Latest Articles

Letters to the Editor

Article About Conservative Donor Sean Fieler Sparks Heated Debate

March 24, 2023

Chronicle of Philanthropy readers weigh in on profile of conservative philanthropist.

Connie Collingsworth, chief operating officer and chief legal officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is retiring after more than 20 years. (Courtesy of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)

Transitions

Gates Foundation Names 3 Executives to Replace Its Retiring Chief Operating Officer

By M.J. Prest March 24, 2023

Plus, the Whitney Museum of American Art has a new director, and a former U.S. representative from Michigan will now lead Spill the Honey, a group that examines the shared history of Black and Jewish communities in the United States.

National Rifle Association Headquarters Building.

Finance and Revenue

NRA’s Path to Recovery From Financial Woes Leaves It Vulnerable to New Problems

By Brian Mittendorf March 23, 2023

The National Rifle Association’s financial turnaround might seem to bode well for the organization, but a look below the surface shows ominous signs.

Fueling a pipeline of early childhood educators in Washington state, Ballmer Group is investing $43 million in the UW College of Education and other partners.

Grants Roundup

Ballmer Group Commits $43 Million to Train More Early-Childhood Educators of Color

By M.J. Prest March 22, 2023

Plus, CalOptima Health has given nearly $30 million to bolster services for chronically homeless people in Southern California, and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network received $25 million for research, early detection, and the development of new treatments for the disease.

FILE - In this March 4, 2018, file photo, MacKenzie Scott arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. Scott is launching a $250 million “open call” for community-focused nonprofits that the billionaire philanthropist can fund. Through her organization Yield Giving, Scott plans to make unrestricted $1 million donations to 250 nonprofits selected in the process, which she calls a “new pathway to support for organizations making positive change in their communities.” (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Big Philanthropy

MacKenzie Scott Sets New ‘Open Call’ to Donate $250 Million

By Glenn Gamboa, AP Business Writer March 21, 2023

Through her organization Yield Giving, she plans to make unrestricted $1 million donations to 250 nonprofits.

Lindsay London holds protest sign in front of federal court building in support of access to abortion medication outside the Federal Courthouse on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 in Amarillo, Texas. A conservative federal judge heard arguments Wednesday from a Christian group seeking to overturn the Food and Drug Administration’s more than 2-decade-old approval of an abortion medication, in a case that could threaten the most common form of abortion in the U.S. (David Erickson, AP)

Opinion

As Threats to Abortion Access Grow, Emergency Philanthropic Funding Isn’t Nearly Enough

By Judy Wright and Charlene Bencomo March 21, 2023

A new collaborative effort in New Mexico among nonprofits, philanthropy, and government is showing what effective responses to the reproductive health care crisis can look like.

CONV-SyrianAidGroups-031723-file-20230308-493-637toa.jpeg

Humanitarian Aid

Earthquake That Struck War-Ravaged Syria Highlights Vital Role of Local Aid Groups

By Kimberly Howe March 20, 2023

Politics trumped humanitarian need, and the United Nations was lambasted for doing too little, but some humanitarian aid was being delivered, thanks to local Syrian groups like the Bahar Organization.

Carole and Marcus Weinstein have pledged $25 million to establish the Carole and Marcus Weinstein Learning Center at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Va. (Courtesy U. of Richmond)

Gifts Roundup

Carole and Marcus Weinstein Give $25 Million to U. of Richmond for New Academic Services Center

By Maria Di Mento March 20, 2023

Plus, Baltimore real-estate developer Sam Rose gave $2 million for full scholarships for students from Ukraine, and Jacklyn and Miguel Bezos, Steve Tisch, and a Campbell’s Soup heiress gave big to support scholarships and ocean research.

Economic Outlook

Banking Failures Add to Growing Economic Uncertainty for Nonprofits

By Sara Herschander March 20, 2023

Foundation grants and gifts from individuals could be at risk as nonprofits continue to struggle to pay wages that will keep workers from seeking other opportunities.

Nancy Yao, founding director of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.

Transitions

Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Names First Director

By M.J. Prest March 17, 2023

Also, a pediatric hematologist oncologist will take the helm of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in May, and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation will install a new CEO this summer.