic conditions for Native Americans. We chatted with him about the best advice he’s ever received, the perils of “racial equity fatigue,” and more.Read More
December 05, 2022 This Philanthropy-Backed Initiative Gives Aspiring Critics of Color a Leg Up December 05, 2022/ Wendy Paris With funding from the Mellon Foundation and others, Critical Minded is on a mission to build visibility for cultural critics of color. It’s aiming high with a New York Times partnership.Read More
December 02, 2022 A Conversation with Jeffreen Hayes, Executive Director of Chicago-Based Arts Funder Threewalls December 02, 2022/ Mike Scutari Dr. Jeffreen Hayes heads the Chicago-based arts organization and grantmaker Threewalls. We chatted with her to discuss her career trajectory, why she’s optimistic about the state of philanthropy, and more.Read More
October 27, 2022 How the American Indian College Fund is Strengthening Early Ed in Native Communities October 27, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen The Bezos Family Foundation is the latest funder to throw its support behind an effort to strengthen early education in Native American communities. The place-based approach emphasizes local strengths and traditions. Read More
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.Read More
October 14, 2022 With a Higher Ed Partnership, a New Foundation Is Spotlighting Indigenous History and Culture October 14, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen The Gochman Family Foundation is a new grantmaker founded in 2021. Here’s a look at how it’s joining forces with the Open Society Foundations to launch new Indigenous arts and history programs at Bard College.Read More
September 19, 2022 Celine Coggins Reflects on Her Time at the Helm of Grantmakers for Education September 19, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen After four years at Grantmakers for Education, Executive Director Celine Coggins is moving on. We talked to Coggins about changes she has seen in education philanthropy, changes she’d like to see, and her plans for the future.Read More
September 08, 2022 Five Questions for Tammy Tumbling, COO of the Orange County Community Foundation September 08, 2022/ Ade Adeniji We hear from Tammy Tumbling about her unlikely journey to a leadership role in philanthropy, her efforts to empower Black people in Orange County, and her hopes for the future.Read More
September 06, 2022 Despite the Fanfare, Ed Philanthropy’s Investment in Racial Justice Falls Short September 06, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Recent analysis by the Schott Foundation and Candid found that education philanthropy continues to “drastically underfund” K-12 racial justice work, even as a backlash against anti-racist education engulfs schools.Read More
July 20, 2022 Philanthropy's Role in the Growing Community Schools Movement July 20, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Community schools, which support academic and nonacademic needs of students and their families, have taken the spotlight. Philanthropy has played an important role in the development and spread of this education model.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
June 30, 2022 How Public Health Funders Are Taking on the Epidemic of Gun Violence June 30, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen As gun violence in the U.S. grows worse, health funders are adopting a range of strategies to address it as a public health crisis. Can they make a difference?Read More
June 09, 2022 Seven Things That Scare Us About the Future of Philanthropy June 09, 2022/ Philip Rojc The philanthrosphere is changing fast, and not necessarily for the better. Want to know what keeps us up at night? Here are seven of our biggest concerns about where the sector’s headed.Read More
June 06, 2022 We Surveyed Hundreds of Philanthropy Professionals. Here's What We Found June 06, 2022/ David Callahan Our latest survey of sector professionals brought some not-so-unexpected results alongside a few real surprises. Here’s where respondents stood on philanthropy reform, billionaire giving, racial justice and more.Read More
May 31, 2022 This Funding Initiative Has a Singular Goal: To Encourage Major Donors to Boost Their Giving May 31, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen The Crisis Charitable Commitment was created to hold funders to a higher standard. As in, give more. It recently debuted a slate of shovel-ready giving opportunities, including an advocacy push for higher taxes on the ultra-rich.Read More
May 12, 2022 This Funding Partnership Takes a Brainy Approach to Early Ed — and Backs Movement Building May 12, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Will the U.S. tackle its early care crisis once and for all? Many early ed funders believe it’s past time, including the Trust for Learning, a unique coalition of family foundations working to improve access for every child.Read More
March 31, 2022 Five Things to Know About the Skillman Foundation, “Fierce Champions of Detroit’s Children” March 31, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen At 60 years old, this Detroit-based funder is a stalwart supporter of K-12 education in the region. Now, the laser-focused foundation has a new leader—and big ambitions for the future. Here’s what you need to know.Read More