New Donors Join Bill Gates and Others on List of Top Philanthropists

Plus, how nonprofits can bring Americans back to volunteering (opinion) ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now follow The Chronicle on [Apple News]( [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. PHILANTHROPY 50 [New Names Join Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg on List of Charity’s 50 Biggest Donors]( By Maria Di Mento and Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( The roster includes not-so-typical megadonors — among them a professional clarinetist, a Ph.D. in meat science, and a lawyer who regularly argues before the U.S. Supreme Court. Plus: See the rest of our [Philanthropy 50 special report]( and our entire [February issue]( posted online today. ADVERTISEMENT OPINION [Americans Are Volunteering Less. What Can Nonprofits Do to Bring Them Back?]( By Leslie Lenkowsky [STORY IMAGE]( Recent surveys showing a decrease in volunteering largely blame the pandemic, but the problem isn’t new. Nonprofits need to figure out how to turn Americans’ desire to lend a hand to neighbors into more formal commitments to help their communities. Webinars [Seeking General-Operating Grants]( [STORY IMAGE]( As salaries and other expenses keep climbing, nonprofits need general-operating support more than ever. How can you make a compelling case for unrestricted support? Join this 75-minute session on Thursday, February 23, for guidance from two executives with strong track records in securing grants to cover overhead expenses. They’ll explain how grant seekers can demonstrate the return unrestricted investments deliver, align with grant makers’ philanthropic goals, and build trust in your nonprofit’s sustainability. [Register Today.]( SPONSOR CONTENT | James Irvine Foundation [Changing the story around poverty]( ONLINE BRIEFINGS [Using Data Analytics to Attract and Retain Members]( [STORY IMAGE]( Trade associations and other nonprofits that rely on membership revenue employ a variety of strategies to recruit and retain people, such as hosting conferences and selling reports and research, but data from these activities often is stored in different places and can be difficult to reconcile with member records. How can nonprofits use data to maximize membership revenue and build community? Join us Tuesday, February 28, at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn from leaders who are putting their data to practical use with good results. [Register Today.]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online A descendant of early benefactors of the University of Richmond is demanding a refund of $3.6 billion for his ancestors’ donations after his great-great grandfather’s name was removed from its law school. Robert C. Smith graduated from the university’s law school when it was named for his ancestor T.C. Williams, who attended the school in the 1840s and later served on its board. Williams gave more than $65,000 to the school, according to Smith, including a $25,000 bequest from his estate. But last year, after a campuswide review, the university removed Williams’s name, along with the names of others who were determined to have owned enslaved people. University officials say public records show that Williams held slaves personally and via tobacco companies he owned. In a letter to University of Richmond President Kevin Hallock, Smith wrote the university had “caved to ‘woke’ activists.” He said the current value of the gifts made by Williams and his son, T.C. Williams Jr., totals $3.6 billion. Smith said he has had no response from the university, but a spokesman said the university heard from more than 7,500 “university community members” before adopting a new policy on naming rights. ([Washington Post]( and [Richmond Times-Dispatch]( Even as more Americans buy guns, the National Rifle Association is losing members and money at a fast clip. In January, the gun-rights nonprofit counted 4.3 million members, well short of the 10-million-member goal that CEO Wayne LaPierre set in 2013 and down from 5 million, where membership had hovered for much of the past decade. As the group faced legal troubles and scandal over its spending practices, member revenue hit a 15-year low of $97 million in 2021, and the number of members contributing more than $200 to its political-action committee has declined by almost 45 percent since 2018. The slide has happened even as a “Democratic president push[ed] for stricter gun laws, a dynamic that typically boosts the NRA’s political operation and bottom line.” The organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A board member and LaPierre critic said the organization’s management has damaged the NRA’s brand. ([Trace]( Plus: David Hogg on the Movement Against Gun Violence, 5 Years After Parkland ([CBS News]( Background from the Chronicle: [The New Gun-Control Movement]( More News - Opioid Settlement Money Is Coming, and 2 Ohio Counties Differ on Ways to Use It ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) - Guided Missile Killed U.S. Aid Worker in Ukraine, Video Shows ([New York Times]( - RIP Medical Debt Seeks to Buy, Resolve More Hospital Debt ([Associated Press](. Background from the Chronicle: [Charities That Curb Medical Debt for the Needy Are Growing Fast — and Innovating]( - This Billionaire Is a Donor Behind the Jesus-Focused Super Bowl Ads ([Forbes]( - How to Make a Difference in Another Country From Philly ([Philadelphia Inquirer]( Opinion - Sam Bankman-Fried’s Real Victims Aren’t in Crypto: Charity Can’t Be Dependent on the Whims of Billionaires. ([Foreign Policy]( - An Ethical Dilemma: What Responsibility Do We Bear for Patronizing Museums That Display What Critics Say Are Stolen Works? ([New York Times]( Editor's Picks GOVERNMENT AND REGULATION [New Report on State Charity Regulation Touches Off Debate About What Helps Nonprofits Thrive]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( The Philanthropy Roundtable, a group of foundation and donors that advocates for a hands-off approach to regulating charities and giving, says states with too many regulations stifle nonprofit creation. But regulators say the study was sloppy and misleading. GIVING DATA [Millennials Had the Biggest Increase in Giving Among the Generations, New Survey Finds]( By Emily Haynes [STORY IMAGE]( Millennial donors turbocharged their giving over the past six years, according to a new report by Giving USA and the fundraising firm Dunham+Company. In 2022, millennial households gave 40 percent more, on average, to charity than they did in 2016 — bumping their average annual contribution up from… OPINION [Refugees Like Me Know What Our Communities Need, but Donors and Large Nonprofits Aren’t Listening]( By Sana Ali Mustafa [STORY IMAGE]( Despite growing philanthropic recognition that the most successful movements are led by oppressed groups themselves, organizations that aid refugees remains mired in their colonial roots and a continued reliance on white so-called experts. ONLINE EVENTS [How to Work a Zoom Room: Engaging Donors at Online Events]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( Nonprofits that hold online events need to be intentional about creating opportunities for participants to get to know one another. “Mingling doesn’t just happen,” says one expert. OPINION | WHAT WE'VE LEARNED [I Know Trusting Grantees Works Because It Propelled My Own Successful Career]( By Holly Fogle [STORY IMAGE]( When others doubted me, one man showed his faith in my ambition to become a business leader. Today, I’m putting that same trust in the grantees and low-income mothers my foundation supports. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Watch Our Webinar]( — As salaries and other expenses continue to climb, nonprofits need general-operating support more than ever. How can you make a successful case for unrestricted support from foundation decision makers? Join this 75-minute webinar on Thursday, February 23, at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn directly from two nonprofit leaders with strong track records in securing grants to cover overhead expenses. They'll explain how they did it and offer guidance on how grant seekers can demonstrate the return unrestricted investments can deliver, align with grant makers' philanthropic goals, and build trust in your nonprofit’s sustainability. Don't miss this chance to boost your odds of receiving unrestricted support. [Register today.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Philanthropic Advisor or Senior Philanthropic Advisor]( OHSU Foundation [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}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2023 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037