Despite the Down Economy, Some Nonprofits Aim to Grow

Plus, foundations can help young men and boys of color thrive (opinion), and a donor has enlisted top scientists and philanthropists to end blindness [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. Management and Leadership [Despite the Down Economy, Some Nonprofits Aim to Grow]( [Image]( WATERFORD.ORG By Ben Gose The nonprofit sector as a whole may be struggling, but plenty of ambitious organizations still want to expand — and some are succeeding. (PREMIUM) ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( Individual Giving [Donor Enlists Top Scientists and Philanthropists to End Blindness]( [Image]( COURTESY OF SANFORD GREENBERG By Marilyn Dickey A mix of people have helped shape Sanford Greenberg's campaign in different ways —David Rockefeller, Jonas Salk, Nobel laureates, even Art Garfunkel and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Research [What's a Volunteer Worth? About $27 an Hour]( By Michael Theis The value of volunteer time increased by 7 percent from 2018 to 2019, although some of the increase was due to a change in methodology, according to Independent Sector. (PREMIUM) Opinion [How Philanthropy Can Give Young Men and Boys of Color What They Need to Thrive]( By Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant and Dwayne Proctor The murder of George Floyd — and others like him — are causing mental stress and trauma that we need to find ways to fight and understand, say two experts at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which just issued a guide on advancing equity in grant making. Paid for and Created by Salesforce [The Case for Change]( Many nonprofits have dozens of chapters or branches that don’t always operate as cohesively as they could. By modernizing technology and making a conscious effort to operate as one unit, The ALS Association is well on the way toward a much-needed organizational transformation. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Zoos are struggling to survive during the pandemic, having lost their most lucrative admissions season and school field trips. In Oakland, Calif., staff who work with visitors have been laid off, but pay for animal caretakers and feeding bills still amount to $1.2 million in monthly costs. A Florida zoo that gets 80 percent of its revenue from admissions recently reopened after a two-month closure, but people are staying away, likely because of the Covid-19 wave sweeping the state. Even closing the zoos permanently would be difficult because flights to move animals to other zoos are limited, and other appropriate facilities are also struggling. ([Associated Press]( Three members of Congress are demanding that six universities hand over records relating to money they have received from foreign governments. In a letter to the schools, Republicans Jim Jordan of Ohio, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, and James Comer of Kentucky said they were concerned that hostile foreign regimes could be buying "some type of benefit or quid pro quo" via contracts with universities or professors. The Congress members' action is a follow-up to a briefing by Education Department officials who warned of colleges' dependence on foreign funding. The institutions targeted were Harvard, New York, and Yale universities and the Universities of Chicago, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Each has declared tens of millions of dollars in gifts or contracts since 2015 from five countries of concern, including Iran and China. ([New York Post]( An Instagram account that raises funds for LGBTQ people in Appalachia has some people questioning where the money goes. Queer Appalachia, which is not registered as a 501(c)(3), conducts crowdfunding campaigns for projects targeting opioid abuse, suicide, poverty, and other problems afflicting queer people in the mountain region. Working with other groups, it has also won grants, but former volunteers and acquaintances of the group's founder have doubts about how the money is used. They also suggest that the group is not a collective, as it claims to be, but rather the project of one person who faces little accountability. ([Washington Post]( More News - Treasury to Conduct Review of Tax-Exempt Status for Universities After Trump Tweets ([Hill]( - Metropolitan Museum of Art Will Pay All Interns After Adrienne Arsht's $5 Million Gift ([Art Newspaper](. Plus, see a Chronicle [profile of Arsht](. - Boston's Still-Closed Museum of Fine Arts Cuts More Than 100 Jobs ([Boston Globe]( - Trump Administration Awards $35 Million in Grants to Groups Fighting Human Trafficking ([Associated Press]( - Religious Groups Received $6 Billion to $10 Billion in Covid-19 Relief Funds, Hope for More ([NPR]( What Everyone Else Is Reading [5 Easy Ways Board Members Can Help During This Crisis]( How trustees can support executives and lead by example without spending a lot of time or money. ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( [Anonymous Donor Commits $95 Million to Coastal Carolina U. (Gifts Roundup)]( Also, the Campaign for Female Education and Howard University are among the beneficiaries of MacKenzie Scott’s $1.7 billion in recent giving. [MacKenzie Scott Showers $1.7 Billion on Nonprofits, Mostly Groups Fighting for Equity]( The ex-wife of Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos said the money was distributed to 116 nonprofits, mostly to organization devoted to equity that are led by women, minorities, and LGBTQ people. [Nonprofits Respond to Blackbaud Data Breach]( A ransomware attack at fundraising technology provider Blackbaud is raising questions for a wide range of nonprofits that were affected. (PREMIUM) [Billionaire Ron Perelman and His Daughter Debra Give Princeton $65 Million: Gifts Roundup]( In addition, NPR, wildfire survivors, the Smithsonian, and three universities all land big gifts. How to Shape Your Strategy at Year’s End [Join Our Webinar on Thursday]( — Will donor fatigue set in before this year’s giving season? What kinds of messages will be appropriate, and how can you capture attention, especially if the economy and the nation are still reeling from the pandemic? Join us for a strategy session that will offer advice on how to plan for what promises to be one of the most complicated fundraising seasons in decades. You'll learn from a veteran fundraiser who has worked at nonprofits big and small and now oversees a team that raises more than $12 million a year through annual giving, major gifts, special events and planned giving. Plus, you'll gain insights from a veteran fundraising consultant who also served as executive director of three nonprofits about how to adapt your strategy and fundraise during a crisis. Sign up now and get a special 40% discount off the regular rate. The session will be held on Thursday, August 6, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Can't make it on the 6th? Watch the recording on demand. Racial Equity in Fundraising and Philanthropy: What’s Next? [Join Our Webinar Next Week]( — As demands for racial equity in philanthropy grow, many nonprofit leaders are seeking ways to create more diverse and inclusive nonprofits. The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy (WOC) invite you to join us for a candid conversation that will explore how the national reckoning on race is affecting fundraising, grant making, and leadership at nonprofits. A powerful lineup of Black women philanthropists and leaders will offer advice on how to advance change for communities of color, shine a spotlight on charitable giving among Blacks, and build a pipeline of Black leaders, donors, and fundraisers. [Sign up now]( to get a special early-bird discount. The session will be held on Wednesday, August 12, at 2 p.m. Eastern. If you can't make the live event, register now and watch the recording at your convenience. 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