How to Reopen the Office — and How Not To

Plus, the Gates Foundation is pouring $2.1 billion into women’s causes, and lessons of the past year's crises were highlights of the Association of Fundraising Professionals conference 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](. [image] Getty Images [What to Consider — and What to Avoid — When Reopening Your Nonprofit Office]( Nonprofit leaders and human-resource experts share advice to help bring employees back to the office safely and support them in the process. Plus: Half of nonprofits [won’t require employees to be vaccinated]( as they return to work, poll finds. FOUNDATION GIVING [Gates Foundation Pours $2.1 Billion Into Women’s Causes]( By Alex Daniels and Maria Di Mento [image] The money will go toward women’s economic empowerment; family planning and health; and expanding women’s access to leadership positions. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( FUNDRAISING [Lessons Learned From 2020 Crises Highlighted at Fundraisers Conference]( By Emily Haynes [image] Attendees urged boardroom equity and discussed how the past year has demonstrated that working 40 hours a week in the office is unnecessary. DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION [Sharing the Microphone: New Survey Says More Organizations Are Incorporating Equity in Communications]( By Drew Lindsay [image] There were bright spots in the data, like 56% of respondents reporting they have a “strong understanding” of DEI concepts, up from 43 percent in 2019. But Communications Network leaders were disappointed to see little change in other key areas. GRANTS ROUNDUP [Gates Awards $122 Million to Test HIV Prevention Drug; Zoetis Fund Gives $35 Million to Farmers and Veterinarians]( By M.J. Prest [image] Plus, the Helmsley Charitable Trust is giving $20 million to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene systems for rural residents of Alaska. Paid for and Created by Regions Bank [A Mission of Impact]( Reassessing long-term investment strategy along with an increased focus on nonprofit sustainability, learn how Regions Bank is helping nonprofits recover, rethink and reposition themselves for a more stable future. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Recent studies provide some surprising, and discomfiting, insights into the role of philanthropy and social activism in the corporate workplace. For example, using charitable contributions as incentives for employee performance can backfire on a company whose workers do not see anything altruistic about its mission. Workers will recoil from the effort if they “see it as manipulative, inauthentic, or used as a tool to encourage them to do more work,” researchers found in a study of 3,000 employees. Additionally, an expert from the London Business School advises against [tying CEO pay to environmental and social goals]( because choosing which goals to prioritize and how to measure progress can be devilishly complicated and is easy to get wrong. Instead, he advises that companies focus on goals that are in line with their missions. On the other hand, corporate boards are more likely to fire or penalize CEOs when shareholders revolt over social issues rather than financial issues. Researchers say that’s because financial performance is already [factored into board members’ thinking]( but upset over social issues “is new information for the board, which may fear that the company is at risk of suffering negative press and reputational damage.” ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) Boston’s nationally esteemed rape-crisis center is “reeling” from accusations that it longtime leader has fostered a culture of white supremacy and retaliation against those who speak up. Gina Scaramella is resigning after 26 years at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, 17 of which she which served as executive director. In January, a senior Asian American staffer filed a grievance with the board alleging racial discrimination and retaliation. Since then, other employees have come forward with complaints, a diversity consultant was hired and abruptly quit, and in May more than half the organization’s staff signed a no-confidence letter to the board about Scaramella. Some employees since say they regret signing it, and some sympathetic to Scaramella say that her “hands were tied by a board that directed her not to engage with staff” during the controversy. ([Boston Globe]( More News - With Gift From David Geffen, Yale’s Drama School Goes Tuition-Free ([New York Times]( - End to Covid-19 Hotel Housing for Homeless Raises Worries ([Associated Press]( - S.D. Governor Sending National Guard to Mexico Border on Mission Funded by GOP Megadonor and Foundation Founders ([Washington Post]( - Mott Foundation President to Flint Schools: ‘Let Us Help You’ ([MLive]( The Arts - James Cuno, Who Brought ‘Stability and Energy’ to the Getty Foundation, Will Retire After a Decade in Charge ([Artnet]( - Column: How the Autry’s Rick West Helped Shift the Love-Hate Dynamic Between Indigenous People and Museums ([Los Angeles Times]( - Sofia Vergara, Eva Longoria and Chef José Andrés Named to Latino Museum Board ([Washington Post]( Year-End Strategies: Stand Out — and Raise More [Join Our Next Webinar]( — This year, as the pandemic recedes and organizations rebuild, a successful giving season is more important than ever. How can your organization grab donors’ attention — and inspire generous giving — in 2021? Join us Thursday, July 15, at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn how to craft a year-end strategy that sets your nonprofit apart, inspires giving, and can be adapted if circumstances change. Our guests will share real-world examples of fundraising tactics that are working now and pitfalls to avoid this giving season. You’ll learn: - How to craft a strong year-end strategy amid uncertainty - Tips for creating messages and appeals that will resonate - Smart ways to thank donors and inspire greater giving Sign up before July 8 to save $20 with our early-bird rate. [Register today](. Editor's Picks FUNDRAISING OUTLOOK [Key Economic Indicators Show How Charities Are Affected by Split in Recovery for Rich and Poor]( By Michael Theis Services for the poor will continue to be in high demand and groups that raise small gifts face continued challenges, but organizations that rely mostly on the wealthy for revenue should fare well. GIVING [The Pandemic, Racial Reckoning and Other Crises Are Helping to Close the Gender Gap in Giving by the Rich]( By Maria Di Mento Current events motivated men and women to make charitable giving a priority, but the changes were greater for men — and that means they are catching up to women in their interest in supporting good causes. OPINION [Midlevel Health Workers Were Essential During the Pandemic but Need and Deserve More Philanthropic Support]( By Tamar Jacoby [image] They drove ambulances, administered oxygen, and kept the health-care system running when the coronavirus struck, but many of these workers struggle to advance in their careers without assistance. Grant makers interested in work-force development can help. OPINION [My Family Suffers the Painful Legacy of Native American Boarding Schools. Philanthropy Can Help Us Heal.]( By Erik Stegman [image] To understand why it’s important to support healing-focused approaches to structural racism, philanthropy should take time to learn the horrible history of government-sanctioned boarding schools designed to obliterate Indigenous cultures. FINANCE AND REVENUE [Habitat for Humanity Struggles With High Construction Costs]( By Haleluya Hadero, Associated Press [image] Local affiliates had to limit volunteers over virus concerns, then revenue was dented by the temporary closure of the group’s ReStores, and pandemic-induced kinks in the supply chain caused construction delays. Job announcement Fundraising Content Director at League of Conservation Voters.[Visit jobs.philanthropy.com]( for more details. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( Paid for and Created by Independent Sector [Stand With Black Americans for Environmental Justice]( Supporting sustainability and collaborating with community organizations, the Black Environmental Collective is driving public conversations surrounding environmental issues, grooming leaders to establish a racial justice education pipeline with an emphasis on Black populations. 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, Corporate & Foundation Relations]( New Leaders, Inc. [Director, Corporate & Foundation Relations]( New Leaders, Inc. 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