Philanthropists Step Up Giving to Influence 2020 Voting

Plus, lessons from Hurricane Katrina that apply to philanthropy now, and Steve Bannon and the perils of nonprofits in government’s business (opinion) [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. Saving Democracy [Philanthropists Step Up Giving to Influence 2020 Voting]( [Image]( OCTAVIO JONES/GETTY IMAGES By Alex Daniels Donors are pouring money into efforts to protect the security of voting by mail, getting people out to vote, and taking other steps to bolster democracy. Some philanthropists are combining their charitable work with contributions to organizations that can get involved directly in politics. (PREMIUM) ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( Q&A [How the Lessons of Hurricane Katrina Apply to Philanthropy's Challenges Today]( By Nicole Wallace Takema Robinson, executive director of the Greater New Orleans Funders Network, talks about what foundations learned from their efforts to help the region rebuild and how grant makers can apply those lessons to racial justice, pandemic recovery, and more. (PREMIUM) Opinion [Steve Bannon and the Perils of Nonprofit Involvement in Government’s Business]( By Howard Husock When nonprofits put their fingers on the scale of government appropriations, such as to raise funds for a border wall, they risk distorting the will of the people. Gifts Roundup [Levi Strauss Heir Gives UC Berkeley $24 Million for Diverse and First-Generation Students]( By Maria Di Mento Plus, William and Carolyn Singleton gave $40 million to Pacific Neuroscience Institute for new treatments for Alzheimer’s patients, and Los Angeles Rams play Jalen Ramsey gave $1 million to a Purpose Preparatory Academy, a Nashville, Tenn. Charter School. Paid for and Created by Independent Sector [Facing a School Year Like No Other]( Sharing their expertise to meet immediate needs and tackle longstanding issues of inequality, the Pittsburgh Learning Collaborative seeks to create equitable and excellent schools for all kids in Pittsburgh. ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( A Message from Anthology: Campus Labs, Campus Management, and iModules have come together to create Anthology: a collection of the best in higher ed. [Learn more](. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere A group of benefactors to the Catholic diocese in Orange County, Calif., have complained to Rome and leaders of the U.S. Church about alleged misuse of a Catholic foundation's endowment. Three board members of the Orange Catholic Foundation say they were ousted after refusing the bishop's request for $12 million from the organization's endowment to shore up schools and parishes during the pandemic. The foundation, which had $45 million in assets at the time of the request, was established 20 years ago to be independent of the church, in part to protect some church assets from an earlier wave of sexual-abuse cases. The former board members said the foundation pledges to use its funds strictly according to donors' wishes and not as an emergency fund for the diocese, which had $195 million in net assets as of July 2019. Lawyers for the foundation said the bishop exceeded his authority by firing the directors and has exposed the foundation to potential lawsuits. ([Los Angeles Times]( California State University at Fullerton will remove a donor's name from its business school after the donor refused to make good on a $30 million pledge. Telecom executive Steve Mihaylo promised the money in 2007 after making a previous $4.2 million gift to erect a business school building bearing his name. But in 2016, after giving slightly more than a fourth of his subsequent $30 million pledge, he stopped the flow. University officials say Mihaylo was pressuring them, inappropriately, to purchase telecommunications equipment through his company. Mihaylo said the university was "not cost effectively run" and "did not keep its commitments" to him. His name will remain on the building, but the university will rename the business college. ([Orange County Business Journal]( Now that the Black Lives Matter movement has gained influence and demonstrated its staying power, the challenge is to capitalize on this unsettled moment without feeding the images of violence that could empower its political foes. Thanks in part to the organization, politicians have become more inclined to scrutinize the actions of police officers, and acts of protest have become more widely accepted. But while understanding the anger that propels the marches, some worry that the unrest could play into President Trump's "law and order" campaign. ([New York Times]( Philanthropy and the Pandemic - How Covid-19 Is Causing Pain at 5 of the Nation's Largest Nonprofits ([Dallas Morning News]( - 'Plandemic' Sequel Makes False Claims About Bill Gates ([USA Today]( - The Met’s $3 Billion Endowment Couldn’t Save It From Layoffs ([CNBC]( Racial Justice - A Texas Legal Foundation Will Help Defend Kyle Rittenhouse and Accept Donations After GoFundMe Took Down Fundraisers ([Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]( - New T[ool Shows Where Racial Equity is Lagging in 100 U.S. Cities]( ([Fast Company]( More News - IRS Revokes Tax-Exempt Status for Trump Allies’ Charity That Organized Cleveland Cash Giveaway ([Cleveland Plain Dealer]( - Text Messages, Interviews Reveal Tense Efforts at Raising Trustee Pay Through Bremer Bank Sale ([Pioneer Press]( - Billionaire Denny Sanford Was Under Investigation for Child Pornography ([ProPublica]( - Nonprofits Sue Trump Administration Over Social-Media Executive Order ([Jurist]( - NRA Membership Revenue Fell 34% in 2019, Tumbling to a 7-Year Low ([Trace]( - Obituary: Gordon Perkin, ‘a Giant in Public Health’ Who Helped Shape the Gates Foundation ([Seattle Times]( What Everyone Else Is Reading [Confronting Philanthropy’s Uncomfortable Truths (Opinion)]( Nonprofits and foundations hoping to address our interconnected health and racial-justice crises need to be prepared to take on the societal systems that created them — and that have allowed their own organizations to flourish. [Blackbaud Faces Lawsuit From Donors After Data Breach]( The plaintiff is calling for Blackbaud to provide free credit monitoring and financial compensation for victims. (PREMIUM) [Nonprofits Plan for Year-End Fundraising — and Uncertainty]( Charities are looking to existing donors, especially wealthy ones, to give during the last quarter of the year. The pandemic, record unemployment, and a divisive presidential campaign make planning tough. (PREMIUM) [‘Fund Us Like You Want Us to Win’]( Foundations are putting unprecedented billions into racial equity, but some grant makers worry that too little is going to grassroots movements. [Rockefeller-Led Covid Testing Plan Steps In to Replace Government Inaction]( In the absence of clear federal guidance the grant maker, along with other partners, is leading the way on multiple fronts in the effort to include Covid testing and tracing. (PREMIUM) Major-Gift Fundraisers: Learn From Your Peers [Join Our Webinar]( — Attracting big gifts from wealthy supporters gets more competitive each year, but 2020 has upended traditional approaches to big-gift fundraising. With the pandemic wearing on, in-person meetings on hold, and the economic outlook dim, how can you stay in touch with key donors in meaningful ways — and win big gifts? Join the Chronicle for a 75-minute webinar to learn from three big-gift fundraising experts who will explain: - how to prioritize donors when there is never enough time - ways to engage wealthy supporters and deepen ties with them — virtually - inspire big donors to give in these challenging times. [Sign up today]( to get a special early-bird discount on this session which airs Thursday, September 10, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Can't make it then? Watch it on demand at your convenience. 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