PEN America and the Collapse of the Big Tent

Plus, a charity highlights divisions, playfully; and a look at divesting university endowments ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. OPINION [The PEN America Crisis, Free Speech, and the Future of Big Tent Organizations]( By Joel Simon [STORY IMAGE]( Foundations that fund organizations focused on free speech and bridging ideological divides must ask themselves which ideas are worth defending. ADVERTISEMENT CASE STUDY [Charity:water Breaks a Fundraising Taboo and Talks About Division — Sort of]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( “These days, it seems so easy to hear opinions of what people are against,” wrote CEO Scott Harrison. “But there’s also something powerful about being for something good.” FINANCE AND REVENUE [Divesting University Endowments: Easier Demanded Than Done]( By Todd L. Ely [STORY IMAGE]( Information about endowments holdings is hard to find, and universities may not always be free to divest them. WEBINARS [Today, May 21 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Unlocking the full potential of a donor database can help fundraisers identify donors and giving opportunities with the greatest potential, segment supporters into groups and tailor messages to their interests, and take gift prospecting to the next level. Join us on Tuesday, May 21, for Using Data to Boost Giving to learn how to better manage and analyze donor data to reveal the stories it can tell to make fundraising at all levels more strategic. SPONSOR CONTENT | Twilio [Does the Nonprofit Funding Model Need an Overhaul?]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online As the $10 billion Bezos Earth Fund becomes a major donor to environmental causes, some in the field, including beneficiaries, are worried about its influence over climate-related activism. Specifically, they worry that the philanthropy’s interest in developing the market for carbon offsets is pushing a solution that does not work and will ultimately divert money and attention from more difficult, but more effective, interventions. A spokesperson for the fund defended its approach, saying that it works exclusively for the public interest. ([Guardian]( Background from the Chronicle: [Bezos Earth Fund Grant Gets Climate Change on Local Weather Forecasts]( Democratic Congressman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has thrown her support behind a New York state bill that would strip tax-exempt status from nonprofits that support Israeli settlements or the Israeli military. The legislation, which Ocasio-Cortez conceded was “politically perilous,” was introduced before the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. Some lawmakers have attacked it as antisemitic, but others say it is part of an increasingly critical assessment of Israel’s behavior. ([New York Times]( Plus: Congressional Republicans Launch ‘Fishing Expedition’ Against Progressive, Jewish, and Palestinian Nonprofits ([Reason]( More News and Commentary - Conservative Group Files Civil Rights Complaint Against MIT Alleging Program for Female Students of Color Is Discriminatory ([Boston Globe]( - In Rural Virginia, Religious and Community Groups Are Filling Cavities, Treating Diabetes, and Stepping Into a Health-Care Void. ([Atlantic]( - Boy Scouts Love This Scenic Virginia River. Locals Say They’re Ruining It. ([Washington Post]( - How Much Has Billionaire Philanthropist Mackenzie Scott Donated to Houston? Let’s Take a Look ([Houston Chronicle]( - She Wants to Make San Francisco Ballet an ‘Arrow to the Future’ ([New York Times]( - Commentary: Warren Buffett’s Legacy Is at Stake via Bill Gates ([Reuters]( Note: In the links in this section, we flag articles that only subscribers can access. But because some journalism outlets offer a limited number of free articles, readers may encounter barriers with other articles we highlight in this roundup. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE [Chronicle of Philanthropy Subscription] Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. EDITOR'S PICKS MAJOR PHILANTHROPY [Can Big Donors Ever Move the Needle on Controversial Causes? Lessons From the Long Marijuana Campaign]( By Marc Gunther [STORY IMAGE]( The 50-year movement to legalize cannabis was funded by a handful of very rich and ideologically diverse philanthropists, including Hugh Hefner, George Soros, and Sean Parker. EXECUTIVE TIPS [Leaders’ Advice for Other Leaders]( By Ben Gose [STORY IMAGE]( Nonprofit chief executives share their secrets for managing stressful jobs and staying motivated. PHILANTHROPISTS [Melinda Gates’s $12.5 Billion Separation Agreement Is a Windfall for Women’s Causes]( By Alex Daniels and Stephanie Beasley [STORY IMAGE]( While she is widely expected to devote billions to women’s causes, she has been undertaking other efforts that could be just as consequential for philanthropy. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join our webinar]( — Many nonprofit leaders are overlooking a treasure in their midst: the donor database. Unlocking the full potential of a donor database can: prioritize giving opportunities that have the greatest potential; enable fundraisers to segment donors into groups and tailor messages to their interests; and take donor prospecting to the next level. Join us on Tuesday, May 21, at 2 p.m. ET to learn how to better manage and analyze donor data to reveal the stories it can tell and make fundraising, at all levels, more strategic. [Register now.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Apply today](. 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