Ford Foundation Launches Disability-Rights Program

Plus, DataKind picks a former Microsoft executive as CEO, and Afghan refugees look to build new lives with help from nonprofits ADVERTISEMENT [Academe Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. GRANT MAKING [Once Left Out of the Ford Foundation’s Strategy, Disability Rights Gets Its Own Program]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( In 2015, the foundation had a very public reckoning with its failure to consider disability as it overhauled its grant making to focus solely on inequality. ADVERTISEMENT TRANSITIONS [DataKind Picks Former Microsoft Executive as CEO]( By M.J. Prest [STORY IMAGE]( Also, Vanguard Charitable has promoted its next president from within, and Neil Barsky, the founder of the Marshall Project, is stepping down. THE FACE OF PHILANTHROPY [Afghan Refugees Look to Build New Lives — With Some Help From Nonprofits]( By Nicole Wallace [STORY IMAGE]( Resettlement organizations like Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service have had to gear up quickly to help thousands of new arrivals from Afghanistan. PODCAST [How a Nonprofit CEO Shows Donors Why They Are Essential]( [STORY IMAGE]( Stephanie Hull, president and CEO of Girls Inc., explains the difference in her experiences with foundations and individual donors, and much more. SPONSOR CONTENT | The Ford Foundation [Philanthropy: Listen to the Voices, Leadership, and Lived Experiences of People]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Among the Silicon Valley billionaires aiming to save the world, Laurene Powell Jobs stands out for the breadth of her ambition, her intense desire for privacy, and the extent to which her philanthropy, Emerson Collective, revolves around her. Emerson’s structure as a private LLC helps it avoid some of the reporting that is required of nonprofits, its grantees are often told not to publicize its gifts, and grant-seekers have no way to solicit Emerson. “The philanthropy has a widely shared, much-complained-about reputation in the nonprofit industry for being an impenetrable black box.” Much of its work is the result of “the whims of Laurene’s interests and a small group of people who have surrounded her that she trusts.” And those whims are eclectic, from supporting news organizations and education and immigration reform to, apparently, fighting disinformation. ([Puck]( A new report says that despite receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in payroll support from the federal government during the pandemic, museums still laid off thousands of employees. Of the 7,527 institutions to receive funds under the Paycheck Protection Program, 228 received almost half of the pot, more than $771.4 million through June 1, 2021, according to research by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. Those larger museums cut more than 14,400 employees, even though many institutions ended the year with a fiscal surplus. The Philadelphia Museum of Art, which received $5.1 million, laid off 127 workers, but a spokesperson said “slightly more than half” of those had worked part-time and the cuts would have been deeper without the aid. In Los Angeles, the Museum of Contemporary Art received $3.3 million but cut 97 positions, which a museum representative said included part-time and temporary employees. Union representatives said the figures revealed museums’ skewed priorities. ([Artnet News]( Harvard University’s endowment, already the largest of any university in the country, grew $11.3 billion, thanks to a 33.6 percent investment return during the fiscal year ending June 30. The growth puts the endowment at more than $53 billion, from which the institution pulled $2 billion last year to prop up its operating budget. Harvard ended the year with a surplus of $283 million. Revenue dropped by $124 million, as the university lost room and board fees during the pandemic, but the absence of students on campus also allowed it to cut operating expenses. Brown University’s endowment did even better, growing to $6.9 billion, up by 51.5 percent over $4.7 billion in fiscal 2020. It put $194 million toward its operating budget, but further out it plans to use some of the endowment to double the number of student veterans among its undergraduates via a full scholarship program, a university spokesman said. ([Associated Press]( [Harvard Crimson]( [Boston Globe]( More News - Meet the Next Generation of Power Philanthropists Across the Country ([Gotham]( - The Executive Who Tried to Buy the Baltimore Sun Plans a Rival Nonprofit News Outlet ([New York Times]( - This Breast Cancer Charity Is the Big New ‘Scam’ in Politics ([Daily Beast]( - Children’s Charity Director Gets More Than 3 Years for Stealing Nearly $1 Million ([Chicago Sun-Times]( - The Visionary Community of the Harlem YMCA ([New York Times]( - Buying One Artwork and Donating Another Sounds Like a Win-Win — but Who Really Benefits? ([Art Newspaper]( - Silicon Valley Nonprofit Launches Philanthropic Nonfungible Tokens ([Patch]( Institutional Reckonings - MIT Grapples With Early Leader’s Stance on Native Americans ([Associated Press]( - Delaware Art Museum Looks to Atone for Its ‘Institutional Racism’ ([WHYY]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Editor's Picks INDIVIDUAL GIVING [As Charitable Giving Rates Sag, Foundations Back Ambitious New Effort to Ignite Generosity by All Americans]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( With more than $2 million in grants from the nation’s biggest foundations, a group of philanthropy leaders Tuesday announced the public kickoff off a campaign to drive greater giving of time and money, especially from middle- and low-income Americans. OPINION [The Ozy Media Debacle Is a Cautionary Tale for Journalism Donors]( By Tracie Powell [STORY IMAGE]( Before funding a news organization, donors should ensure the outlet can deliver on its promises and reach the intended audience. Without such vetting, philanthropic organizations are likely to miss out on opportunities to support journalism where it is needed most — in underserved communities of color. JOBS AND CAREERS [Foundations Gave Salary Increases Amid Pandemic, Study Finds]( By Dan Parks The study also found small increases in diversity at the nation’s grant makers, while a gender salary gap persists. EMPLOYMENT [Nonprofits Overall Saw Job Losses for the First Time This Year, but Some Notched Gains]( By Dan Parks The losses were small so researchers cautioned not to panic; hiring has been strongest at social-service groups. SOCIAL JUSTICE [In a New Book, Young Faith Leader Preaches ‘Radical Hope’ for Social-Change Movements]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( “Healing the healers” — those campaigning for justice in all walks of life — is the mission of the Rev. Jennifer Bailey, founder of Faith Matters Network. SPONSOR CONTENT | Center for Creative Leadership [Burning Bright Instead of Burning Out]( Learn what philanthropic organizations are doing to limit the nonprofit burnout rate and turnover, guiding individual and organizational resilience. 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.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES Apply for the top jobs in philanthropy and [search all our open positions](. 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