The Associated Press, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, and the Conversation announced today that they will work together to significantly bolster coverage of philanthropies and charities and their impact on society.
The collaboration, funded by a three-year, $3.6 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, is aimed at advancing the public’s awareness and understanding of the people and organizations trying to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.
All three organizations will expand the volume of fair and accurate coverage of the nonprofit world that reflects the broad perspectives and approaches pursued by individuals and organizations committed to advancing the common good. They will regularly produce independent journalism and add staff to provide more robust news and analysis of the philanthropic world.
AP will distribute content from the Chronicle of Philanthropy, adding to the content it distributes by the Conversation. Each organization retains complete editorial control over its content.
Through the grant, the Chronicle of Philanthropy will also sponsor a fellowship program that will annually award three local journalism organizations an opportunity to develop an in-depth reporting project about notable nonprofit and philanthropic topics of importance to their regions. It will also develop relationships with other news organizations to foster greater coverage of nonprofits and foundations.
“This is a critical moment to build understanding about the importance and inner workings of philanthropic giving. Foundations, individual donors, and nonprofits of all sizes are already playing key roles in the social-justice movement, as well as the response to the coronavirus health and economic crises, and they will be crucial to recovery,” said Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy. “But many local nonprofits are also at risk of financial collapse — and it is essential that donors, voters, policy makers, and others understand what can be done to ensure everything from cultural organizations to social-service groups to educational organizations stay strong at a time of social distancing and recession.”
“This collaboration will give AP the ability to provide deep reporting about philanthropy to our customers around the world,” AP vice president and managing editor Brian Carovillano said. “We are very happy to be working with the Chronicle of Philanthropy and the Conversation to produce journalism about the inner workings of charitable giving and its impact on the planet at a crucial moment in history.”
The Conversation, an independent, nonprofit publisher of commentary and analysis sourced from academic experts, will facilitate a series of events aimed at providing the public with a deeper understanding of how philanthropy works in society and the impact of giving and the nonprofit sector.
“Lilly Endowment has been funding our philanthropy and not-for-profit content for a number of years so this collaboration will further the impact of the explanatory journalism we produce working with scholars,” said Bruce Wilson, chief innovation and development officer at the Conversation. “This creates an incredible opportunity to bring great journalism in this important area to the broadest, most demographically diverse readers in the U.S. and beyond.”
“Philanthropy is practiced in many ways, ranging from the quiet actions of individuals animated by their faith to large grants from well-known funders and from foundations with global reach to those who are deeply committed to their local communities,” said N. Clay Robbins, chairman, president, and CEO of the Lilly Endowment. “This promising collaboration among the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the AP, and the Conversation will leverage each organization’s strengths to broaden and deepen the public’s understanding of the myriad dimensions of philanthropy and its impact on society.”
About AP
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day. Visit www.ap.org
About the Chronicle of Philanthropy
From breaking news to key insights to real-world advice, the Chronicle of Philanthropy is dedicated to serving nonprofit and foundation professionals. It offers webinars, publications, special reports, and other information that help people in the nonprofit world make informed decisions. It is owned by the Chronicle of Higher Education, a media company in Washington that focuses on providing information to people on college campuses and in the nonprofit world. Because the Chronicle covers foundations regularly, it has established strict ethics guidelines to ensure that its decision to accept support from grant makers does not influence its coverage. It has posted its gift-acceptance policy online and pledged to disclose the names of donors and other supporters in any article or other product that involves them. Visit www.philanthropy.com
About the Conversation
The Conversation U.S. launched in October 2014 with funding from six foundations. It is an independent source of commentary and analysis from the academic and research community, delivered direct to the public. A team of professional editors work with academic scholars to unlock their knowledge to then be shared with the wider public. Access to trusted, independent, high-quality, authenticated, explanatory journalism is critical to a functioning democracy. Our goal is to promote better understanding of current affairs and complex issues leading to a better quality of public discourse. Visit theconversation.com/us
About the Lilly Endowment
The Lilly Endowment is a private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports community development, education, and religion. In addition to strengthening the leadership and vitality of Christian congregations throughout the United States, the Endowment’s grant making in religion aims to support fair and accurate portrayals of the role religion plays in the United States and across the globe. Visit lillyendowment.org/
Contact
Lauren Easton
Global Director of Media Relations and Corporate Communications
The Associated Press
212-621-7005
leaston@ap.org
Patrick Maks
Media Relations Manager
The Associated Press
212-621-7536
pmaks@ap.org
Stacy Palmer Editor
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
202-251-9621
stacy.palmer@philanthropy.com
Bruce Wilson
Chief Innovation and Development Officer
The Conversation
203-505-0423
bruce.wilson@theconversation.com