Many Nonprofit Leaders Are Stepping Down — and Are Not Easily Replaced

Plus, public universities shouldn’t feel guilty about accepting megagifts from wealthy donors (opinion), and more grant makers are giving money without lots of obligations ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. EXECUTIVE TURNOVER [Large Numbers of Nonprofit Leaders Are Stepping Down — and the Competition to Find New Ones Is ‘Fierce’]( By Jim Rendon [STORY IMAGE]( The churn has pushed salaries for nonprofit leaders up as much as 30 percent over the last two years. ADVERTISEMENT OPINION [Public Universities Shouldn’t Feel Guilty About Accepting Megagifts From Wealthy Donors]( By Michael H. Schill [STORY IMAGE]( As state funding declines, some colleges would struggle to meet their missions without major philanthropic support. The critics should recognize that most of them would never accept gifts that don’t align with their institution’s goals or come with unacceptable conditions. GRANT MAKING [Some Funders Are Embracing ‘Trust-Based Philanthropy’ by Giving Money Without Lots of Obligations]( By Emily Finchum-Mason, University of Washington [STORY IMAGE]( Nonprofits have long complained about cumbersome grant-reporting requirements. A growing number of foundations are listening — and changing their ways. Webinars [Thursday: Smart Ways to Strengthen Your Next Grant Proposal]( [STORY IMAGE]( It’s unclear whether foundations will continue the increased giving and looser requirements that marked the initial response to the pandemic. Yet many nonprofits leaders are still seeing increased demand for services, so competition for grant is as competitive as ever. How can you strengthen your next grant proposal to make a stronger case for support? Join us on May 12 to get advice from a program officer and a grant-writing consultant who has helped secure millions from foundations. [Register today.]( [How to Attract — and Keep — Top Fundraisers]( [STORY IMAGE]( Even before the pandemic, turnover in fundraising was a huge challenge. With big-gift officers bringing in as much as 90 percent of fundraising revenue at some organizations, high turnover can be an existential threat. How do some organizations hire and retain top fundraising talent? Join us on Tuesday, May 24 — or on demand — to learn from an advancement leader with nearly 20 years of talent management experience and the head of an executive search firm with deep expertise in development. [Register today.]( SPONSOR CONTENT | Funders For Real Cost, Real Change [Project Grants Need Not Be the Enemy—A Three-Part Series: Part 2]( NONPROFIT NEWS FROM ELSEWHERE Patrisse Cullors, former leader of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, acknowledged that the nonprofit was ill-prepared to handle the flood of contributions that followed George Floyd’s death, but she denied allegations of financial improprieties. The organization drew criticism after paying $6 million for a Los Angeles compound, which includes a six-bedroom home and a swimming pool, as a meeting venue and a campus for Black artists. The organization also was late in filing some required financial disclosure forms, and critics say a general lack of transparency is a big problem. Cullors acknowledged using the Los Angeles property for personal purposes, but she defended the purchase as a smart one for the organization. “We really wanted to make sure that the global network foundation had an asset that wasn’t just financial resources,” she said, “and we understood that not many Black-led organizations have property.” ([Associated Press]( More News - At Christie’s Charity Auction, Warhol’s ‘Marilyn’ at Sells for $195 Million ([New York Times]( - The Major Blind Spot in Bill Gates’s Pandemic Prevention Plan ([Vox]( - The Best Takeaways From National Conference on Fundraising ([Tallahassee Democrat]( - The Guggenheim and London’s National Gallery Latest to Remove Sackler Name After Opioid Controversy ([Forbes]( - Anonymous Donor Clears Student Debt of Wiley College Graduates in Texas ([Associated Press]( News and Opinion About Abortion - Opinion: If Roe Is Overturned, Where Should the Pro-Life Movement Go Next? ([New York Times]( - Grassroots Abortion-Rights Groups Are Preparing for a Post-Roe v. Wade World ([NPR]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. EDITOR'S PICKS GRANT MAKING [A Foundation’s Barriers Come Down, One by One]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( Before the onset of Covid and the uprisings that followed the murder of George Floyd, the trustees of the Stupski Foundation had already made a huge grant-making decision: The fund would give away all its money by 2029 and shut down. Plus: Read about whether foundations are keeping the [grant-making changes]( they began during the pandemic. OPINION [More Technology Experts Are Needed for Government and Nonprofit Jobs. Philanthropy Can Help.]( By Jenny Toomey [STORY IMAGE]( Just as foundations bolstered the field of public interest law decades ago, they now have a critical role to play in creating a deeper bench of public interest technologists trained to advance the social good. OPINION [Sharing Philanthropic Power With Grantees Is Messy and Challenging but Worth the Effort]( By Danielle Torain and Julia Baez [STORY IMAGE]( Two Baltimore groups came together to shake up the top-down grant making model in their city and bring more support to nonprofits working in struggling communities. Here’s what happened. FUNDRAISING [An Experiment Shows What Happens When the People a Charity Serves Tell Their Story to Donors]( By Emily Haynes [STORY IMAGE]( An appeal created by community health volunteers raised more money than one created by fundraisers, though the money came from fewer donors. OPINION [Book Bans Threaten Students Nationwide. Here’s How Philanthropy Can Fight Back.]( By Suzanne Nossel [STORY IMAGE]( Grant makers that focus on education, democracy, and culture need to support organizations battling coordinated book banning campaigns in school districts and libraries across the country. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Fundraising Webinars: How to Make Virtual Events Accessible to People With Disabilities - Cover image of a woman in a virtual meeting] [Watch On-Demand]( — Many foundations increased their giving and loosened requirements over the past two years, but it's unclear whether those trends will continue. Meanwhile, many nonprofit leaders are still striving to meet an increased demand for services as well as support the well-being of their staffs — all of which require more financial support. How can you strengthen your next grant proposal to make a stronger case for programmatic or operational support? Join us on demand or on May 12 at 2 p.m. Eastern to get advice from a program officer and a grant-writing consultant who has helped numerous nonprofits secure millions from foundations. We'll share insights into the latest trends in foundation giving, key information foundation decision makers want to see in 2022, and what's working now when it comes to conveying impact. [Register now.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Director, Philanthropy]( EngenderHealth, Inc. [Foundation Executive Director - Remote]( American Migraine Foundation [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. © 2022 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037