February 16, 2023 In a Time of Crisis, Giving With Intention Means Relying on Good Information February 16, 2023/ Michael Thatcher, Guest Contributor As the ranks of small donors thin, it’s important that those who do want to give can assess their options with confidence. Guest author Michael Thatcher makes a case for impartial third-party evaluation as a vital part of that.Read More
February 02, 2023 Four Things We Actually Like About DAFs February 02, 2023/ Philip Rojc Donor-advised funds are the target of a lot of criticism, including in the pages of Inside Philanthropy — and for good reason. But setting aside their worst flaws, we have to admit that DAFs have a lot to offer. Read More
December 21, 2022 Out of One, Many: The Role of Individual Giving in Safeguarding Democracy’s Future December 21, 2022/ Leslie Gross, Guest Contributor While some threats to American democracy were averted in the 2022 midterms, much work remains. Guest author Leslie Gross from The Philanthropy Workshop encourages individual and family donors to take the lead. Read More
December 08, 2022 Rose-Colored Glasses: The Trouble With Industry Numbers on American Generosity December 08, 2022/ Philip Rojc This time of year, we see a lot of big numbers celebrating Americans’ outsize generosity. While there are things to celebrate, such industry-generated figures often gloss over concerning trends related to inequality.Read More
August 08, 2022 IP Explainer: Who Is a Small Donor? August 08, 2022/ IP Staff Philanthropy is difficult to navigate. That’s why we’ve produced a series of explainers to demystify the basics of philanthropy. Today, we explain who small donors are and where they fit within philanthropy.Read More
August 01, 2022 Don’t Try to Reinvent the Wheel: Lessons from the Ongoing Rush to Support Abortion Care August 01, 2022/ Dawn Wolfe As donors large and small scramble to support people seeking abortion care, here are a few things to keep in mind about what the field needs now and what it needs over the longer term.Read More
April 22, 2022 The Unintended Consequences of Major Donations and the Case for Matching April 22, 2022/ Keith Leaphart, Guest Contributor Does the outsized attention paid to the largest donors discourage smaller donors from stepping up? Guest author Keith Leaphart draws on late philanthropist Gerry Lenfest’s example to make a case for more matching gifts.Read More
January 06, 2022 7 Questions for Lucy Bernholz, Author of “How We Give Now: A Philanthropic Guide for the Rest of Us” January 06, 2022/ Mike Scutari Lucy Bernholz’s new book is a deep dive into the ways in which everyday people give in the digital age. We check in with her to discuss the book and what she calls "the givingscape."Read More
October 14, 2021 An Ambitious New Commission Sets Out to Diagnose Civil Society’s Ills. But Will It Make a Difference? October 14, 2021/ Philip Rojc Debuting with the somewhat tone-deaf goal of galvanizing middle and lower-class giving, a new 17-member commission wants to tackle some of the sector’s toughest conundrums. Whether it’ll manage that is uncertain.Read More
March 30, 2021 Giving by Small Donors Is Up. But Will it Last? March 30, 2021/ Mike Scutari A new report finds that donors giving under $250 were among the most eager to give last year. Is this bump from “everyday donors” a pandemic-era anomaly, or does it portend a larger shift in charitable giving?Read More