Natalie Coles will never forget receiving an unexpected phone call in 2020. On the line was Virginia-based Dominion Energy, offering to give money to Wilberforce University, the small historically Black college where she is in charge of fundraising.
A new grantmaking effort funded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie’s philanthropic arm will provide $42.5 million over the next five years to support more than 100 Black-led nonprofits focused on improving economic mobility.
The end of an era for the Sisters of Charity of New York
May 9, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Through more than 200 years, the Sisters of Charity of New York nursed Civil War casualties, joined civil rights and anti-war demonstrations, cared for orphans, and taught countless children.
Bills’ Hamlin will put the millions raised into his charity
May 9, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin will use the $10 million given to online fundraising campaigns by well-wishers after his on-field collapse to fund his own nonprofit, the Chasing M's Foundation.
The average historically Black college and university received 178 times less funding from foundations than the average Ivy League school in 2019, according to a new report on the underfunding of HBCUs released Tuesday.
Met Gala: Rihanna, Jared Leto as Choupette, Kim K. in pearls
May 2, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Rihanna shut down the Met Gala carpet Monday encased in white camellias on a jacket with a long train gown.
Global Citizen NOW summit yields commitments, big and small
April 29, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Hugh Evans highlighted a staggering new statistic to explain why this year’s Global Citizen NOW conference was packed with calls to action and urgent requests for involvement.
The CEO of Global Citizen, who has been fighting against extreme poverty since he was 14, told The Associated Press that climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and a global debt crisis have erased decades of progress in raising people’s quality of life.
Prince’s Trust gala draws plenty of celebrities, donations
April 28, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The star-studded Prince’s Trust Global Gala raised more than $1.7 million Thursday night at Casa Cipriani in New York City, as a wide range of grantees — past and present — explained how King Charles III’s charity has improved their lives.
Global Citizen’s next campaign: Reform climate financing
April 27, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley repeated her call Thursday to rewrite the rules of global development banks to relieve the debts of middle and lower income countries and increase funding for climate adaptation.
Take Our Kids to Work Day retools at 30 as work has changed
April 27, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — At Michigan State University, children of employees can spend Thursday seeing what it's like to staff a dairy farm, work in sports or plant a tree at the school's first in-person Take Our Kids to Work Day since the pandemic began.
Helping out: How American volunteerism is changing — and why
April 20, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Daniela Fernandez has no trouble attracting volunteers to her group Sustainable Ocean Alliance. Last month, she presided over the Our Ocean Youth Leadership Summit in Panama, where 77 participants from 45 countries volunteered their time to develop solutions to protect the oceans.
Corporate volunteerism: ‘Not charity. It’s good business.’
April 19, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The one-day volunteering event — where employees give back to their communities by packing boxes of food or cleaning up a park or fundraising — is so ingrained in corporations that it’s long been lampooned by pop culture.
New to volunteering? A How-To-Guide to find the right fit
April 18, 2023 GMTOver the last 20 years, fewer and fewer people in the U.S. have donated their time through volunteering with nonprofits.
While it's not the only way to give back to your community, volunteering through nonprofit organizations is a powerful way to make a difference.
Why are volunteerism rates uneven? Florida, Wyoming explain
April 18, 2023 GMTThe share of Americans who volunteer their time to help charities build houses, serve food, do environmental cleanup, and much else has been on the decline nationwide but nowhere as sharply as in Florida, where only 16% of residents donate their free hours to local organizations, according to the latest available statistics.
Volunteers speak on why they serve and why more people don’t
April 17, 2023 GMTEvery day, Americans donate their time, skills and energy to their communities by volunteering with nonprofit organizations. The Associated Press interviewed five volunteers about what motivated them to get involved and why they think more people don't give their time.
Nonprofits scramble for help amid dearth of volunteers
April 17, 2023 GMTCASA of Lexington has tried just about everything to find volunteers to serve as advocates for abused and neglected children with the Kentucky nonprofit.
Since 2020, it has hired someone to focus on recruiting volunteers, added in-person and virtual outreach events and options to complete the required 30-hour training, and printed information on fans to hand out in churches, Melynda Milburn Jamison, its executive director, said.
Americans know very little about charities, new poll finds
April 6, 2023 GMTThe first comprehensive poll to measure public attitudes on foundations and nonprofits offers signs that charitable organizations are more trusted than other institutions, such as businesses, governments, and the news media.
Meghan to receive Ms. Foundation’s Women of Vision Award
April 3, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) —
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown will receive the Ms.
Knight Foundation leader to retire, leaving powerful legacy
March 24, 2023 GMTAlberto Ibargüen announced Friday that he was stepping down as the leader of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, ending a run as the grantmaker’s president that began in the George W. Bush administration.
MacKenzie Scott sets new ‘open call’ to donate $250 million
March 21, 2023 GMTMacKenzie Scott is launching a $250 million “open call” for community-focused nonprofits that the billionaire philanthropist can fund.
‘Hamilton’ fundraiser set for Hispanic Federation, Flamboyan
March 6, 2023 GMT“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will bring his award-winning musical back to Puerto Rico for two weeks of performances in June, including a fundraiser for the Hispanic Federation and education nonprofit, the Flamboyan Foundation.
Rales Foundation bets big on Carnegie Mellon STEM students
February 22, 2023 GMTCarnegie Mellon University and the Norman and Ruth Rales Foundation, named for a home-building supplies entrepreneur and his wife who built their fortune despite early struggles, hope a $150 million initiative will support a new generation of students trying to achieve that American dream.
Fidelity Charitable’s $11.2B in grants in 2022 breaks record
February 21, 2023 GMTFidelity Charitable, the nation’s largest grantmaker, announced Tuesday that 2022 was another record-setting year, with $11.2 billion in grants awarded by its donor-advised fund holders, up 9% over 2021.
Global Citizen conference to unite political leaders, celebs
February 21, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Advocacy group Global Citizen will convene political, philanthropic, business and cultural leaders for a thought leadership conference in New York to tackle extreme poverty more quickly.
Philanthropy 50: List of America’s top 50 donors of 2022
February 14, 2023 GMTThese are the donors who gave the most in 2022, according to The Philanthropy 50, an annual ranking compiled by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. A searchable database with more information on the donors and their beneficiaries is available at philanthropy.com.
Bill Gates joins 26 newcomers on list of 50 biggest donors
February 14, 2023 GMTAs the ranks of America’s super wealthy grow, the roster of major philanthropists is expanding to include not-so-typical megadonors — among them, a professional clarinetist, a Ph.D. in meat science, and a lawyer who regularly argues before the U.S.
Canopy at Memphis riverside park named after Tyre Nichols
February 10, 2023 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A charitable foundation on Friday named a canopy at a Memphis park for Tyre Nichols, who died last month after he was brutally beaten by officers in a case that has intensified calls for police reform and led to emotional tributes in this Mississippi River city and around the country.
Most disaster giving goes to relief efforts, not rebuilding
February 9, 2023 GMTThe COVID-19 pandemic greatly accelerated a long-running pattern in giving by foundations and charities for health and natural disasters, a new Chronicle analysis of nine years of data show.
Ninety percent of the $5.2 billion donated in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, went to dealing with immediate disaster needs.
LeBron’s off-court legacy complements his basketball success
February 8, 2023 GMTMya Smiley is a student at the University of Akron thanks to an assist from LeBron James, and she is determined upon graduation to become a social worker that helps foster kids.
Her education and career path would not have been possible, the sophomore says, were it not for a scholarship and counseling that she received from the LeBron James Family Foundation.
How Candid hopes diversity data will help aid racial equity
February 7, 2023 GMTCandid, the major philanthropy research group, is leading a coalition of funders and grantees that want to standardize the collection of demographic information to help enable donations to minority-led groups.
Airbnb’s Joe Gebbia donates $25 million to The Ocean Cleanup
February 2, 2023 GMTEntrepreneur Joe Gebbia donated $25 million to The Ocean Cleanup Thursday to support the nonprofit’s efforts to remove plastic from the world’s oceans and rivers.
Major funders call for increased support of Black feminists
January 26, 2023 GMTThe need to increase funding for Black feminist organizations is urgent, according to an open letter released Thursday from some of philanthropy’s most influential organizations including Melinda Gates’ Pivotal Ventures, Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, as well as the Ford Foundation and MacArthur Foundation.
AmazonSmile’s end is alarming, say nonprofits that benefited
January 25, 2023 GMTAmazon's surprise decision to shut down its AmazonSmile donation program has left thousands of its nonprofit beneficiaries disappointed and concerned about finding ways to replace the funding.
Extreme Israeli group takes root in US with fundraising bid
January 24, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli group raising funds for Jewish extremists convicted in some of the country’s most notorious hate crimes is collecting tax-exempt donations from Americans, according to findings by The Associated Press and the Israeli investigative platform Shomrim.
Elevate Prize expands to 12 winners in 2023 for strong field
January 23, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The winners of this year’s Elevate Prize include social entrepreneurs who help Detroit children prepare for school, build technology labs in rural Kenya, and improve road safety in India.
Foundation empties coffers to fund Black paper in Baltimore
January 19, 2023 GMTIn a rare move for philanthropy, Adam Holofcener and his family emptied their foundation’s coffers and gave $1 million — nearly all the money it had left to give — to support Lisa Snowden-McCray’s dream: a free newspaper staffed by Black editors and writers in Baltimore to provide news primarily for the city’s Black residents.
Gates Foundation takes up question of its own power
January 17, 2023 GMTDoes The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have too much power and influence?
It's a question the foundation's CEO Mark Suzman raised in its annual letter released Tuesday that outlines the organization's priorities and announces its budget for the coming year.
Fidelity pledges $250 million to support minority students
January 17, 2023 GMTFidelity Investments will commit $250 million to a new education initiative to support up to 50,000 underserved minority students with scholarships and mentorship programs in the next five years.
The Invest in My Education program, announced Tuesday, plans to increase graduation rates and students’ ability to complete their education debt free.
Film helps renew search for 1st Black Navy pilot’s remains
January 11, 2023 GMTThe film “Devotion” reignited efforts to repatriate the remains of Jesse Brown, America's first Black Navy pilot, who died in 1950 after having to crash land his damaged plane during the Korean War.
Damar Hamlin’s toy drive: What’s the plan for the $8.6M?
January 11, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin plans to support young people through education and sports with the $8.6 million in GoFundMe donations that unexpectedly poured into his toy drive fundraiser after he suffered a cardiac arrest in the middle of a game last week.
White House gun violence program with philanthropies ends
January 4, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — It was small, as Washington celebrations go — two senior Biden administration advisers gathered with program participants near the White House on a Thursday afternoon in December to mark the end of a little-known initiative with a budget of less than $8 million.
Bill Gates made 2022′s biggest charitable donation
December 30, 2022 GMTThe Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual list of the 10 largest charitable gifts announced by individuals or their foundations totaled nearly $9.3 billion in 2022. The contributions went to large, well-established institutions, three of them private foundations and three universities to support environmental sustainability, children’s mental health, and stem-cell research.
New data: MacKenzie Scott gifts prioritize the South
December 16, 2022 GMTMacKenzie Scott is dedicating an unusually large share of her giving to nonprofits in the South — a region that megaphilanthropy and particularly tech donors have long been criticized for ignoring.
New MacKenzie Scott website details $14 billion in gifts
December 15, 2022 GMTPhilanthropist MacKenzie Scott says her donations have yielded more than $14 billion in funding for about 1,600 nonprofits since 2019, according to her long-awaited website Yield Giving, unveiled Wednesday night.
NYU names new building after hedge fund leader John Paulson
December 14, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Ten years after receiving it, New York University made public a $100 million gift from the hedge fund leader John Paulson, who made a fortune in the U.S. housing crisis, to support the construction of a now mostly-complete building that will also be named after him.
Memphis nonprofit puts money behind drive to curb gun deaths
December 8, 2022 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tanita Hilliard made a wish the night a shooter livestreamed himself driving around Memphis, firing at people: “I hope it isn’t one of my babies.”
Charlize Theron honored at Women in Entertainment gala
December 8, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — For once, Charlize Theron has begun to witness more women in power roles with the film industry.
“Women are tearing down the whole … building,” Theron said after she received the prestigious Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment breakfast gala Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Foundations, major donors tackle nation’s nursing shortage
December 6, 2022 GMTAs more nurses leave their jobs in hospitals and health-care centers, foundations are pouring millions of dollars into efforts to ensure that more stay in the profession and get more out of the job than just the applause and pats on the back they got during the bleakest days of the pandemic.
Jimmy V Classic more than game for Iowa’s Patrick McCaffery
December 5, 2022 GMTIowa's meeting with No. 15 Duke at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night is more than just another game to Patrick McCaffery.
The game opens the Jimmy V Classic doubleheader, which raises funds for cancer research through the V Foundation.
Mississippi revises demands on Favre in welfare lawsuit
December 5, 2022 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Department of Human Services on Monday changed its demands against retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre in a lawsuit that seeks repayment of misspent welfare money that was intended to help some of the poorest people in the U.S.
Liz Weston: Make the most of new rules for charitable giving
December 5, 2022 GMTMost people no longer get a tax deduction when they donate to charity. That shouldn’t keep you from making donations, but you may want to change your approach.
Typically, only taxpayers who itemize deductions can write off charitable contributions.
Chesapeake Bay watershed getting $33.8 million in grants
December 3, 2022 GMTANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Chesapeake Bay is getting about $33.8 million in conservation grants.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the grants Friday to support the restoration and conservation of the bay watershed.
GivingTuesday raises $3.1B for charities in tough economy
December 1, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — GivingTuesday raised a record $3.1 billion in 24 hours for charitable causes in the U.S. earlier this week, as the event that started as a hashtag in 2012 celebrated its 10th anniversary and its status as a staple of fundraising for nonprofits, the group's leader said Wednesday.
Q&A: Jacob Harold creates philanthropist ‘toolbox,’ guide
December 1, 2022 GMTJacob Harold believes philanthropy needs more “strategic promiscuity” – battling the world’s problems using a variety of approaches.
It’s an idea that mirrors his wide-ranging career. Harold was president and CEO of GuideStar before it merged with Foundation Center to form the even larger nonprofit information source Candid, which he co-founded.