Grant Makers Use $3 Billion in Bond Offerings to Pump More to Charities

Plus, pooled funds are shaking up philanthropy, and donors across the political divide must work together to cure extremism (opinion) ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( [logo] [Read this newsletter on the web](. FINANCE AND REVENUE [Grant Makers Use $3 Billion in Bond Offerings to Pump More to Charities]( By Alex Daniels The California Endowment is among the latest entrants taking advantage of historically low interest rates to spend more now on grantees’ urgent needs. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( GIVING [A Close Look at the Pooled Funds That Are Shaking Up Philanthropy]( By Alex Daniels [image] Organizers of pooled funds and other efforts to get foundations to collaborate have used them as a test bed for changes they’d like to see in philanthropy. OPINION [Philanthropists Across the Political Divide Must Work Together to Cure Extremism]( By Sarah Ruger [image] A pandemic of hate will destroy our democratic institutions unless we can put aside our differences and devise a cohesive plan for treating this disease. Here’s what grant makers can do next. Paid for and Created by CCS Fundraising [CCS Survey Shows Improved Fundraising Trends and Evolved Donor Engagement Tactics]( Gain insights into fundraising outcomes, impacts, and evolving donor engagement tactics via CCS Fundraising’s newly released third-edition report, Fundraising Impact of COVID-19, highlighting results that indicate improved virtual solicitations. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere The director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art has resigned after a job posting set off a furor over the institution's approach to diversity. Charles Venable, who has led the museum since 2012, apologized this week for an ad seeking a new director who could broaden the museum's appeal while maintaining its "traditional, core, white audience." Eighty-five employees and board members of the campus where the museum sits, called Newfields, urged him to resign. Venable had recently been made president of Newfields. Nearly 2,000 local artists, arts leaders, and former employees also called for him to step down and asked the museum’s major donors "to pause financial support until reforms, including a more diverse board and curatorial staff, could be implemented." Venable said the posting was meant to convey the institution's seriousness about diversity, but the word "white" has since been deleted from it. ([New York Times]( Insurers for the Boy Scouts of America want to examine documents and depose some of the tens of thousands of people who say they were sexually abused while in the Scouts. The companies' lawyers note that before the organization entered bankruptcy last year in a bid for protection against a mountain of abuse claims, it "had been named in 275 lawsuits and told insurers it was aware of another 1,400 claims," a far cry from the 95,000-plus claims that ended up being filed. Insurers' lawyers say some documents are incomplete and seem to have been signed by claimants' lawyers "machine-gun style" to get them in before the deadline in November 2020. The judge in the case allowed lawyers to sign the claims while also advising against it. Claimants' lawyers say the request is premature because the Boy Scouts have not yet filed a reorganization plan so it's not yet clear what, if any, role the insurance companies will play in the cases' resolution. ([Associated Press]( In this week's winter storm, a Dallas nonprofit that usually houses people with nowhere else to sleep opened its doors to all and ended up sheltering about 700. OurCalling moved its operations from its packed downtown shelter to the city's convention center, and in two nights the crowd grew from 100 to about 700. Cots lined up in a space the length of nearly six football fields as people with no way to heat their homes in the power outage arrived. The staff distanced cots and took temperatures while some guests watched television via a projector or played board games. The shelter's director said it had tried to pick people up off the street early in the unusual cold snap but the calls for help quickly overwhelmed the staff. ([Dallas Morning News]( Covid Response - The Hidden Holes in America’s Social Safety Net ([Vox]( - How Will Covax Deliver Covid-19 Vaccines to Poorer Countries? ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) More News and Opinion - Opinion: Biden’s Climate Conservation Corps Could Be an Old Answer for New Problems ([Los Angeles Times]( - Can This Man Save the Baltimore Sun? ([New York Times]( - Novartis and the Gates Foundation Aim to Create a More Practical Gene Therapy for Sickle Cell Patients ([Stat]( - A Controversial Private Cleaning and Security Nonprofit Is Supposed to Make Downtown Sparkle. But Where Is the Money Really Going? ([Willamette Weekly]( Innovation - How a Scrappy Arts Group Survived the ’90s. ([New York Times]( - Community Fridges Are Lifelines for the Neighborhoods They Serve ([Vox]( - World's Longest Hockey Game Lasts 252 hours, Raises $1.8 Million for Charity ([CBS Sports]( Subscribe to the Chronicle The Chronicle of Philanthropy is dedicated to helping nonprofits care for their clients and staff, manage financial setbacks, and stay connected with donors. Please consider subscribing, so that we may continue to provide essential news, resources, and analysis to the nonprofit world. [Subscribe Today]( Editor's Picks A LEADER'S PERSPECTIVE [Covid-19 Has Reshaped Big-Gift Fundraising: Let’s Hope It Lasts]( By Abby Falik [image] A nonprofit head shares insights into how Covid-19 altered major-gift fundraising in some very positive ways. OPINION [Why Foundations Benefit When They Focus on What Nonprofits Need Most]( By Lowell Weiss It’s rare that a single piece of writing can profoundly alter your mind-set. RESEARCH [Overall Giving Ticked Up Slightly in 2020, but Online Giving Exploded, Report Says]( By Michael Theis Big charities fared the best overall, but small nonprofits achieved big growth by seeking digital gifts. Q&A [New Name and Focus — on Strengthening Democracy — for a Longtime Nonprofit]( By Alex Daniels [image] Democracy in serious trouble, says Rajiv Vinnakota, and he is upending the mission of the 75-year-old Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation to respond. DISPATCHES [It’s Not Advice My Grantees Need. They Need My Access to Power and Money.]( By Lisa Pilar Cowan [image] Too often financial supporters think they are helping by making recommendations to people who already know how to carry out nonprofit missions. Let’s focus on what we have to give that truly matters. Job announcement Senior Development Director opening at American Alliance of Museums. [Visit jobs.philanthropy.com]( for more details. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( Paid for and Created by Ellucian [Advancement in Uncertain Times]( How can institutions break silos and foster a sense of shared responsibility for supporting and furthering the institution’s mission? Advancement teams are key to helping chart the path forward toward solutions. Steps to Take to Diversify Your Donors [Join Our Webinar]( — Nonprofit leaders and fundraisers often focus on white supporters but overlook donors of color who would give more if asked. Those executives who want to broaden outreach to include more people of color often don’t know how to start. How can your nonprofit engage and attract support from donors of many backgrounds? Join the Chronicle on Thursday, February 25, at 2 p.m. Eastern. You'll learn from the president of a consulting firm, a major donor, and the executive director of a nonprofit who will outline key steps to take to attract diverse donors and grant makers. They'll explain why a diverse staff and board matter, how to ensure communications are inclusive, and ways to build a broader base of support. [Sign up now and get the early-bird rate](. Job Opportunities [Vice President of Development, New York City]( The Ireland Funds America [Vice President of Development, Midwest]( The Ireland Funds America [Principal Gifts Officer]( Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health [Senior Development Director]( American Alliance of Museums [Search the Chronicle's jobs database]( to view the latest jobs in philanthropy. What did you think of today’s newsletter? [Strongly disliked]( // [It was OK]( // [Loved it](. [logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2021 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037