Daily Update: Colleges Got 25% More in Big Gifts in 2017

[THE CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY] #subscribelink [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( [Subscribe to The Chronicle today to get access to premium content and more.]( Philanthropy Today Thursday, March 1, 2018 --------------------------------------------------------------- [Sign up for this newsletter]( Top News and Features From The Chronicle --------------------------------------------------------------- [Megagifts to Higher Education Rose 25% in Value in 2017]( [premium] Three out of every four donations of $10 million or more went to colleges and universities last year, according to new analysis by Marts & Lundy. [Giving to the 30 Biggest Fundraising Events Dropped Nearly 7% in 2017]( [premium] Bike-athons, walkathons, and other events continue to struggle, according to the latest rankings from the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum. [Nonprofit Uses Creative Impact Investing to Stem Foreclosures]( [premium] New Jersey Community Capital buys pools of troubled mortgages at a discount and then modifies the loans to help homeowners. Vacant properties or converted to affordable housing. [Charities and Their Founders Need More Exit Ramps]( [premium] The nonprofit world would be stronger if we offered new incentives and approaches that encourage mergers, alliances, and other ways to prompt efficiencies. Online Tools and Advice --------------------------------------------------------------- [How Foundations Can Support Nonprofit Leadership Development]( [premium] A foundation shares lessons and tips from an experimental approach to supporting local leadership development. Plus find more than [850 articles and tools]( and tools to help you do your job. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online --------------------------------------------------------------- Top News [Paul Allen Gives $125 Million]( to Teach Machines Common Sense (New York Times) Women in [Jewish Fundraising Say Harassment Is Pervasive]( (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) Lies, Damned Lies, and One [Very Misleading Statistic About Sexual Misconduct]( (New York Times) Scott Blackmun [Steps Down as U.S. Olympic Committee Chief Executive]( (Washington Post) The Truth About [What Goodwill Does With Its $5.7 Billion]( in Revenue (Country Living) More News With Help of Bloomberg Grant, [Elite Colleges Expand Efforts to Enroll and Support Low-Income Students]( (Wall Street Journal — subscription) How [Stephen Curry Focused More on Philanthropy Efforts]( Than “Noise” Surrounding Donald Trump Criticism (Mercury News) [Kevin Durant, Tech Investor, Has a New Startup Target:]( Students With Dreams Like the Ones He Had (Washington Post) Hungary’s [Soros-Backed University Is Allowed to Stay]( (New York Times) About Cultural Nonprofits [Turmoil Strikes Athenaeum]( Private Library in Boston (Boston Globe) [Dolly Parton's Nonprofit Reaches Milestone]( With 100 Million Books Sent To Children (NPR) [Steppenwolf Theatre Selling Nearby Real Estate]( to Fund Campus Expansion (Chicago Tribune) Don't Miss What Everyone Else Is Reading --------------------------------------------------------------- These were the best-read stories on our site yesterday: [Anonymous Bitcoin Donor Rains $56 Million on Stunned Nonprofits]( ‘The Pineapple Fund wants to give you $1 million," read one unsolicited email. It sounded like a scam, but the offer, like many others from the donor, was real. [Foundations Show Little Interest in Making Their Boards More Diverse, Report Says]( Whites fill all the trustee positions at four out of 10 foundations, according to a survey by BoardSource. [Donor-Advised-Fund Giving Favors Education but Not Religion, Study Shows]( [premium] The study by Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy may be another ominous sign in a pattern of shrinking giving to faith groups. [Opinion: White People in Philanthropy — This Is Our Move]( [premium] If grant makers are serious about fighting racism, we need to take actions that help promote the growth of nonprofits led by people of color, according to Pamela Shifman, executive director of the NoVo Foundation [Grants Roundup: Cornell Gets $35 Million for Cassava Crops in Africa]( Also, the Charles Koch Foundation, Omidyar Group, and Knight Foundation combine forces to support the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, and other grant-making news. Solutions Journalism: A New Tool to House the Homeless --------------------------------------------------------------- The Chronicle is teaming up with Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit that promotes reporting on innovative ways nonprofits, governments, and others are tackling thorny social problems. The network will recommend three pieces each week from its Solutions Story Tracker, a searchable database, to help grant makers and charities learn about promising approaches. [The Unsung Government Program That Gives Federal Property to the Homeless]( American cities have vast numbers of vacant buildings. They also have lots of homeless people. Thirty years ago, a federal law brought those two things together. That law has been widely ignored — but new changes are turning it into a tool cities can actually use. [Restarting Your Career After Caring for Family]( For women who have taken time off from their careers to care for their family, re-entering the work force can be full of challenges. A boot camp devised by women has built the bridge for women to return or start a new career, giving them another chance at rewarding employment. [The Controversial Silicon Valley-quest to educate the World's Poorest Kids]( To educate children in poor countries, teachers need resources. Silicon Valley veterans and supporters created a program that provides them with scripted lessons on their tablets. The program has resulted in improved scores and attendance, but the highly controlled and technologically based approach is not without controversy. See more stories at the Network’s [Solutions Story Tracker.]( Last Day to Save 20% and Learn to Make the Most of Donor Meetings --------------------------------------------------------------- As the assets of America's wealthiest have been growing, big gifts are flowing faster than ever to nonprofits. But forging ties with philanthropists takes time, savvy, and skill. Each donor has specific priorities and motivations for giving, and there is no one-size-fits-all playbook for meetings with big donors. How can you make the most of conversations with major donors and build stronger connections for your nonprofit? Join the Chronicle for a one-hour session to get advice from two veteran major-gift fundraisers: Laura Frye of the Boston Ballet and Mark Stuart, the top fundraiser at the San Diego Zoo. [Sign up]( today so can join us next Thursday and save 20 percent. Price rises tomorrow. From Our Sponsors --------------------------------------------------------------- PAID FOR AND CREATED BY NETWORK FOR GOOD [4 Tips to Building a Successful Development Plan]( Making donors feel valued and connected to your organization is key to fulfilling your mission. Learn how to create a development plan focused on building long-lasting relationships with donors. Job Opportunities --------------------------------------------------------------- Find your next job in The Chronicle's jobs section, where employers have posted hundreds of the best career opportunities in the nonprofit world. Here are a few: [Chief Development Officer]( Camp Fire National Missouri, United States [Manager of Institutional Giving, Foundations and Government]( World Science Festival New York, United States [Director of Strategic Giving-Non-Profit]( Kingsley House, Inc. Louisiana, United States [Associate Vice President for Major and Planned Gifts]( Claflin University South Carolina, United States [Director of Programs]( The Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund California, United States [Senior Director of Development]( The Elizabeth Dole Foundation District of Columbia, United States [Manager Prospect Development]( Jupiter Medical Center Foundation, Inc. Florida, United States [Search The Chronicle's jobs database](. [The Chronicle of Philanthropy] 1255 Twenty-Third St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037 [Join our LinkedIn group]( [Like us on Facebook]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( Raise more money and increase awareness with trusted insight. 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