WHAT WE’RE READING ELSEWHERE
Commentary: Many in the effective altruism movement were taken in by Sam Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced to prison on fraud charges this week, writes Zach Robinson, chief executive of the Centre for Effective Altruism in Oxford, England. But Bankman-Fried never shared their values, and as adherents seek to distance the movement from his example, Robinson writes that his organization has done some housecleaning and will cast a more wary eye on donors to make sure it doesn’t get fooled again. (Washington Post)
A decline in volunteering that started a decade ago has picked up steam, as more people stay in the paid work force and fewer are involved with a church or child-related causes, straining nonprofit staffs and putting pressure on the groups to offer better pay and benefits to maintain their work force, even as donations also drop. (Barron’s)
Silicon Valley philanthropist Nicole Shanahan will be Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s running mate in his independent bid for the presidency. Kennedy said he picked Shanahan, who has no political or executive experience, in part for her interest in health issues and knowledge of the tech industry. The former wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Shanahan has put millions of dollars into research on women’s health, climate change, and criminal-justice reform. (USA Today)
Since becoming mayor of Los Angeles in late 2022, Karen Bass has made it a priority to solve homelessness, corralling advocates, homeless people, businesses, homeowner groups, and officials in various levels of government to clean out encampments and ultimately move people into permanent housing. The efforts have shown unsteady progress, with the city’s lack of affordable housing still the biggest hurdle. (New York Times)
Legal Issues
A lawyer who was fired from the American Civil Liberties Union for using what managers deemed racist language — though not racial slurs — has taken her case to the National Labor Relations Board, arguing that she was retaliated against for complaining about a hostile workplace. Some legal experts say the case is another sign of tension between the group’s traditionally wide-ranging defense of speech and its more recent embrace of progressive causes and culture. (New York Times)
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk’s X social media platform against the Center for Countering Digital Hate over the nonprofit’s report on the rise of hate speech on X since Musk bought the website formerly known as Twitter. The judge deemed the litigation a transparent attempt to punish a critic. In a statement, X said it plans to appeal the ruling. (Associated Press)
A judge in Texas has temporarily blocked state Attorney General Ken Paxton’s demands for records from PFLAG, a national nonprofit supporting the families of LGBTQ people, as part of Paxton’s effort to enforce a state ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The injunction will stay in place until the resolution of a trial in the case, which is slated to begin in June. (NBC News)
Arts and Culture
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino has agreed to make clear that its internship is open to students of all ethnicities, not only Latinos, to settle a lawsuit brought by the American Alliance for Equal Rights, the organization that ultimately got the Supreme Court to abolish race-conscious admissions at universities. (Washington Post)
Museums are experimenting with climate controls, smart technology, and other innovations to simultaneously achieve the seemingly contradictory goals of protecting their collections from the effects of climate change and shrinking their carbon footprints. (Grist)
For the first time, most of Harlem’s major museums and theaters are run by women, who have created an “ecosystem” of mutual support and are leading expansions and renovations to attract a wider audience. (Cut)
NEW GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
Your Chronicle subscription includes free access to GrantStation’s database of grant opportunities.
Sports: The Saucony Run For Good Foundation is committed to improving the lives of children in the United States by helping to prevent and reduce childhood obesity. The Foundation provides funding to nonprofit community organizations conducting programs that increase participation in running for kids 18 years of age and younger. Supported programs should utilize running participation for health and well-being in children and serve youth populations not traditionally exposed to running programs. Grants up to $10,000; deadlines are June 15 and December 15, annually.
Food Justice: The Food Justice for Kids Prize, an initiative of Newman’s Own Foundation, will provide up to $1 million in total funding over two years to nonprofits, public schools, and tribes working to advance food justice for children in the United States. Funds will be provided for projects that support community-based direct service, ecosystem and community power building, and sustainable practices that drive 1) food justice for Indigenous children or 2) enhanced nutrition education and nutritious school food. Grants up to $100,000 over two years; application deadline is June 11.