Half of Donors Plan to Give as Much in 2021 as They Did Last Year

Plus, education innovations deserve as much philanthropic support as medical research (opinion), and community foundations should embrace a new Senate bill to regulate donor-advised funds (opinion) 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](. DONOR DATA [Half of Donors Plan to Give as Much in 2021 as They Did Last Year]( By Emily Haynes More than half of respondents to a recent survey said they gave a larger sum to charity in 2020 than in 2019, but Penelope Burk, the report’s author, warns nonprofits not to be complacent. Plus, see our [exit interview]( with Burk. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( OPINION [Education Innovations Deserve as Much Philanthropic Investment as Support for Medical Research]( By Romy Drucker, Bob Hughes , and Sandra Liu Huang [image] A new fund aims to let people closest to the challenges facing schools work hand in hand with research and development experts to find new approaches that will help students of color and those who live in poverty. OPINION [Community Foundations Have Every Reason to Embrace a New Senate Bill to Regulate Donor-Advised Funds]( By Alan M. Cantor Opposition from the funds is mounting, even though the legislation offers an ideal moment for community foundations to distinguish themselves from commercially sponsored funds like Fidelity and Schwab. Paid for and Created by Regions Bank [A Mission of Impact]( Collaborating to build solutions based on an organization’s unique environmental, social and governance (ESG) vision, Regions Bank is committed to understanding a donor’s goals related to ESG, customizing strategies to create a meaningful impact. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere A major donor is suing the University of Colorado Foundation, arguing that it has forfeited about $1 billion over the past decade due to poor money management. Clarence Herbst, who is a former foundation trustee, said it has allowed a former employee’s investment firm to take inappropriate risks that have yielded smaller returns than an S&P 500 index fund. Herbst’s lawsuit was dismissed last year when a judge ruled he lacked the legal right to sue, and he is appealing the decision. He says the public has a vested interest in the financial dealings of a public university, but the fund and the attorney general say allowing such suits could lead to paralysis and chaos for university endowments. On the merits, the foundation’s president said it has enjoyed “extraordinary results,” as the endowment has grown from $700 million to $2.5 billion in 10 years. But Herbst said this year the fund is on track to sacrifice about $200 million with its current strategy. An unrelated recent analysis of university endowments found they do better when invested in index funds. ([Denver Post]( More News - N.Y. Head Start Retaliation Suit to Proceed Against Nonprofit ([Bloomberg Law]( - With More Than a Million Children Orphaned by Covid, Faith-Based Groups Look to Mobilize Support ([Religion News Service]( - The Religious Leaders on the Front Lines of Mental Health ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) - Understanding Why a Harvard Museum Will Return Standing Bear’s Tomahawk ([Hyperallergic]( Connecting With Small Foundations: What to Know Now [Join Our Next Webinar]( Small family funds give away more than $4 billion a year to charities, but seeking grants from them isn't always easy. They can be hard to identify because they often keep a low profile, and some have shifted their practices and priorities due to the health and racial-justice crises of the past year. Which grant-seeking strategies are working now? How can your nonprofit convey impact even if weakened by the pandemic? Join us and our expert guests on Thursday, August 12, at 2 p.m. Eastern to get answers, guidance on how to address current challenges, and tips for seizing new opportunities. You’ll learn: - What many small foundations and family funds want to support now - Ways to find small grant makers, capture their attention, and deepen ties over time - How to convey impact in grant proposals even if the pandemic weakened your nonprofit's finances Sign up before August 5 to save $20 with our early-bird rate. [Register today](. Editor's Picks DATA [Views of Nonprofits Reflect America’s Political and Income Divides, Survey Says]( By Drew Lindsay [image] Democrats, urban dwellers, and affluent Americans with a college education have more trust in nonprofits than others do. GIVING [$60 Million in New Grants Help Nonprofits Innovate Quickly to Close Financial Equity Gaps]( By Alex Daniels [image] Blue Meridian, a donor collaborative, is helping nonprofits experiment with rapid testing and other approaches that speed up their work as they seek to ensure that marginalized people get an even shot at the nation’s economic recovery from the pandemic. BIG GIFTS [On a Philanthropy Streak, Clara Wu Tsai Looks to Flip the Traditional Health-Research Script]( By Drew Lindsay [image] The business executive is backing research to reverse-engineer health advances by studying humans at their physical peak — especially elite athletes. OPINION [How MacKenzie Scott’s Gifts to Leaders of Color Fuel Transformation]( By Bianca Casanova Anderson Unrestricted dollars from the billionaire allow us to experiment, make discoveries, and protect the health of our organizations — as well as ourselves and our colleagues. INNOVATION [A Children’s Museum’s Partnership With Local School District Brings in Revenue — and New Ideas]( By Nicole Wallace [image] Leaders at the Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac got to see different teaching techniques in action when it hosted a charter school for the 2020-21 academic year. Job announcement Senior Development Officer at Centenary College of Louisiana.[Visit jobs.philanthropy.com]( for more details. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( 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. 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 Annual Giving]( Phillips Academy [Major Gift Officer]( Phillips Academy [Charitable Giving Manager (Major Gifts Officer)]( The Climate Reality Project [Senior Development Officer]( Centenary College of Louisiana [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