Ford Foundation to Divest Millions From Fossil Fuels

Plus. who will get Laurene Powell Jobs’s $3.5 billion gift for climate work? Also, telling stories about equity often forces groups to turn inward, says communications expert ADVERTISEMENT [Academe Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. FOUNDATION GIVING [Ford Foundation to Divest Millions From Fossil Fuels]( By Associated Press [STORY IMAGE]( For years, climate activists have pressured endowed institutions like Ford to divest. Now the grant maker will invest in alternative and renewable energy. ADVERTISEMENT INDIVIDUAL GIVING [Who Will Get Laurene Powell Jobs’s $3.5 Billion Gift for Climate Work?]( By Haleluya Hadero [STORY IMAGE]( Much of her philanthropic work is done through the Emerson Collective, a limited-liability company, or LLC, which means she doesn’t have reporting requirements. EQUITY IN ACTION [Telling Stories About Equity Often Forces Groups to Turn Inward, Says Communications Expert]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( Once a brand manager at Procter & Gamble, Eric Rigaud now helps organizations document their work to become more equitable. See the rest of our profiles spotlighting people who are [driving conversations about equity](. OPINION [To Create a More Inclusive Future, Philanthropy Should Examine the Overlooked Chapters From its Past]( By Kathleen W. Buechel [STORY IMAGE]( Women, Black people, and immigrants — not just wealthy industrialists — fueled 20th-century philanthropy in cities like Pittsburgh. Understanding their historic role is critical to developing more just and equitable philanthropic practices today. Webinars FUNDRAISING WEBINAR [How to Attract Asian American and Indigenous Donors]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join our 75-minute session to learn from two major donors and a nonprofit executive about challenges and new opportunities for engaging these donors, what motivates them to give, and how to develop messages and tactics that will resonate. You’ll also get real-world examples of how to approach potential big donors and ask them to give. [Join us on Thursday, October 21,]( at 2 p.m. Eastern. GRANT-SEEKING WEBINAR [Graceful Exits: How Foundations Can Ensure Nonprofits Succeed After Grants End]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join us to learn from executives at The Nicholson Foundation, which will close in December, about how they communicated plans to grantees, staff members, and partners to set them up for success. Plus, you’ll get advice on how to build a supportive culture that fosters employee retention. [Join us on Thursday, November 4,]( at 2 p.m. Eastern. SPONSOR CONTENT | The Ford Foundation [Philanthropy: Listen to the Voices, Leadership, and Lived Experiences of People]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Bank of America is putting another $22.1 million into its largest philanthropic effort, which supports nonprofits in “communities facing economic and social challenges.” The 17-year-old Neighborhood Builders program will give $200,000 each, plus leadership training, to 100 organizations in big cities. The companion Neighborhood Champions program, begun in 2019 to serve smaller markets, will give out grants of $50,000 and offer virtual training to 42 groups. The bank has spent more than $285 million on the programs since 2004, in 92 communities. Among the past recipients was Karamu House in Cleveland, the country’s oldest Black theater. This year, OurBridge for KIDS, a refugee- and immigrant-aid group in Charlotte, N.C., will receive one of the $200,000 grants, which it will use to hire more staff. ([Bloomberg]( A sprawling nature reserve in Illinois that has helped protect threatened or endangered species has also pitted conservationists against the neighboring Black farmers. Land in the Sweet Fern Savanna Land and Water Reserve, 60 miles south of Chicago, has been farmed by Black people for decades — in at least one case since a farmer escaped slavery in 1861 and homesteaded 42 acres of the sandy soil. But thanks to inheritance disputes and tax arrears, many properties ended up on the block. Notably, the Nature Conservancy has bought 201 deeds at tax sales, totaling 448 acres in the predominantly African American area. That is a small portion of the land set aside — which is combined with property donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — but “the purchases raised questions about the ethics of buying land forfeited in financially distressed communities.” The Nature Conservancy no longer buys at tax auctions. The former landowners see the preserve as a means to push them off of the only land they could claim under long-standing racist real-estate practices. ([ProPublica]( More News - Haiti Kidnap Gang Seeks $17 Million Ransom for Abducted American Missionaries ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) - Equitas Health CEO Bill Hardy Resigns Amid Claims of Racial Discrimination ([Columbus Dispatch]( Higher Education - U. of North Carolina Can Keep Affirmative Action, Judge Rules ([New York Times]( - Universities Hit the Jackpot With Billions of Dollars in Endowment Gains ([Boston Globe]( - [Here’s How We Pushed Harvard U. to Divest From Fossil Fuels]( ([Fast Company]( Opinion - Art Institute of Chicago Fired All its Volunteer Greeters and Guides Because Most Were White Women With Above Average Means. ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) - UCLA Is Selling a Picasso. Why That’s a Good Thing ([Los Angeles Times]( Major Gifts - Emily Rauh Pulitzer Gives 22 ‘Masterpieces’ to St. Louis Art Museum ([St. Louis Post-Dispatch]( - Michigan’s Calvin U. to Form School of Health With $15 Million Donation ([MiBiz]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Briefings and Forums ONLINE BRIEFING [How to Hire Fundraisers of Color]( [STORY IMAGE]( Get advice from a recruiter and fundraising leaders who have had success diversifying fundraising teams. Plus, you’ll gain insights into the kinds of workplaces fundraisers of color seek out. [Join us on Wednesday, October 27,]( at 2 p.m. Eastern. 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. Editor's Picks 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. CLIMATE CHANGE [Wildfires, Climate Change, and How Philanthropy Can Make a Difference: an Interview With Alan Kwok]( By Eden Stiffman [STORY IMAGE]( A growing number of foundations are making grants to help prevent or reduce the harm caused by wildfires in the West, says Alan Kwok, director of climate and disaster resilience for an alliance of California grant makers. GIVING DATA [Donations to Small Nonprofits Hit Harder by Covid Than Gifts to Larger Ones, Study Shows]( By Dan Parks [STORY IMAGE]( Four in 10 nonprofits with annual budgets of less than $500,000 saw a decrease in donations in 2020 compared with 29 percent of larger ones. 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. ENVIRONMENTAL GIVING [Less Than 2 Percent of Global Giving Goes to Curb Climate Change, New Study Finds]( By Jim Rendon [STORY IMAGE]( The ClimateWorks Foundation identified opportunities for philanthropy to boost electric transportation and curb greenhouse-gas emissions. 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](. [Director, Development and Corporate Relations]( Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) [Director Program on Philanthropy and Nonprofits]( UCLA School of Law [Search other jobs.]( NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK What did you think of today’s newsletter? 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