Effort to Fund Racially Diverse Climate Groups Gains Momentum

Plus, the education and literacy group Pratham USA names its first CEO, and Lin-Manuel Miranda has a message for philanthropy — immigrant strivers need support, too 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](. DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION [Effort to Fund Racially Diverse Climate Groups Gains Momentum]( By Haleluya Hadero, Associated Press [image] Donors of Color Network, a philanthropic group dedicated to funding racial-equity efforts, has asked climate funders to disclose what percentage of their funding during the past two years has gone to organizations led by people of color — and to pledge at least 30 percent of their climate donations to such groups. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( TRANSITIONS [Education and Literacy Group Pratham USA Names First CEO]( By M.J. Prest [image] Also, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has chosen a new executive vice president of programs, and Paul Cheung of the Knight Foundation will take the helm of the Center for Public Integrity. OPINION [Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Message to Philanthropy: Immigrant Strivers Need Support, Too]( By Leslie Lenkowsky [image] At a time when immigration policy battles are taking center stage, some of Miranda’s recent grants are going to nonprofits that help immigrants rise to the middle class — reflecting the values depicted in his new movie “In the Heights.” His approach should be an example for other donors. 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. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere After a tough year, and months of applications and waiting, performance venues are finally receiving federal pandemic relief funds. In Massachusetts, some are using the money for overdue renovations or to adapt the spaces to a changed world, installing sophisticated air filtration, security-screening systems, and touchless bathroom fixtures. Others are restoring lost pay and bringing workers back from furloughs. The $16 billion Shuttered Venue Operators Grant provides 45 percent of a venue’s 2019 earned revenue, up to $10 million, for spaces whose ticket revenue disappeared last year. It had a rocky start of computer glitches and confusing paperwork, but midstream reforms got it going. ([Boston Globe]( Former spouses Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott keep trading the spotlight back and forth by making large philanthropic gestures with their Amazon fortunes, but their approaches are distinctly different. Bezos has pledged an enormous $13 billion in gifts, of which he has given $1.5 billion publicly. That amounts to less than 1 percent of his wealth. He has also favored large, better-known organizations, such as the Smithsonian, the World Wildlife Fund, and Princeton University’s Neuroscience Institute. Scott, on the other hand, has given away about $8.5 billion, or 14 percent of her fortune, as far as we know, and tends to seek out social-justice or racial-equity causes. Many of her recipients have been underfunded historically Black colleges and universities or local groups, such as YMCAs, for which multimillion-dollar gifts can be transformational. ([Forbes]( More News - These Silicon Valley Nonprofit Execs Took Home Nearly $1 Million or More in Pay ([Silicon Valley Business Journal)]( - Anonymous Donor Gifts $20 Million to Schools in Diocese of Greensburg ([KDKA Pittsburgh]( - Can Auctions Save the Earth? Christie’s to Fundraise for Environmental Charity by Selling Works by Cecily Brown and Rashid Johnson ([Art Newspaper]( Opinion - Giving a Boost to Nonprofits in Their Time of Need: Restoring the State’s Charitable Tax Deduction Is the Right Thing to Do ([Boston Globe]( - Minding My Own Business at a Tampa Store and Hit Up for Charity at Check-Out ([Tampa Bay Times]( Nonprofit Innovators - Could a Fleet of Affordably Priced, Readily Accessible Electric Cars Help Alleviate Road Congestion and Climate Change? A Boston Startup Takes the Wheel. ([Boston Globe]( - This Website Crashed When Hundreds Donated to Kids in Foster Care After a Reddit Post ([Washington Post]( - What Happens to Worn Out Rock Climbing Ropes? This Teen Turns Them Into Dog Leashes and Gives All Profits to Animal Groups. ([Washington Post]( 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 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. 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. 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. EXIT INTERVIEW [Researcher on Donors and Fundraising Reflects on What Nonprofit Supporters Want]( By Emily Haynes [image] As Penelope Burk releases her final survey of nonprofit donors, she talks about how to put the focus on supporters and what needs to change in fundraising to make it better. Job announcement Senior Development Officer at Centenary College of Louisiana.[Visit jobs.philanthropy.com]( for more details. ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( 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. 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 [Institutional Giving Officer]( Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund [Director of Annual Giving]( Phillips Academy [Major Gift Officer]( Phillips Academy [Associate Director of Individual Giving]( St. Ambrose University [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