Mutual-Aid Groups Ponder What’s Next

Plus, foundations need to back up the White House equity agenda with more equitable research (opinion), and $123 million in surprise, unsolicited grants go to 71 Arizona charities ADVERTISEMENT [Academe Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. DIRECT GIVING [Mutual-Aid Groups Ponder What’s Next]( By Eden Stiffman [STORY IMAGE]( Neighbors came together to help one another with food and other basic needs during the pandemic. Some of the volunteer-led efforts are now seeking nonprofit status. ADVERTISEMENT OPINION [Foundations Need to Back Up the White House’s Equity Agenda With More Equitable Research]( By Brian Quinn and Tina Kauh [STORY IMAGE]( The funding criteria, proposal processes, and research methods used by many philanthropic organizations make it harder for grantees to produce data that reflect the challenges — and opportunities — in communities harmed by structural racism. GRANTS ROUNDUP [$123 Million in Surprise, Unsolicited Grants Go to 71 Ariz. Charities]( By M.J. Prest [STORY IMAGE]( Also, GM has pledged $50 million to strengthen economic development in Detroit, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation has committed $47.5 million to MIT and Harvard to analyze genetic data for links to common diseases. SPONSOR CONTENT | The Ford Foundation [Philanthropy: Listen to the Voices, Leadership, and Lived Experiences of People]( Tomorrow: How to Get More Planned Gifts [Sign up today]( for our webinar. Details below. Next Week: The Road to Recovery — Financial Health for Nonprofits [Sign up today]( for our free online briefing on Wednesday, September 29. Details below. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Bill Gates pledged that his philanthropy “will be the focus for the rest of my life” in an interview with PBS NewsHour. Discussing changes at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation following his divorce from Melinda French Gates, he noted that while the grant maker will add “additional advisers” to its board, its focus on global health and education will continue. Gates and his ex-wife are now the only trustees. The philanthropist also talked about Covid-19 vaccine boosters and equity as well as his conversations with the White House and members of Congress on climate change and preparing for future pandemics. Asked about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, Gates said he sought help from the disgraced billionaire and sex offender to connect with other philanthropists: “He had relationships with people he said would give to global health, which is an interest I have. Not nearly enough philanthropy goes in that direction.” ([PBS NewsHour]( More News - Hewlett Foundation Nearly Doubles Arts Funding to Help Pandemic-Era Innovations Stick ([San Francisco Chronicle]( - Boy Scouts Press Ahead With Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Plan ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) - Top Southern Baptist Committee Funds Sex-Abuse Inquiry ([Associated Press]( - How HBCUs Can Attract Philanthropy in the Time of Giving ([Diverse Issues in Higher Education]( - Sept. Is Usually a Big Month in the Event Circuit. Not This Month. ([Boston Globe]( Opinion - Why The Woke Movement Could Be the Next Great U.S. Cultural Export ([Bloomberg]( - Climate Philanthropists: Don’t Make the VC Mistake — Invest in People of Color ([GreenBiz]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Editor's Picks OPINION [Reports of a Massive Increase in Racial-Justice Funding Paint a Distorted and Dangerous Picture]( By Lori Villarosa [STORY IMAGE]( A new analysis shows how conservative groups have seized on inflated estimates of giving following 2020’s racial-justice protests to falsely signal that grassroots groups fighting systemic racism are getting more than their fair share. GRANT MAKING [Foundations Offer Incentives to Help Cities Attract Workers Willing to Relocate]( By Olivera Perkins [STORY IMAGE]( A growing number of philanthropy-financed projects are trying to spark economic development, promote civic and cultural life, attract skilled workers, and offset declining or sparse populations. Remote workers are especially attractive because they tend to have high disposable incomes. FOUNDATION GIVING [Gates and Rockefeller Warn World Leaders About the Pandemic’s Impact on the Lives of the Poor]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( Two of the wealthiest foundations say that without larger government and philanthropic investments in the manufacture and delivery of vaccines to people in poor nations, the pandemic could set back global progress on education, public health, and gender equality for years. OPINION [A Student’s Call to Education Grant Makers: Listen to Us]( By Jodi Go [STORY IMAGE]( Youths are the true experts on today’s college experience, says a student intern at the Stupski Foundation. Philanthropic organizations need to embrace strategies that bring their voices into the decision-making process. EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP [Haas Fund Spreads Its Work to Coach Nonprofit Leaders to Thrive]( [STORY IMAGE]( The ambitious new national effort comes as many nonprofit leaders have been stretched to the breaking point by the pandemic and many other challenges. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join Our Webinar]( — Join the Chronicle and our expert guests to learn what it takes to create a successful legacy-giving program. [Sign up today]( to get a special early-bird discount on this session, which airs Thursday, September 23, at 2 p.m. Eastern. Can't make it then? Watch it on demand at your convenience. FREE ONLINE BRIEFING [Join Our Subscriber Briefing]( — The pandemic and its economic repercussions have many nonprofits rethinking how they operate and wondering how to emerge from months of crisis. As we look ahead to 2022, how can organizations find a path to financial health, including covering the costs of pandemic-era programs and services? Join the Chronicle of Philanthropy on Wednesday, September 29, at 2 p.m. Eastern for a live discussion with nonprofit executives who will review financial management practices that lead to success, share examples of how groups weathered recent financial challenges, and offer advice on ways to rebuild, find strong financial footing during difficult times, and set a course for a sustainable future. [Sign up now.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES Apply for the top jobs in philanthropy and [search all our open positions](. [Development Director]( Harmony Program [Executive Director]( TEDxMileHigh [Major Gifts Officer, Benton Museum of Art]( Pomona College [Major Gifts Officer, Athletics]( Pomona College [Search other jobs.]( NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK What did you think of today’s newsletter? [Strongly disliked]( | [It was ok]( | [Loved it]( [Chronicle of Philanthropy Logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. 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