MacArthur ‘Genius Grant’ Recipients Include an Activist and a Historian

Plus, a $5 billion conservation effort promises a new approach but faces hurdles, and foundations joined entertainers at a global concert to raise $1.1 billion to fight poverty ADVERTISEMENT [Academe Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. FOUNDATION GIVING [An Activist and a Historian Are Among 25 ‘Genius Grant’ Recipients]( By Don Babwin, Associated Press [STORY IMAGE]( The winners are an eclectic group that includes scientists, economists, poets, and filmmakers. The work of several recipients involves topics dominating the news, such as voting rights and how history is taught in schools. Race figures prominently in the work of about half of them. ADVERTISEMENT FOUNDATION GIVING [$5 Billion Conservation Effort Promises a New Approach but Faces Hurdles]( By Jim Rendon [STORY IMAGE]( The effort will involve Indigenous people, who have a track record of managing healthy ecosystems with vast biodiversity. But doing so on such a vast scale might require a willingness to take more risk. FUNDRAISING [Foundations Joined Entertainers at Global Citizen Live Concert to Help Raise $1.1 Billion to Fight Poverty]( By Glenn Gamboa, Associated Press [STORY IMAGE]( The 24-hour event, broadcast on six continents, generated pledges from foundations, vaccine pledges from numerous countries, and a commitment from the U.S. government for humanitarian needs caused by the pandemic. OPINION [A Giving-Local Mind-Set Reinforces the Chasm Between Wealthy People and Those in Need]( By Davey M. Kim [STORY IMAGE]( When philanthropists mostly donate to causes and services in their own backyards, they perpetuate inequitable giving trends and fail to recognize historic discriminatory practices that have kept people of color out of higher-income areas. SPONSOR CONTENT | The Ford Foundation [Philanthropy: Listen to the Voices, Leadership, and Lived Experiences of People]( Tomorrow: The Road to Recovery — Financial Health for Nonprofits [Sign up today]( for our free online briefing on Wednesday, September 29. Details below. News From Elsewhere Billionaire philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs will spend $3.5 billion over the next decade to help communities most affected by climate change. Through her Waverley Street Foundation, established in 2016, Jobs will focus on housing, transportation, food security, and health. She has named former Environmental Protection Agency director Lisa Jackson to lead the foundation’s board. ([Associated Press]( Former President Barack Obama will break ground on his presidential library today in Chicago. The center, expected to cost $850 million and take five years to build, will double as a community hub in the city’s South Side, where former first lady Michelle Obama grew up. It will include “a museum, public library branch, athletic center, test kitchen, and children’s play area.” Financed by private donations, the project was delayed by lawsuits, a government review, and concerns about gentrification and affordable housing in the area. ([Associated Press]( More News - The Bail Project, a Nonprofit Aimed at Bailing Out the Poor, Leaves St. Louis ([St. Louis Post-Dispatch]( - Gates Foundation Poached Washington STEM CEO, Then Gave Nonprofit $100,000 to Find a Replacement ([GeekWire]( - Finances Bounce Back for 2 Largest Nonprofit Health Systems ([Becker’s Hospital Review]( - Airbnb-Like Apps Help Churches Hurting for Cash During the Pandemic Rent Themselves Out ([Washington Post]( - ‘Everyone Was Just So Excited to Be Together’: In-Person Gala Fundraisers Are Back ([Las Vegas Review-Journal]( - He’s a Viral GIF. So He’s Using It to Raise Money for Charity ([Associated Press]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Editor's Picks 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. FUNDRAISING LEADERSHIP [How to Hang On to Fundraisers in a Hot Job Market]( By Emily Haynes [STORY IMAGE]( Leaders should initiate frequent and frank conversations with employees to stay on top of their concerns, make sure DEI efforts are genuine, and provide clarity on any shifts to a group’s mission. OPINION [Philanthropy Needs to Rethink How It Supports Efforts to Rebuild Our Nation’s Infrastructure]( By Katy Knight [STORY IMAGE]( As Congress debates a potential massive increase in federal infrastructure funding, grant makers should embrace a more expansive view of such projects — one that paves the way toward more equitable and sustainable communities. CASE STUDY [Putting People With Disabilities Front of Mind, a Small Organization Revamps Operations]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( Maryland Philanthropy Network altered its physical space and its communications, events, and programs to be more welcoming to people with disabilities. OPINION [Big Donors Like Me Want Congress to Offer Incentives to Speed the Flow of Donations to Working Charities]( By Melanie Lundquist A new measure in the Senate would prod foundations and donor-advised funds to stop hoarding assets. As a Giving Pledge signatory, I’m not the only big giver who thinks this is much-needed policy change, writes Melanie Lundquist. Plus: Join Lundquist and four other expert speakers Thursday at [our briefing on the Accelerate Charitable Efforts Act](. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join Our Webinar]( — Many leaders are working hard to make their nonprofits more inclusive as the nation reckons with racial injustice. Those who also want to engage supporters from diverse communities may feel unsure how to start. This 75-minute session — the third in our series on diversifying fundraising — can help. Join us on Thursday, October 21, at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn from two major donors and a nonprofit executive who will explain key challenges — and some new opportunities — for engaging donors of color, what motivates them to give, and how to develop messages and tactics that will resonate. Plus, you’ll get helpful guidance and real-world examples of how to approach potential big donors and ask them to give. Register by October 14 to save $20 with the early-bird discount. Can't make it to the live event? Watch on demand. [Register today.]( 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](. [Executive Director]( NYC Audubon [Senior Program Officer]( Colorado Health Foundation [Director of Alumni & Stakeholder Relations, National Young Leadership Cabinet]( Jewish Federations of North America [Chief Development Officer]( McDowell Sonoran Conservancy [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](. [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