$150 Million Gift Will Make Yale Drama School Tuition Free

Plus, community nonprofits urge investment, equity, and less bureaucracy. Also, a recap of news you might have missed during last week's holiday break. 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](. GIFTS ROUNDUP [Entertainment Mogul David Geffen Gives $150 Million to Make Yale Drama School Tuition Free]( By Maria Di Mento [image] Plus, Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates gave their foundation $15 billion, and Phil and Penny Knight gave the University of Oregon $500 million. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( YOUR NONPROFIT COACH [A Plea From Community Nonprofits for Investment, Equity, and Less Bureaucracy]( By Joan Garry [image] Small nonprofits should require less red tape, and they need support for efforts to advance fair pay and benefits — and recognition for making communities stronger. Paid for and Created by Independent Sector [Stand With Black Americans for Environmental Justice]( As a disruptor for equity and progress, the Black Environmental Collective’s goal is to build an interdisciplinary network with intrinsic connections to race and environmental justice, creating opportunities to execute regional projects and weigh in on relevant municipal planning activities for Black communities. Articles You Might Have Missed Last Week - [Gates Foundation Announces $15 Billion Gift From Founders and Expansion of the Board]( - [Phil and Penny Knight Pour Another $500 Million into Advanced Science Center at the U. of Oregon]( - [Lin-Manuel Miranda and His Family Award $225,000 in Grants to Groups That Serve Immigrants]( - [Ford, Knight, MacArthur, and an Anonymous Donor Commit $20 Million to Create Journalism Center at Howard University Led by Nikole Hannah-Jones]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere The Sackler name will not appear on any more buildings at institutions the family supports, and the Sacklers will lose control over two of their charitable foundations as part of a multistate settlement of litigation over the opioid crisis. The ban on naming will last until the family has paid $4.5 billion over the next nine years “to help prevent and treat opioid abuse in the states participating in the deal.” The Sacklers, owners of opioid maker Purdue Pharma, have a combined fortune estimated at $10.8 billion. Control of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation and the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Fund for the Arts and Sciences will be turned over to court appointees or trustees of the National Opioid Abatement Trust, to be created as part of the settlement. ([MarketWatch]( Black women who work at nonprofits are using a host of tools, including discussion forums, targeted research, and lawsuits, to address a litany of things that have held them back. They cite unequal pay, retaliation for speaking out or for pushing to use their own experiences in their work, white supervisors and board members who doubt their expertise and dismiss them as angry, and lack of mentorship, among other issues. Although the racial reckoning mirrors that happening in the corporate world, those who watch nonprofits — where only 20 percent of leaders are people of color — say these organizations get away with discrimination and dysfunction more easily because of their image as do-gooders. Further, some Black women say it’s particularly difficult to make progress in a culture in which concerns about advancement are supposed to take a back seat to a passion for the mission. ([Washington Post]( Americans age 70 and older have started to give away their accumulated $70 trillion. Most of the fortunes built during the postwar years of prosperity and low tax rates will go to heirs, but some of the $9 trillion headed directly to philanthropy has started trickling through. Billionaire Warren Buffett’s children, for instance, are supporting local agriculture, free health care, education, and food-security nonprofits. ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) More News - The Political Awakening of Melinda French Gates ([Financial Times]( — subscription) - Christian Health Nonprofit Sharity Seeks Bankruptcy After State Probes ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) - Walton Foundation, Corporate Interests Join in Lawsuit Against Ark. Law Banning Health Care for Transgender Children ([Arkansas Times]( - Prominent Anglican Bishop Takes Leave of Absence Amid Ongoing Accusations of Mishandling Abuse Allegations ([Religion News Service]( Big Donations - Western Michigan U. Says $550 Million Gift Will Help More Students Graduate, Have Better Careers, and Live Happier Lives ([Second Wave]( - UC Berkeley Is Getting a Big Gift: a $300 Million, 772-Bed Student Dorm ([Berkeleyside]( - Mott Foundation Restarts Talks on $200 Million Gift to Flint Schools ([WJRT]( - Ted Turner to Give Land to Nonprofit but Keep Paying Taxes ([Associated Press]( 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 REGULATION [Critics Worry Supreme Court Ruling on Donor Disclosure Will Make Charity Fraud Easier]( By Dan Parks and Michael Theis [image] The Supreme Court on Thursday voted 6 to 3 to overturn a California donor-disclosure law that critics said was a needless intrusion on donor privacy and would hurt giving. RACIAL-JUSTICE GIVING [Foundations and Wealthy Donors Urged to Advance Racial Justice by Giving to Grant-Making Charities]( By Jim Rendon [image] These funds have close relationships with grassroots groups, can get the money to them quickly, and sometimes give over a longer time horizon than large foundations do. INDIVIDUAL GIVING [New Study Shows That Majority of Donor-Advised Funds Are Sending Little or No Money to Charity Every Year]( By Michael Theis The examination of Michigan funds has given proponents of new Senate legislation to regulate donor-advised funds fresh ammunition. But not everyone agrees on what the numbers mean. 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. LEADERSHIP [What to Consider — and What to Avoid — When Reopening Your Nonprofit Office]( By Lisa Schohl [image] Nonprofit leaders and human-resource experts share advice to help bring employees back to the office safely and support — and keep — them in the process. Job announcement Associate Director of Development & Expansion - Women's Leadership & Civic Engagement at The Policy Circle.[Visit jobs.philanthropy.com]( for more details. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( 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. 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 [Experienced Program Coordinator for Community Charity]( St George's Society Of New York [Assistant Vice President for Development]( Loyola University Chicago [Assistant Vice President for Principal Gifts]( Loyola University Chicago [Associate Director of Development]( The Policy Circle [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