On the March Cover: Mission: Diversity

[THE CHRONICLE OF PHILANTHROPY] #subscribelink [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( [Subscribe to The Chronicle today to get access to premium content and more.]( Philanthropy Today Wednesday, March 7, 2018 --------------------------------------------------------------- [Sign up for this newsletter]( On the March Cover: Mission: Diversity --------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Readers. Every time I talk to nonprofit leaders about what keeps them up at night, diversity tops the list. What more can be done, charity and foundation executives ask me, to ensure that employees and board members look more like the people their organizations seek to help? Chronicle reporter Timothy Sandoval dove into finding answers, and you'll see the results in the cover story of our March issue, which goes online today. Issues as complex as racial, ethnic, class, and gender diversity defy easy solutions, but the numbers make it clear that [too little progress]( has been made thus far. Still, we found examples of nonprofits making strides. Tim embedded himself with Lift, a national antipoverty charity based in Washington, D.C. In 2010, as the organization began expanding rapidly, it also put an emphasis on diversifying its work force, including leadership. Today, 60 percent of Lift’s employees are people of color. Read how the process unfolded [step by step]( and see what's next as the organization seeks to extend diversity to its regional boards. You can also learn about how Sage, a national group that helps to improve the lives of older LGBT people, [diversified its board]( and how the [Annie E. Casey Foundation]( took steps to move from a work force that was 58 percent white to one that is 57 percent people of color. Adding to the richness of Tim's on-the-ground reporting, you'll find an important [opinion piece from Pamela Shifman]( head of the NoVo Foundation, who recommends three ways white grant makers can stomp out racism. Add your thoughts to the conversation she started in our comments section. Another highlight of our new issue is a piece by Drew Lindsay about an amazing team of volunteer fundraisers who raised millions of dollars to [rescue Sweet Briar College]( a Virginia woman's institution that nearly shut down in 2015. We don't often get an opportunity to write about the way fundraisers use their skills outside of their day jobs, but Sweet Briar offered a remarkable case study of the power of loyalty, grit, and volunteerism. A band of alumnae put their professional fundraising skills to work, some even quitting their jobs and moving to the campus. Adding to the power of the volunteers, the consulting firm Alexander Haas offered pro bono help to get big-time fundraising moving quickly. It's still not clear whether Sweet Briar will thrive, but there's no question that it got a second chance largely because of a group of outstanding and energetic fundraisers. There's much more to uncover in [this month's issue]( and I hope you'll feel free to let us know what stories you'd like to see us writing about. Drop me a line at stacy.palmer@philanthropy.com. Stacy Palmer Editor More News From The Chronicle --------------------------------------------------------------- [Grants Roundup: Wilson Foundation Commits $10 Million for Skate Parks]( Also, Disney bestows $1 million on the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to celebrate the success of its comic-book blockbuster Black Panther, and other grant news. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online --------------------------------------------------------------- On Big Philanthropists [Zuckerberg and Chan Give $30 Million]( for New Effort to Boost Literacy (Boston Globe) [How Robert Smith, the Richest African-American,]( ) and His Business Partner Became Top Philanthropists (Forbes) Plus: See [the Chronicle’s profile]( of Smith when he appeared on our Philanthropy 50 ranking of the top philanthropists. Jeff Bezos Is Now the World's Wealthiest Person, and [He Could Redefine Philanthropy]( (Business Insider) Plus: Read the [behind-the-scenes story]( of Bezos’s $33 million gift for Dreamers. [Oprah Winfrey Donates Portion]( of Weight Watchers Share Sale to Her Foundation (Wall Street Journal — subscription) See more about Winfrey’s recent gifts to [Time’s Up]( and the [March for Our Lives]( ?elqTrackId=b22ccd5df35c4dd2a9b88e73e995a0e8&elq=dcb67d420e1a4c0cbc7937d5be68ec7c&elqaid=18089&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=8057) led by Parkland, Fla., student activists. Top News With Cash Boost From S.F. Foundation, [Facebook Housing Fund Ready to Back Projects]( (Mercury News) [Veterans Charity Founded by Mo. Governor]( Backs Investigation of Alleged Political Use of Its Resources (Associated Press) Opinion on Nonprofits [Don't Weaken the Ban]( on Politics in the Pulpit (Los Angeles Times) ‘Pay for Success’ Bonds Open a [New Frontier in Impact Investing]( (New York Times) More News Texas Nonprofit Gets $790,000 From Walton Family Fund to [Build Diversity in Teaching Ranks]( (The 74) Troubled Calif. [Disability Charity Selling Off Designer Goods]( to Fund New Group Home (San Francisco Chronicle) Va. High School Drops AR-15 Raffle, [Substitutes Gift Certificate for Gun Shop]( (Richmond Times-Dispatch) What Is [Philanthropy’s Role in Serving Flint?]( A Conversation With Flint Community Fund’s CEO (Michigan Radio) Ky. Governor’s [Charity Auction Offers Chance to Implode]( [Building]( (Associated Press) Keep Up on the News: Donor-Advised-Fund Regulations --------------------------------------------------------------- Chronicle reporter Alex Daniels, who covers both giving and government, details the comments organizations have submitted in response to the Treasury Department's request for feedback on new regulations on donor-advised funds. Follow his Twitter feed for threads on this issue: [@AlexDanielsCOP.]( Don't Miss What Everyone Else Is Reading --------------------------------------------------------------- These were the best-read stories 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. [Gates Foundation Pours Another $170 Million Into Helping Women]( [premium] The money targeted for India, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda is driven largely by Melinda Gates’s longstanding commitment to achieving gender equity. [How One Public Radio Station Talked to Donors About Sexual Harassment]( When a scandal rocked NPR, Washington, D.C., affiliate WAMU shared with supporters what it's doing to prevent workplace misconduct. [Big Gifts Can Transform Economies — but It’s Not Easy]( [premium] Measuring the economic impact of giving is tricky, but if more donors were concerned about it, they’d probably give very differently than they do now, experts say. [Gifts Roundup: Paul Allen Pledges $125 Million for Artificial-Intelligence Research]( Plus, investor Shelby Davis commits $100 million for international scholarships, and NBA star Kevin Durant will donate $10 million for college-completion programs in the Maryland community where he grew up. Coming Tomorrow: Learn How to Maximize Meetings With Donors --------------------------------------------------------------- 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 you can join us tomorrow at 2 p.m. Eastern. 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: [Director of Development]( Sharsheret New Jersey, United States [Executive Director]( Institute for Feed Education and Research Virginia, United States [Executive Director]( Christopher Street West/LA Pride California, United States [Major Gifts Officer/West Coast]( National Park Foundation California, United States [Vice President and Executive Director, Audubon Florida]( National Audubon Society Florida, United States [Director of Development, Civic Engagement and Technology Organization]( Civic Hall New York, United States [Director of Individual Giving (F/T, NonProfit, Full Benefits)]( Project HOME Pennsylvania, United States [Search The Chronicle's jobs database](. [The Chronicle of Philanthropy] 1255 Twenty-Third St., N.W. 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