For Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Tobacco Is a Social-Justice Issue

Plus, how to help charitable underachievers (opinion), and Synchrony pledges $50 million to expand access to education and skills training ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( [logo] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Please sign up to receive your own copy.]( You’ll support our journalism and ensure that you continue to receive our emails. [Read this newsletter on the web](. GRANT MAKING [For Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Tobacco Is a Social-Justice Issue]( By Marc Gunther [image] The grant maker has given $10 million largely to help poor people, rural whites, and people of color. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( OPINION [Fundraisers, Here’s a Way to Help Charitable Underachievers]( By Alan M. Cantor Too many affluent people decide how much to give based on their income, not their wealth. Charity officials can help them change that mind-set — and enable them to reap the joy that comes from making a far more significant difference. GRANTS ROUNDUP [Synchrony Pledges $50 Million to Expand Access to Education and Skills Training]( By M.J. Prest [image] Also, the Ballmer Group awards $38 million to train more behavioral-health specialists in Washington State, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has made its first round of grants toward its $500 million commitment to organizations led by people of color. Paid for and Created by Salesforce.org [How Malala Fund is Keeping Girls Learning During the Pandemic]( A year ago, after it became clear that Covid-19 would change the world, Malala Fund knew they would need to shift their priorities to help keep girls learning and protect progress on girls’ education. Tomorrow: Win Loyalty From Big Donors Join our webinar and learn from the experts. [See details below](. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere The swirl of media reports about Bill Gates's behavior so far have not jeopardized his roles at his foundation or at Microsoft, but they may have done much damage to his reputation as "a civic-minded awkward geek" working to save the world. The past week has seen the revelation that Gates had an affair with a Microsoft employee, pursued women who worked at the software company and his foundation, and was dismissive of Melinda French Gates. Gates has acknowledged the affair, which Microsoft investigated. A spokesperson for Gates denied the other accusations and said, "Rumors and speculation surrounding Gates’s divorce are becoming increasingly absurd." A public health scholar said nonprofits will continue to work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, but the foundation may have lost some credibility on issues of gender equality. ([Associated Press]( and [Vox]( Plus: What Will Happen to Bill Gates’s Legacy? ([Deseret News]( In addition to giving to a foundation named for their late son, President Biden and first lady Jill Biden donated last year to churches, a fire department and firefighters association, and groups that help the poor, military families, and victims of domestic violence. The Bidens gave about 5 percent of their $607,000 income to charities and nonprofits, about average for a family in their income bracket. Among the recipients were St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church in Delaware, where the president receives Communion; the first lady's church, Westminster Presbyterian; a shelter for abused spouses where Joe Biden's sister Valerie Owens long worked; and the Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church in South Carolina, where during the primaries Biden apologized for having cooperated with segregationists as a senator. ([Christianity Today]( More News - Can Monthly Cash Payments Cut Child Poverty by Nearly Half? ([Associated Press]( - Media Site Removes Palestine Charity Article, Prompting Staff Uproar ([Washington Post]( The Arts - The Uffizi Gallery Sold a Unique Digital Facsimile of Michelangelo for $170,000 and Now Is Quickly Minting More Masterpieces From Its Collection ([Artnet News]( - National Gallery of Art Rebrands to Emphasize the 'National' in Its Name ([NPR]( - A Foundation in Tulsa, Okla., Will Open the Bob Dylan Center, Featuring Archival Materials, in 2022 ([New York Times]( How to Inspire Loyalty Among Major Donors [Join our webinar]( — America’s wealthiest donors gave a total of $24.7 billion last year to help charities address Covid-19 and racial injustice, while nonprofits that tackle hunger, homelessness, and other issues related to poverty received far more from philanthropists than ever before. But attracting gifts from big donors is competitive in the best of times, and the events of the past year upended nearly everything about major-gift fundraising. How can your nonprofit cultivate wealthy supporters — and secure large gifts — during times like these? Join us Thursday, May 20, at 2 p.m. to learn from savvy big-gift fundraisers about what is working — and what is not — in the new normal. Earl Granger III, head of development at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and Princess Gamble, fundraising executive at the Smithsonian Institution, will share fresh and creative ways to connect with high-net-worth donors, convey impact, and deepen ties despite social distancing. Both experts will draw on years of big-gift fundraising experience. In previous roles, Gamble helped lead the National Museum of African American History and Culture's $350 million capital campaign, and Granger successfully led a $1 billion campaign at William & Mary. [Register today]( and then join us on May 20 to learn from two fundraising leaders. Editor's Picks OPINION [Foundations, the Solution to Our Democracy Deficit Lies in Plain Sight]( By Deepak Bhargava and Gara LaMarche Conservative grant makers have done an outstanding job of training their leaders. Now progressive funds need to do the same — and put the focus on what activists of all generations need most. INDIVIDUAL GIVING [How to Jump-Start Individual Giving]( By Lisa Schohl [image] Start with your board — and much more advice to help you connect to people with the interest and capacity to make sizable gifts. CAMPAIGNS [World Vision Launches $1 Billion Campaign]( By Eden Stiffman [image] The Every Last One campaign is the group’s largest-ever fund drive. The Christian humanitarian organization aims to meet its ambitious goal by 2023 to help 60 million people around the world lift themselves out of poverty. OPINION [A Key to Diversity in Nonprofit Boardrooms: Mobilize Donors to Force Change]( By Carolyn T. Adams and Vicki W. Kramer Institutional investors have forced corporate boards to change. Now it’s time for wealthy trustees to take the same approach at the biggest and most powerful institutions. OPINION [Requiring Foundations to Give a Bigger Share of Their Assets Won’t Alleviate Inequities and May Entrench Them Further]( By Kyle Caldwell [image] If a foundation lacks an authentic awareness or commitment to diversity and inclusion, requiring higher asset distribution may exacerbate the very inequities advocates are working to reverse. Job announcement Director of Gift and Estate Planning at The University of Texas, Austin.[Visit jobs.philanthropy.com]( for more details. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( Paid for and Created by GolfStatus.org [Nonprofits Use Technology to Leverage Golf Fundraisers amid Pandemic]( Building and expanding donor databases for future asks, learn how GolfStatus.org’s event management technology is positioning nonprofits to advance their existing partnerships and garnering additional corporate support. 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]( Job Opportunities [Director of the Ridley Scholarship Program]( University of Virginia Alumni Association [Donor Engagement Manager]( Coral Restoration Foundation [Annual Giving Coordinator]( Starr King School for the Ministry [Director of Gift and Estate Planning]( The University of Texas, Austin [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