More Big Donors Are Supporting and Talking About Mental Health

Plus, a nonprofit leader of color says today’s unyielding social-change culture would have stifled his potential when he started out (opinion), and the MacArthur's Foundation’s 2022 'genius grant' winners were picked to inspire ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. BIG GIFTS [More Big Donors Are Supporting — and Talking About — Mental Health]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( Wealthy donors publicly gave more to mental health last year than in any other year over the past decade, according to a Chronicle tally. ADVERTISEMENT OPINION [Today’s Unyielding Social-Change Culture Would Have Stifled My Potential as a Nonprofit Leader of Color]( By Eboo Patel [STORY IMAGE]( When grant makers turned down the author’s request 20 years ago to fund his fledgling organization, he quickly attributed it to institutionalized racism. His mentors’ response: Don’t you dare blame outside forces for preventing you from succeeding. Instead, refine your work and build something better. GRANT MAKING [MacArthur’s 2022 ‘Genius Grant’ Winners Picked to Inspire]( By Thalia Beaty, Associated Press [STORY IMAGE]( Winners of the $800,000 no-strings-attached awards include a physician who founded a network of clinics to treat people released from jail, a reproductive justice advocate working for an end to racist reproductive policies, and more. GRANTS ROUNDUP [Native American Agriculture Fund Commits $100 Million for Health and Nutrition in Tribal Communities]( By M.J. Prest [STORY IMAGE]( Also, the Mayo Clinic received $100 million to expand access to its proton-beam facility for cancer patients, and more grant makers have donated for hurricane relief in Florida. CONFERENCE [Watch ComNet22 Sessions Live, Starting Thursday]( [STORY IMAGE]( More than 900 leaders in nonprofit and foundation communications and an array of journalists, advocates, researchers, and others will gather in Seattle this week for the annual conference of the Communications Network. Webinars [Thursday: Key Ways to Boost Midlevel Giving]( [STORY IMAGE]( Many charities attracted new donors in the past few tumultuous years and now have an opportunity to inspire them to become loyal midlevel donors. How can your nonprofit attract, recognize, and build community among these generous supporters? Join us on demand, or live on Thursday, October 13, at 2 p.m. Eastern, to learn from a veteran fundraiser and a consultant how to maximize giving at this level. You’ll get proven tactics and real-world examples you can adapt for your organization. [Register today.]( [Build a Culture of Fundraising to Raise More Money]( [STORY IMAGE]( Nonprofit staff members who work outside the development department don’t always know how to build ties with donors — or feel comfortable asking people for money. How can you foster an organizational culture that motivates staff, volunteers, and board members to strengthen relations with donors and advance fundraising? Join our webinar on Thursday, October 27, at 2 p.m., learn from your peers how to: encourage board members to prioritize fundraising and teach non-fundraisers and volunteers how to advance fundraising. [Register today.]( SPONSOR CONTENT | HundredX [How one company is using customer opinions to generate millions for nonprofits.]( Briefings & Forums [Leading Nonprofits Through Tumultuous Times]( [STORY IMAGE]( With the world unsettled by threats of famine, inflation, polarization, and a pressing need for equity, how can leaders steer their nonprofits, and advance their missions in such a turbulent climate? Join us on October 18 at 2 p.m. Eastern, for a free briefing. Two executives will discuss the domino effects of recent crises and the shifting philanthropic response, plus, planning and budgeting for a possible recession, strategies for retaining staff in a tight job market, and setting revenue goals amid economic uncertainty. [Register today.]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online Melinda French Gates said the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will last until 20 years after she and her ex-husband die, contradicting comments made by Bill Gates a few weeks ago. At a conference for women leaders, French Gates said she and Bill Gates have signed papers that stipulate that the foundation, worth $70 billion, will end two decades after their deaths. Bill Gates said last month that the foundation would wind down in about 25 years. “I think he was thinking something and said it before we made a decision,” French Gates said. ([Insider]( After seeing images of Hurricane Ian’s devastation in Florida, some residents of Queens, N.Y., drew on their experiences in Hurricane Sandy 10 years ago to help out. The director of a humanitarian nonprofit who recollected the stations handing out hot food and winter clothing on street corners a decade ago collected gift cards to send to Florida, along with handwritten notes from schoolchildren. Another person collated advice on dealing with insurance companies and posted it on social media, while others donated money to groups that had helped them a decade earlier. ([New York Times]( More News and Features - Major Food Distributor for Kansas City Charities Struggling With Large Cuts in Federal Funding ([KMBC]( - An Environmental Nonprofit Deliberately Built a Lab That Will Drown, Eventually ([Washington Post]( - How Nonprofits Can Protect Their Donor Data in the Cloud ([BizTech]( Nonprofits and the Law - Lawsuit Says Charity Leader Hired His Former Personal Trainer for Key Role ([New York Times]( - Civil-Rights Group Sues Large Tex. County Over Closing Polling Places ([Houston Chronicle]( - Common Cause Georgia Sues FEC Over Dismissed Complaint That Conservative Nonprofit Broke Finance Rules ([Georgia Recorder]( - Employee of Washington State Charity May Have Embezzled $1 Million, Spokane Officials Say ([Spokane Spokesman-Review]( Major Gifts - Paul Allen Foundation, Artsfund to Provide $10 Million to Washington State Arts Groups ([Seattle Times]( - Ohio’s Miami U. Launches Fundraising Campaign With Largest Gift in Its History — $46 Million ([Cincinnati Enquirer]( Museums - The Smithsonian Returns a Trove of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria ([Smithsonian]( - British Museum Urged to Drop BP Sponsor Deal for Egypt Exhibition ([Guardian]( - Black History Museum to Face Trial Over Plans for Charlottesville’s Robert E. Lee Monument ([VPM]( - Beleaguered Philadelphia Museum of Art Disables Social Media Comments ([Hyperallergic]( - Leonard Stern’s Cycladic Art Will Be Shown at the Met but Owned by Greece ([New York Times]( SPONSOR CONTENT | Center for Creative Leadership [Fundraisers Are Leaders: 4 Fundamentals to Increase Impact]( Find out how the 4 fundamentals skills of leadership – communication, influence, learning agility, and self-awareness – can help you create more impact and fundraising success. EDITOR'S PICKS DATA [Wealthy Donors Want Their Giving to Be Different Than Their Parents’, New Study Says]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( But 82 percent of parents who give believe their children share their philanthropic goals. RACIAL EQUITY [W.K. Kellogg Foundation Awards $80 Million in Bold Plan to Curb Racism by 2030]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( More than 1,400 applicants were narrowed down to 10, which were each awarded $1 million to hire staff members and consultants and take other steps to refine their ideas without straining their current operations. FUNDRAISING OUTLOOK [As Recession Fears Grow, Economy Shows Troubling Signs for Giving]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( Stubbornly high inflation rates and painful stock-market declines have complicated the outlook for the end-of-year giving season, a crucial time for most nonprofits that rely heavily on donations from individuals. OPINION [Typical Post-Disaster Giving Practices Could Hamper Hurricane Ian Recovery]( By Ben Smilowitz [STORY IMAGE]( Large relief organizations continue to receive the bulk of philanthropic funds following disasters despite well-documented evidence that they are least capable of providing help on the ground. Tapping into community foundations and identifying effective local nonprofits are far better strategies for getting dollars where they need to go. VIDEO [Smart Fundraising: How to Streamline and Innovate]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( In the lead up to the year-end fundraising season, nonprofits can benefit from trying out innovative strategies for connecting with donors, say three development leaders during an online briefing organized by the Chronicle. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join Our Webinar]( — Many charities have attracted new donors in the past few tumultuous years, and now fundraisers have an opportunity to inspire them to become loyal midlevel donors. This key group often accounts for more than a third of a nonprofit’s total gifts each year. How can your nonprofit attract midlevel donors, recognize their generosity, inspire loyalty, and build community? Join us on demand, or live on Thursday, October 13, at 2 p.m. Eastern, to learn from a veteran fundraiser at the Arbor Day Foundation where the ranks of midlevel donors are growing, as well as from a consultant who advises numerous charities on how to maximize giving at this level. You’ll get proven ways to engage donors — virtually and in person — and real-world examples you can adapt for your organization. Register before Oct. 6 to get the early-bird rate. [Sign up today.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Chief Marketing and Development Officer]( Detroit Opera [Director / Major Gifts (Fairfield County)]( Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Inc [Chief Advancement Officer]( Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity [Vice Chancellor for Advancement and External Affairs]( Indiana University Northwest [Search other jobs.]( NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. [Chronicle of Philanthropy Logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. 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