Throughout the past year, The Chronicle’s opinion pages were filled with people in and out of philanthropy discussing the role of nonprofits and foundations in an election year, including a call by George Mason University scholar Alan Abramson to give nonprofits a seat at the White House table.
Concerns philanthropy will need to address as Donald Trump takes the White House in 2017 were already clear in some of the pieces we published well before November 8 — including a column by Bruce Karmazin of the Lumpkin Family Foundation calling on grant makers to adopt a strong rural strategy and a plea by James Canales of the Barr Foundation and Kate Wolford of the McKnight Foundation for philanthropy to give more attention to local efforts to fight climate change.
But many of our most popular opinion articles explored ways our contributors believe foundations, donors, and nonprofits need to change, including a piece from Beth Kanter and Aliza Sherman urging organizations to build healthier and happier cultures to nurture their employees.
And our best-read opinion article was a mea culpa from Hal Harvey, an early cheerleader for strategic philanthropy, who took to our pages to explain his regrets about the movement he helped create.
Among the other notable pieces we published in the past year:
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OpinionOpinion: Foundation CEOs Shouldn’t Serve on Corporate Boards
Darren Walker’s decision to join Pepsi’s board undermines his philanthropic agenda and raises questions about what makes foundations different from businesses and government. -
Opinion
Opinion: Charities and Taxpayers Deserve More From Donor-Advised Funds
As the controversial method of giving becomes increasingly common, concerns about the funds become ever more consequential. -
Opinion
Opinion: Stop Tolerating Donors Who Sexually Harass Fundraisers
Charities must pledge not to put up with donors who cross a line with fundraisers, no matter how generous they are. -
Opinion
Opinion: 21st-Century Fundraising Requires Nonprofits to Shake Up Their Cultures
Not everybody needs to ask for money, but getting more people involved in building relationships can solve some of fundraising’s chronic problems. -
Opinion
Opinion: Foundations Are Losing Sight of Nonprofits’ Struggles
More and more grant makers fail to give the organizations they fund the freedom, flexibility, or resources required to solve complex problems. -
Opinion
Opinion: Ford’s Push on Disability Rights Should Be a Model for Philanthropy
The foundation’s explicit outline of steps it will take to aid people with disabilities sends a strong signal to grant makers everywhere. -
Opinion
Opinion: Now or Forever: Rethinking Foundation Life Spans
Philanthropists, Congress, and the courts have all weighed in on whether grant makers should spend down their assets or continue in perpetuity, but it’s time to take a closer look. -
Opinion
Opinion: Fellow Billionaires: Let’s Listen to the Poor
The creator of 5-Hour Energy drinks urges his fellow philanthropists to measure results, not dollars spent, and to stop pretending that putting their names on buildings is an act of humanity. -
Opinion
Opinion: 5 Issues Foundations Must Confront to Stay Relevant
As criticism of philanthropy mounts, grant makers must rethink how to spend their endowments and work with grantees — and with one another. -
Opinion
Opinion: Charities, Stop Stereotyping People of Color as Needy
Too many nonprofits use photos in marketing and other materials that dehumanize minorities as indolent “takers” of services they do not deserve.
