Youth, Education, Health Groups Hit Hardest by Decline in Giving

Plus, nonprofit founder’s life hits movie screens; advice from a foundation CEO on college giving; seven most interesting big donors of 2019; and more [Philanthropy Today] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Please sign up]( to receive your own copy. [Youth, Education, and Health Groups Hit Hardest by the Sharp Decline in Americans Who Give]( By Emily Haynes Chronicle reporter Some 20 million Americans who gave to charity in 2000 had stopped giving by 2016, a new study shows. (PREMIUM) ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( [As a Nonprofit Founder’s Life Hits Movie Screens, Racial Bias in Criminal Justice Could Also Snare the Spotlight]( By Dan Parks Chronicle staff Based on the book by Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson, the Hollywood film, produced by Jeff Skoll’s Participant Media, will be out in theaters nationwide in January. Michael B. Jordan plays Stevenson in the film, which also features Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson. (PREMIUM) [A Year-End Plea From a Family Foundation CEO: Think Twice Before Giving to Your Alma Mater]( by Kathleen deLaski president of the deLaski Family Foundation To jump-start social mobility and the economy, the most important education is happening at community colleges and state institutions that reach nontraditional students. (PREMIUM) [The 7 Most Interesting Big Donors of 2019]( By Maria Di Mento Chronicle reporter Taking on racial inequities was a major theme among several of the major donors profiled by the Chronicle this year. Paid for and Created by Salesforce.org [Blazing a Trail of Fundraising Success]( To boost revenue, four nonprofits use Salesforce.org technology to break down walls between teams. ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere The charity evaluator GiveWell is changing its system for choosing preferred charities, after surveying the people who actually receive the aid. For years, GiveWell’s staff has tried to assign a value to the work of various charities, in effect judging whose life was more worth saving or whether, say, saving one life is worth more than improving many lives. But recently the evaluator commissioned a survey of people in Ghana and Kenya to ask them the hard questions. The respondents valued saving lives, especially very young ones, over efforts to increase incomes or consumption for many. That differed somewhat from the decisions that the staff had made. As a result, GiveWell will change how it weighs these factors. ([Vox]( Anti-abortion activists in Wisconsin are protesting a grant that the Green Bay Packers Foundation made to Planned Parenthood. As part of its annual round of gifts, the foundation donated a total of $1 million to several organizations, including a Planned Parenthood program to provide “language- and culturally specific health education” to Hispanic families in southeastern Wisconsin. Opponents of the grant said they don’t want any money going to Planned Parenthood; some said they would stop rooting for the team. ([Green Bay Press Gazette]( Three pastors at a Virginia church paid the school-meal debts of students in two nearby school systems, and they are urging others to do the same. The pastors gave more than $17,000 from their congregation to the Stafford and Spotsylvania county schools. A principal at one of the schools said staffers and parent-teacher groups usually try to help pay off the debt. Nationwide, the median tab for unpaid breakfasts and lunches has grown to $2,500 per school district, a 70-percent increase from 2012-13, according to the School Nutrition Association. ([The Washington Post]( Plus: California Church to Pay off $5.3 Million in Family Medical Bills ([Associated Press]( More News Activists rally for Hopkins, other nonprofits to ‘pay their fair share’ as Baltimore council reviews tax deal ([The Baltimore Sun]( A Major Funder of the Anti-Vaccine Movement Has Made Millions Selling Natural Health Products ([The Washington Post]( Minnesota Is Once Again No. 1, Topping List of Most Generous State in the U.S. (Minneapolis [Star Tribune]( [paywall] (See more about [the decline in charitable giving in the U.S.]( in this article from the Chronicle of Philanthropy.) Amount Canadians Donate to Charity Reaches 20-Year Low, British Columbia Study Finds ([BC Local News]( About Big Donors Philanthropists Are Rethinking How They Give Away Their Money ([Bloomberg]( Home Depot Founder Bernie Marcus on Sunsetting His Foundation ([Jewish Insider]( Opinion Mormons and Money: An Unorthodox and Messy History of Church Finances ([The Conversation]( Remembering the Poor on Christmas ([The New York Times]( About Nonprofit Innovation ‘Remarkable’: This Teen Turned a Class Project Into a Way to Help Young Hospital Patients and Their Siblings ([The Washington Post]( This Artist Gives Paintings to People Who Donate at Least $25 to Any Charity ([The Washington Post]( In Memoriam: The Most Influential Poverty Fighter You've Never Heard Of ([NPR]( Subscribe to the Chronicle As donors become increasingly selective in their giving, it’s more important than ever that you have unlimited access to the tools and resources needed to show your impact. A subscription to the Chronicle of Philanthropy provides you with the knowledge you need to generate excitement for your nonprofit, grow your donor base, and stay ahead of emerging trends. [Subscribe Today]( What Everyone Else Is Reading [MacArthur Boosts Amount It Pays for Grantees’ Overhead to 29%]( The move stems from a pledge by the Chicago grant maker and four other foundations to help the defray the costs of things like human resources, fundraising, and accounting. (PREMIUM) [Working With Donor-Advised Funds: The Basics]( Donor-advised funds continue to boom. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about receiving donations from the accounts. [Lilly Surpasses Ford as Nation’s 2nd Largest Grant Maker]( Lilly’s endowment is invested mainly in the Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company, which had a strong year in 2018. The Gates Foundation remains the nation’s largest grant maker, with nearly $47 billion in assets. (PREMIUM) [Smithsonian Institution Brings in Former CIA Executive as Deputy Secretary and COO (Transitions)]( Also, Robert Greenstein is leaving the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation has named three new vice presidents. [Thank-You Videos Are an Easy Way to Send Personalized Messages]( How two nonprofits use video to thank donors and encourage them to raise money online. (PREMIUM) Monthly Giving: What’s Working Now [Join our next webinar]( — Persuading people to give every month has multiple benefits: Monthly donors give more than other supporters, are twice as likely to continue contributing from year to year, and provide a more predictable source of revenue. How can your nonprofit attract more monthly donors and boost the bottom line? Join us for a 75-minute webinar to learn what is — and is not — working for other organizations. Our experts will share best practices and new tips to help you inspire loyalty, resolve common payment problems, and give sustaining donors appropriate recognition. Plus, you’ll get dos and don’ts for marketing and real-world examples of messages that get results. Don’t miss this chance to learn how to enlist — and keep — monthly supporters. [Sign up today]( to join us on January 16 at 2 pm Eastern. Training on Demand: Watch Our Webinars Tap into more than 70 webinars from the Chronicle to get unrivaled insights and practical tips to help you change the world. Each 60-minute recorded webinar features Chronicle staff and expert guests sharing proven approaches and deep knowledge of fundraising and grant seeking. Explore our wide selection of topics and develop essential skills when and where it’s most convenient for you. Get started today. Access the [webinar library]( gather your team, and earn continuing-education credits from CFRE International. Want More News and Ideas About Fundraising? See our brand new free weekly newsletter chock full of stories to give you an edge, keep you up to date, and inspire you with advice from your peers. [Subscribe here](. No Newsletter Until January 2 We’re taking a holiday break from sending you Philanthropy Today. We’ll continue to monitor the news and update [our site]( anything significant happens. You’ll also find suggestions about what to read as you pause to get ready for 2020. We wish all of our readers a happy new year and look forward to helping you advance your work to change the world. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Sign up]( for other newsletters, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2019 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy](