MacKenzie Scott Donates $436 Million to Habitat for Humanity

Plus, a new college scholarship program aims to benefit communities as well as students, and why philanthropy backfired by helping to keep foster kids out of institutions (opinion) ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. BIG GIFTS [MacKenize Scott Gives $436 Million to Habitat for Humanity, Her Largest Public Commitment to a Charity]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( The money will help build low-cost housing, increase Black homeownership, and step up the group’s advocacy to make it easier for Americans to afford homes. ADVERTISEMENT HIGHER EDUCATION [Why Philanthropy’s ‘Free College’ Programs Don’t Always Live Up to Their Promise]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( New college scholarship programs aim to do what’s proved elusive so far: generate benefits for communities as well as students. OPINION [Philanthropy Helped Reduce Institutional Placements for Foster Kids. Now Many Have Nowhere to Go.]( By Naomi Schaefer Riley [STORY IMAGE]( Good philanthropic intentions fueled efforts to severely limit the number of foster children placed in group settings. But the movement has gone too far. More such facilities are needed for kids whose mental and behavioral challenges make placing them with families extremely difficult. Webinar [Thursday: How to Earn Revenue for Your Nonprofit]( [STORY IMAGE]( Developing a steady, reliable stream of income is a smart way to support your nonprofit’s work, reduce dependence on grants and donations, and even expand programs and services. Join us on March 24 at 2 p.m. Eastern, or on demand at your convenience, to learn how organizations developed creative ways to generate income while advancing their causes — and how your organization can too. [Sign up today.]( SPONSOR CONTENT | Funders for Real Cost, Real Change [Project Grants Need Not Be the Enemy]( NONPROFIT NEWS FROM ELSEWHERE St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has become a fundraising juggernaut thanks partly to its particularly aggressive pursuit of bequests from potential donors. The charity, which strives to treat sick children at no cost to their families, took in $1.5 billion from bequests, or 20 percent of the $7.5 billion it raised, in a recent five-year period. That is more than double the national average of 9 percent of charitable contributions that come from bequests. To get there, St. Jude has pursued some contested estates in court for years, and it employs a nationwide network of development staff who regularly visit, call, and send cards to potential donors. It also cultivates estate planners and lawyers, sponsoring conferences. From 2016 to 2020, St. Jude was able to put an average of $400 million each year into a reserve fund that totaled $5.2 billion as of June 30, 2020. Heirs who have fought St. Jude in court over donor intent say it has turned down settlement requests and wasted money that could have been spent on the charity’s work. Through its fundraising arm, the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities, St. Jude said its bequest program “operates with the highest ethical standards and with bequest program best practices like other large charities.” ([ProPublica]( Lines at food banks are starting to grow again as the end of federal pandemic aid coincides with rising prices. About 10 percent of households surveyed by the U.S. Census Bureau in early February said they sometimes or often did not have enough food to eat. That is up slightly from the early August survey, before the extended federal child tax credit expired. Also gone are beefed-up unemployment benefits and stimulus payments. So while food-bank numbers are down from their pandemic peak, they are still above pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, food banks themselves are struggling with higher prices for food and gas as federal programs that shored them up during the pandemic have ended. From February 2020 till now, a truckload of canned tuna went from $46,000 to $57,000, peanut butter from $34,000 to $40,000, and diced tomatoes from $15,000 to $23,000. ([Washington Post]( More News - In Warsaw, a Network of Support Greets Those Crossing the Polish Border ([New York Times]( - U.S. Supreme Court Won’t Hear Case Between Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission and Bisexual Lawyer ([Associated Press]( - Nonprofit Attacking N.Y. Gov. Hochul Must Name Donors, Complaint Says ([Albany Times Union]( Major Gifts - MacKenzie Scott Gives $10 Million to Queens, N.Y., Nonprofit Amid Bail Reform Fight ([Patch]( - $50 Million Gift Helping Irvine, Calif., Hospital Expand, Specialize Care ([Orange County Register]( Arts and Culture - After Criticism, Film Museum Will Highlight Hollywood’s Jewish History ([New York Times]( - Christie’s to Offer a Marilyn Monroe by Warhol for an Estimated $200 Million, With Proceeds to the Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation Zurich ([New York Times]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. EDITOR'S PICKS BIG PHILANTHROPY [MacKenzie Scott Gives Girls & Boys Clubs of America $281 Million]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( The charity’s national office will receive $25 million. The remainder will be divided among 62 local Boys & Girls Clubs, chosen by Scott and her advisers. OPINION [Donating to Ivy League Schools Is Ineffective and Unnecessary, and It Reinforces Inequality]( By Andrew Babbitt [STORY IMAGE]( If donors genuinely want to support higher education, they should consider sending their funds to the institutions that really need it — those that promote economic and social mobility. OPINION [Donors Don’t Understand Inflation’s Impact on Charities. That’s Why Fundraisers Must Tell Them.]( By Gregory R. Witkowski [STORY IMAGE]( Because so many adults haven’t lived through inflation that’s as high as today’s, they don’t realize that costs are soaring for nonprofits. SURVEY [What Fundraisers Are Doing as the Pandemic Eases]( By Dan Parks [STORY IMAGE]( A new study shows a realignment of fundraiser priorities and concern about the challenges of keeping donors — and staff members. OPINION [Ukrainian Leaders Show the Power of a Story to Move Policy. Immigration Advocates Should Take Note.]( By Wendy Feliz [STORY IMAGE]( A comprehensive immigration overhaul will not happen unless the movement can change cultural attitudes about people who were not born in the United States. To do that, philanthropy needs to invest in narrative change at least as much policy advocacy. SPONSOR CONTENT | Center for Creative Leadership [Responding to the Great Resignation]( Lacking the resources of their for-profit counterparts, non-profits face the toughest challenges of the "Great Resignation" era. Learn about the simple lever that can release the pressure. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Fundraising Webinars: How to Make Virtual Events Accessible to People With Disabilities - Cover image of a woman in a virtual meeting] [Join Our Next Webinar]( — Join Our Next Webinar — Developing a steady, reliable stream of income for your nonprofit will reduce its dependence on grants and donations and may even help you have greater impact. How can you create an earned-income strategy that improves your organization’s financial health and ensures your mission will continue for the long term? Join us live on March 24 at 2 p.m. Eastern or on demand at your convenience to get detailed advice from two nonprofit leaders who oversee thriving earned-revenue ventures and a consultant who guides nonprofits in this work. They’ll explain how to decide whether earning revenue makes sense for your organization, develop your strategy, and test and launch a money-making effort. Register today. 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