Wealthy Donors to Congress: Make Us Give More to Charity

Plus, the poor economy prompts a change to gift annuities, and how to host engaging virtual fundraising events [Philanthropy Today] Are you working remotely? Many organizations provide access to premium Chronicle content in the office. If your group is one of them, you can maintain that access when you’re at home. Read this helpful [FAQ]( to see how. Your account is easy to set up and will provide you access wherever you are. Top News and Advice Government and Regulation [Wealthy Donors to Congress: Make Us Give More to Charity]( By Alex Daniels Led by the Wallace Global Fund, the group is asking congressional leaders to impose a minimum payout requirement of 10 percent for foundations and donor-advised fund holders. (PREMIUM) ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( Planned Giving [Poor Economy Prompts Change to Gift Annuities]( By Emily Haynes Due to declining interest rates, a group of planned giving professionals is recommending that charities reduce the amount of money donors receive in exchange for creating charitable gift annuities. (PREMIUM) Fundraising Events Ask an Expert [How to Host Engaging Virtual Fundraising Events]( By Eden Stiffman A nonprofit CEO, an events director, and a fundraising consultant specializing in events answer reader questions. (PREMIUM) Tools and Resources [Fundraising Events in the Covid Era: Here’s What to Consider]( By Yolanda F. Johnson As we look ahead to a time when in-person events can resume, here are some lessons to apply from the onset of the Covid-19 crisis. (PREMIUM) More About Giving and Fundraising Grant Making [Omidyar Network Commits $35 Million to Give Struggling Workers More Power]( By Alex Daniels The commitment is part of an effort previously launched to rethink capitalism, a cause taken up by several major foundations and donors in recent years. (PREMIUM) Opinion [For Environmental Nonprofits, Appealing to Young Donors Is Crucial to Surviving the Pandemic]( By Bob Knott and Jason McGrath The impact on the work force is especially powerful for groups that rely on older donors. Here are ways to change approaches to tap into millennials and Gen X donors. Paid for and Created by GolfStatus [Five Advantages Of Using An Event Website For Golf Fundraisers & How Nonprofits Can Get A Free One]( From making communications and marketing more streamlined to connecting with donors on a personal level, GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program works with nonprofits to help golf fundraisers save time and resources while keeping processes easy for organizers, volunteers and sponsors. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere To raise more money for the fight against the coronavirus, Bill Gates and his aides are rethinking the 10-year-old Giving Pledge’s hands-off approach to its signers’ giving habits. Gates is considering two ways to gently guide his fellow billionaires’ donations: pooling contributions or, more likely, creating a “marketplace” of trusted recipients and causes. The pledge’s no-nudging policy has historically been one of its selling points but now seems inadequate to the moment. A marketplace would depend on donors being willing to disclose how they are giving, but it might offer guidance to other rich people looking for ways to contribute. Pooling donations, on the other hand, could run into conflict among billionaires over where the money goes. The marketplace could also be open to nonsigners of the pledge. ([Vox]( A decision by the well-heeled Aspen Institute think tank to accept coronavirus relief funds intended for small businesses has caused dissension in its ranks. The institute received more than $8 million, despite sitting on a $115 million endowment and having billionaires and philanthropists on its Board of Trustees. Some of Aspen’s fellows and program moderators say taking the money while many people are jobless, hungry, and even dying is inappropriate for an organization devoted to the public good. In their defense, Aspen leaders say they are trying to keep their employees despite losses of $14 million to $17 million from a slew of canceled conferences and that 80 percent of the institute’s endowment is not permitted to fund operating costs. ([Washington Post]( Plus: The City of Detroit and the American Museum of Natural History Hire Lobbyists for Coronavirus Help ([Politico]( Mutual aid, spontaneous collective action by volunteers or donors outside the hierarchies of traditional charities, is having a moment during the pandemic. Efforts like buying groceries for the elderly or immunocompromised, pet sitting for hospital staff, and distributing masks to homeless people are trying to plug holes in the social safety net that have left many in peril. This type of organizing has a kinship with progressive causes and has often helped establish movements that lasted beyond the crises. ([New Yorker]( More News Vote.org Founder Launches VoteAmerica, a Nonprofit Using Tech Tools to Help Americans Vote by Mail ([TechCrunch]( Anonymous Donors Wipe Out College Debt for 400 Bay Area Students ([CBS San Francisco]( Amid a Sea of Travel-Refund Vouchers, Nonprofit Road Scholar Offers Cash ([New York Times]( Hope for Nonprofit Law-Firm Model Remains Despite Closing of Open Legal Services ([ABA Journal]( What Everyone Else Is Reading [House Stimulus Bill Includes Sweeping New Benefits for Nonprofits]( The legislation would greatly expand nonprofit eligibility for loans and other benefits, but President Trump and Republicans who lead the Senate have shown no interest in the legislation. [Nonprofits Led by People of Color Win Less Grant Money With More Strings (Study)]( A look at winners, finalists, and semifinalists in an Echoing Green fellowship program found that budgets of nonprofits led by whites were 24 percent bigger than those of groups led by people of color. [Foundation Requests for Proposals for Covid-19 Relief (May 12)]( A compilation of requests for proposals for nonprofit groups focused on health care, food insecurity, the arts, transgender people, African American communities, and more. [How Nonprofits Should Approach Grant Makers Post-Covid-19 (Podcast)]( John Palfrey, who heads the MacArthur Foundation, also talks about how to balance short-term urgent needs with long-term sustainability. [KaJ Labs Pledges $100 Million for Pandemic Response in U.S. and Africa (Grants Roundup)]( Some of the grant making recently announced to address health, education, and economic relief in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, in addition to new grants for a range of causes unrelated to the pandemic. Fundraising in a Crisis: Focus on Donors Most Likely to Give [Join Our Webinar Today]( — We’re offering a special discount to accommodate organizations in need during these tumultuous times. As nonprofits nationwide are reeling from a perfect storm caused by the pandemic and the economic freefall, it can be difficult for fundraisers and leaders to know which donors to focus on when everything feels urgent. Join us for a 75-minute webinar to learn how to identify those among your existing supporters who have the greatest capacity and inclination to give generously to your cause. You’ll learn from two fundraising executives how to filter your data to prioritize key donors during the pandemic, strategies for cultivating big donors amid the economic downturn, and tips for ongoing assessment of prospective donors. [Sign up]( and get 40% off the session today at 2 p.m. Eastern time or watch later at your convenience. How to Make Smart Financial and Program Decisions in the Covid-19 Era [Join Our Webinar]( — Nonprofit leaders today face extremely difficult decisions, such as how to reimagine fundraising events, whether to lay off workers, and how to determine the immediate, near-term, and long-term needs of their organizations and the communities they serve. How is the crisis changing organizations, fundraising, philanthropy, and donor relations? What can we learn from the recent past, and what steps can nonprofits take to survive and even improve? Join the Chronicle of Philanthropy and Women In Development New York on Tuesday, May 19, to get insights from a wealth manager who works closely with high-net-worth donors, a program officer from a large foundation, a veteran fundraising executive, and an expert on measuring outcomes and conveying impact. [Register today for 40% off the early-bird price.]( Subscribe to Our Other Newsletters [Sign up online]( - Philanthropy Today — Roundup of news, opinion, and features (daily) - Fundraising — Briefing on news and ideas (weekly) - Philanthropy This Week — Roundup of news, opinion, and features (weekly) - Nonprofit Adviser — How-to’s for nonprofits (weekly; subscriber only) - Chronicle Insider — Highlights from each new issue (monthly; subscriber only) Subscribe Now As the outbreak of Covid-19 upends all aspects of nonprofit work, the Chronicle of Philanthropy is dedicated to helping nonprofits deal with this unprecedented threat, care for their clients and staffs, manage financial setbacks, and stay connected with donors. Please consider subscribing today, so that we may continue to provide carefully vetted information in challenging times such as these. 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