David Rubenstein on the Untapped Power of Patriotic Philanthropy

Plus, Brandee McHale will lead Citi Foundation, and how Laurene Powell Jobs's Emerson Collective decides where to give (podcast) [Philanthropy Today] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Please sign up]( to receive your own copy. Opinion [The Untapped Power of Patriotic Philanthropy]( By David M. Rubenstein Co-founder of the Carlyle Group At time when the United States is so polarized, more citizens should give and volunteer to efforts that help tell America’s story. (PREMIUM) ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( Transitions [Brandee McHale Returns From Wells Fargo to Lead Citi Foundation]( By M.J. Prest Chronicle contributor Also, an Aspen Institute executive will now lead the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, and the longtime president of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation will depart in December. Podcast [How Laurene Powell Jobs's Emerson Collective Decides Where to Give]( The organization often makes multiyear general operating grants that give leaders more flexibility. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere After two years of delays, Facebook has given researchers a huge trove of data meant to show how the platform affects elections and democracies. The Social Science One project launched in 2018 to study the most-shared links on the platform to see how disinformation travels. Concerns over user-data privacy delayed the release of the information that researchers needed, and some of the foundations that had supported the project, including the Charles Koch, John S. and James L. Knight, and William and Flora Hewlett foundations, pulled out. ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) Plus: see a Chronicle article about the [Facebook data controversy](. Also: Facebook’s Grip on Data Leaves Nonprofits [Leery of Donate Button]( (Bloomberg) Some election officials are criticizing a nationwide voter-registration drive they say has left voters confused. The campaign, by the nonprofit Voter Participation Center and its sister organization, the Center for Voter Information, sends a registration form and postage-paid envelope with the address of the local elections office to voters who appear to be unregistered. But some elections chiefs say that because the material looks deceptively official, mistakes in the mailing — such as sending them to pets or dead people — can erode voters’ confidence in their offices. The campaign has registered more than 4 million people since it began in 2003, and it’s aiming for another million before the November election. ([NPR]( Star power could help some charities recover their reputations after being hit with major scandals, according to new research. Academics at the universities of Washington and Chicago looked at the cases of Oxfam and Save the Children, where some workers or officials were accused of sexual harassment, hiring prostitutes, or other misdeeds. Examining mentions on Twitter, researchers tracked the organizations’ reputations. They then noted that when soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo and singer Camila Cabello, with their millions of followers, came to Save the Children’s defense, its mentions went back into positive territory within six months. ([Conversation]( More News Bill and Melinda Gates Have Spent Billions Trying to Fix U.S. Public Education but Say It’s Not Having the Impact They Want ([CNBC]( Conservative Foundations Finance Push to Kill the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ([Center for Media and Democracy]( Trump Taps New Director of Grants Office That Gave Awards to Hookers for Jesus ([Reuters]( Fla. Investigates Domestic Violence Agency That Paid CEO $750,000 ([Associated Press]( Westlake, Ohio, Retirees Want to Spread Use of Solar Energy by Churches and Other Nonprofits ([Cleveland.com]( L.A. Church Leaders Charged With Marriage and Immigration Fraud ([Associated Press]( Autism Speaks Is Still Failing Too Many Autistic People (Opinion: [Washington Post]( Charity Raffle Gives People a Chance to Win a Picasso for $110 ([Page Six]( Georgia Seeks to Avoid Excise Tax on Highest-Paid College Coaches ([Athens Banner-Herald]( Obituaries Global Nonprofit Leaders Mourn Digital Pioneer John Haydon ([Forbes]( Frederick Koch, Low-Profile Brother of Charles and David Koch and Arts Benefactor ([Associated Press]( The Royals Prince Harry Reportedly Might Work With Goldman Sachs — but for Charity ([Town & Country]( Americans Donate Big to British Royal Family Charities Which Skimp on Their Cause ([New York Post]( Paid for and Created by Mercer [Investment Beliefs: Government Bedrock for Investment Committees]( Aligning an institution's ability and willingness to make investment decisions with the long-term needs of its portfolio, Pavilion helps investment committees develop their belief statements. ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( 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 [Buffett, Gates, and Bloomberg Give Largest Share of Wealth to Charity]( The three men are the most generous among the 10 richest people in America, according to new analysis by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. [Michael Bloomberg Tops Philanthropy 50 as Records for Billion-Dollar Giving Are Set]( Five donors contributed $1 billion or more, the first time in 20 years that so many people have given that much. [Billionaire Robert Smith Pays It Forward With Morehouse College Gift to Pay Off Student Debt]( Smith hopes his commitment will inspire a wave of giving — and he’s created a blueprint other donors can use to make similar gifts. (PREMIUM) [The Philanthropy 50]( Search or browse this year's list of America’s biggest donors and all the past lists going back to 2000. You can sort by name, amount donated, source of wealth, location, and top cause. (PREMIUM) [The Philanthropy 50: Who Gives the Most to Charity]( The Chronicle’s 20th annual ranking of America’s biggest donors was topped by Michael Bloomberg and followed by the hotel magnate Barron Hilton, then Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO, and his wife, Wendy. The top five on the list each gave more than $1 billion to charity last year. Attracting Gifts From DAFs: How Charities Do It [Join our Next Webinar]( and Save 20% — Giving to donor-advised funds continues to boom: Philanthropists poured $37.1 billion into these funds in 2018, up 20 percent from the previous year. But when people give to charities through these funds, it can be tough for nonprofits to identify, recognize, and build ties with those supporters. How can your nonprofit cultivate DAF donors and raise more money for your cause? Join us for a 75-minute webinar to hear directly from charities that consistently attract gifts from these funds. You’ll learn which techniques work, how to make it easy for account holders to contribute, and effective ways to spur giving through DAFs in your communications and fundraising appeals. [Sign up today]( to save 20% and join us Thursday, February 27 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Advance Your Fundraising We’ve collected many of our best pieces in easy-to-read booklets you can download for immediate reading. In our store, you’ll find the fundamentals of monthly giving, how to seek major gifts, what it takes to hire and retain talented fundraisers, and much more. All are based on in-depth reporting with topnotch fundraisers who will show you what’s working and what pitfalls to avoid. [Visit the Chronicle’s store]( now. 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](. Note to Readers Because of the Presidents’ Day holiday, we will not be sending you a Philanthropy Today report on Monday. We will be back in your inbox on Tuesday. If any major news occurs in the meantime, we will update our website. 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: [AGU Manager, Foundation and Government Grants]( American Geophysical Union (AGU) [Associate Vice President for Advancement]( Ball State University [Associate Vice President Philanthropy]( Medical College of Wisconsin [Special Events Coordinator]( Connecticut Food bank [Search the Chronicle's jobs database](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Sign up]( for other newsletters, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2020 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy](