Cover Story
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America's Favorite Charities
Giving to the 100 Top Charities Is Up 11%
An 11% jump in giving to the top charities shows a widening gap with other groups, but uncertainty looms even for them.
Highlights
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America's Favorite Charities
Anxiety in Times of Plenty
The 100 biggest charities saw a healthy jump in giving in 2018, but they worry tough times are ahead. -
Data
How the Chronicle Conducted Its America’s Favorite Charities Survey
Our survey of the nonprofits that raise the most in gifts of cash and stock used data compiled from Internal Revenue Service Form 990 filings, surveys sent to tax-exempt organizations, and other sources. -
News
Transparency Barometer: Why Mayo Clinic is an Outlier
As part of the Chronicle’s efforts to produce the most complete and accurate ranking possible for America’s Favorite Charities, we contacted every nonprofit that made the list last year. All of them provided the requested data except the Mayo Clinic. -
America's Favorite Charities
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: Flexibility Pays Off
No minimum amount is required to set up a donor-advised fund at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation — or to make a distribution to a charity. -
America's Favorite Charities
ACLU: Encouraging ‘Trump Bump’ Donors to Make a Second Gift
The ACLU has turned to data to figure out the best ways to keep contributors giving. -
America's Favorite Charities
Metropolitan Museum of Art: Keeping an Eye on How Big Donors React to Public Scrutiny
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is upbeat about its fundraising — but keeping an eye on how big donors react to public scrutiny and economic uncertainty. -
America's Favorite Charities
Unicef USA: How Cultivating Small Donors Led to a $10 Million Gift
The group is getting lots of requests for information about making planned gifts. But it’s also experimenting with how to reach future donors. -
America's Favorite Charities
Habitat for Humanity and IRC: Worried About More Than Recession
Donor fatigue is a concern for fundraisers at Habitat for Humanity International and the International Rescue Committee. -
America's Favorite Charities
Duke U.: Keeping Donor Ties Strong Between Campaigns
Duke University set up a series of events to fill big contributors in on its new president’s plans — and to let them bond about their shared connection to the university. -
News
The Data Behind the Chronicle’s Ranking of America’s Favorite Charities
Use our interactive table to see a breakdown of the private support, revenue, and more — including historical fundraising trends — for each of the 100 top nonprofits.
Features
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Mission
Leader Expands Community Foundation’s Role and Drives a Turnaround in Buffalo
Clotilde Dedecker used her organization to convene talks about racial equity and brought a powerful education ally to the city. The results: an impressive spike in graduation rates and an influx of new jobs. -
Advice
How to Protect Your Nonprofit From Controversial Donors
As donor scandals ensnare nonprofits, fundraisers and experts suggest policies and procedures to avoid problems. -
Communications and Marketing
What To Do When Your Cause Is in the Spotlight: Lessons From the Amazon Fires
Rainforest-preservation and indigenous-rights groups saw a spike in donations and interest when fires in Brazil drew the world’s attention. What can your nonprofit learn from their experience?
Departments
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Transitions
Marguerite Casey Foundation Appoints New CEO (Transitions)
Plus, the Melville Charitable Trust has named a new leader, and the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund hires a former Obama aide as chief. -
Research
Giving to Charity Creates Sustained Happiness, Research Shows
People’s happiness with almost anything diminishes over time as they become accustomed to it — the type of food they eat or their income level, for example. But there’s something different about giving: The warm glow lasts. -
News
Letter From the Editor: Look What’s Coming in 2020
Coming next year with your subscription will be a special forecast for 2020 and beyond, plus a webinar briefing about what we have found. And we’ll be unveiling a new website that will make it easier to find what you need and be a pleasure to read. -
Why They Give
Conn. Philanthropists Take the Idea of Getting Involved to a Whole New Level
Some donors join a charity’s board or spend a few hours onsite. Carol and George Bauer take getting to know their grantees to whole different level. -
Face of Philanthropy
MacArthur Fellow Seeks to Preserve Culture and the Environment
A leader at the Wildlife Conservation Society explains how the organization works with local residents to incorporate their cultural practices in ways that benefit nature. -
Advice
5 Ways to Inspire and Show Appreciation for Planned Gifts
Listen to build trust and help reveal donors’ motivations, focus on loyalty rather than wealth, and consider challenge grants. -
Advice
6 Tips for Raising Money to Measure Impact
Grant makers share advice on how to raise money for tracking and evaluating your work, including steps to take before seeking such support and ways to calculate how much you need.
Opinion
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Opinion
Philanthropy Can Heal Divides by Helping Americans See Their Shared Goals (Opinion)
Too often though foundations don’t understand what investments will make a difference. Here’s a guide to how to reimagine collective action. -
Opinion
Was the Trump Bump for Charities a One-Time Phenomenon? (Opinion)
In a study of giving after presidential elections, nonprofits associated with the opposite ideology of the presidential winner saw an average 58 percent bump in contributions while those with the same ideology of the presidential winner saw a 3 percent drop. -
Opinion
Bill Gates Under a Microscope (Opinion)
The Netflix documentary Inside Bill’s Brain examines the persona, eccentricities, and philanthropy of a leader of the world’s largest foundation. -
Opinion
A Donor-Advised Fund Proposal That Would Work for Everyone (Opinion)
Under our proposal, donors would get some financial benefits when they put money into the fund and receive additional benefits when they send money out of the fund to nonprofits that advance the common good.