
Kay Dervishi is a staff writer for the Chronicle of Philanthropy. She previously worked as an associate editor at City & State magazine. While there, she covered local and state politics in New York. She also previously reported on New York’s nonprofit sector for City & State’s sister publication, NYN Media, where she also wrote a daily newsletter for nonprofits. She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from the University of Richmond.
Stories by this Author
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Affordable Housing
Land Trusts Offer an Innovative Way to Help the Middle Class Afford a Home
The nonprofits offer homes at low rates, but in exchange buyers have to give up some of the equity they would typically build up with a standard mortgage. That allows the trusts to offer homes to more people. -
Affordable Housing
Mission-Driven Lending Organizations Play a Key Role in Spreading Low-Cost Housing
Investments that foundations and businesses make are put into revolving funds that provide loans, housing down payments, and more. -
Volunteering
What’s Behind the Uneven Rates in Volunteerism: a Look at Fla. and Wyo. Point to Answers
Wyoming chalked up a big increase in volunteers during the pandemic as retirees and companies were attracted to open spaces to help local charities, and the interest continues to build. Florida faces the opposite problem as volunteers who left during Covid resist returning to in-person activities. -
Research and Data
Disaster Giving Goes Mostly to Immediate Relief, Not Prevention or Long-Term Recovery
Foundation giving was 15 times greater in the year after the pandemic struck. But the emphasis on immediate relief worries experts, especially as climate change makes natural disasters more frequent and devastating. -
Health Care and Finance
Charities That Curb Medical Debt for the Needy Are Growing Fast — and Innovating
Help from MacKenzie Scott and other donors large and small are allowing organizations to help millions of Americans. Now relief groups are putting more money into advocacy work to help avoid debt and work with nonprofit hospitals to ensure patients in need get subsidized care. -
Plastic Pollution
Nonprofits and Foundations Work to Curb Plastic Use, Moving Away From a Focus on Recycling
New research prompted more funding and advocacy. -
Foundation Giving
Philanthropy Pours More Money Into Advancing Economic Wealth of Latinos
Community foundations and other grant makers saw during Covid and the racial reckoning that Latinos were often failing to get a share of government or banking aid to build their businesses. Now they are trying to turn things around. -
Public Health
Nonprofits and Foundations Rush to Bring Drinking Water to Jackson, Miss., but Cash Donations Are Slow
Bottled water is a short-term fix. Residents also need food, cleaning supplies, and a long-term plan. -
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
As Attacks Proliferate, Philanthropy Sends More Money to Groups That Serve Transgender People
Leaders say growing interest from grant makers is helpful but that they need more to build strong, effective, and enduring organizations. -
Foundation Giving
Limited Funding From Grant Makers Hampers Charities’ Monkeypox Response
Two national companies are putting a total of more than $5 million into efforts to prevent the spread, and small gifts are being made by community foundations and local companies. But charities say they need more to fight the disease.