Nonprofits After Covid — Burnout, Chaos, but Also Success

Plus, how to keep donors in the fold who plan to give less this year, and how expensive fundraising conferences perpetuate inequity (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](. FINANCE AND REVENUE [The Post-Covid Nonprofit: Burnout, Chaos, and the Search for Staff and New Revenue]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( The “new normal” is wreaking havoc on staffing, business models, and peace of mind. How the job of leading a charity has become a crisis that never ends. Plus, see the rest of our [April issue]( posted online today. ADVERTISEMENT WHAT DONORS ARE THINKING [A Fourth of Donors Plan to Give Less in 2023. Here’s How to Keep Them in the Fold.]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( Personal finances and inflation are weakening people’s confidence. OPINION [Expensive Fundraising Conferences Perpetuate Inequity. It’s Time for a New Approach.]( By Armando Enrique Zumaya [STORY IMAGE]( Small nonprofits, especially those that serve people of color, are routinely shut out of pricey fundraising events. As a result, they have fewer opportunities to learn new skills that would help their organizations grow. GIFT ROUNDUP [Purdue U. Pharmacy College Gets $20 Million to Launch New Program]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( Plus, the University of New Hampshire landed $20 million to assist honors students, UVA got $10 million to develop more socially conscious business leaders, and a foundation that raises money for a veterans museum landed $10 million for a new building. Webinars [How to Identify and Prioritize Key Donors and Prospects]( [STORY IMAGE]( Savvy fundraisers know it’s essential to figure out which donors and potential supporters are likely to give most generously — and prioritize them. But at many nonprofit organizations, this process involves a lot of guesswork and missed opportunities. So we’ve assembled an expert in donor research, along with a successful chief development officer, to show you how to gather data to help you invest limited resources wisely. Join us live on Thursday, April 20, at 2 p.m. Eastern. [Register Now.]( Note to Readers Because of spring break, we are sending you Philanthropy Today on an abbreviated schedule this week. We will be back in your inbox on Thursday, and in the meantime, we will post any news as it happens. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online Students and faculty at Harvard University are objecting after a prestigious climate-research grant went to a researcher there who sits on the board of a major oil company. Jody Freeman, an expert on environmental and energy law and a former Obama White House adviser, recently won funding from the university’s new Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability. But Freeman is a paid board member of ConocoPhillips, and a group of pro-divestment professors argue that the grant is at odds with the institute’s pledge not to work with “any company that does not share the goal of moving our global economy away from fossil fuels.” They also question how she can square her fiduciary responsibility to the company with her sustainability work. Freeman said she is an independent board member, but in a separate letter some Harvard students note that ConocoPhillips “remains [further from Paris alignment]( than almost all of its peer investor-owned fossil-fuel companies” and suggest the company is “co-opting the respect and legitimacy” accorded Freeman. ([Guardian]( As incidents of hate surge, a Massachusetts nonprofit is helping families pull their children back from the brink of extremism. Parents for Peace often hears from families who are desperate for help after seeking aid elsewhere. Myrieme Churchill, a psychotherapist and the group’s executive director, said its help line was particularly busy during the pandemic, as isolation led many young people to dangerous online communities. The parents of one young man, now in college, whom the group helped said the organization stood apart from other groups they tried because it worked with the entire family. “Wherever the grief is, that’s where we need to go, and that’s where the journey starts,” Churchill said. Andrew Dreyfus, a former CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts who is now helping Parents for Peace raise funds, said, “They are an extraordinary organization and one-of-its-kind.” ([Boston Globe]( More News - These Ukrainians Arrived Under a Biden Program. They Ended Up Homeless. ([New York Times]( - Tensions Flare Inside NPR After Staff Layoffs and Town Halls ([Bloomberg]( - U.N. Food Chief Says Nations and Billionaires Need to Step Up to Avert Starvation, Unrest ([Associated Press]( Nonprofit Innovation - Walton Family Foundation Creates Pilot “Nonprofit Hub” ([Axios NW Arkansas]( - Street Lab Is Bringing Pop-Up Reading Rooms and Playgrounds to New York City’s Open Streets and Plazas. ([New York Times]( - How a British Missing-Persons Charity Solves Cold Cases Using Expert Volunteers ([Guardian]( Commentary and Analysis - Behind Trump Indictment, the Right Wing Finds a Familiar Villain in Soros ([New York Times]( - Finding the Right Place in the World to Be Helpful ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) - Why MrBeast Faces So Much Criticism for Philanthropy ([Deseret News]( - It’s Time to Hold Nonprofit Hospitals in N.C. Accountable ([Asheville Citizen Times]( - The Real Reason the Getty And National Portrait Gallery’s Joint Acquisition Is a Big Deal ([Los Angeles Times]( Note: In the links in this section, we flag articles that only subscribers can access. But because some journalism outlets offer a limited number of free articles, readers may encounter barriers with other articles we highlight in this roundup. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Editor's Picks PHILANTHROPY HISTORIES [More Foundations Are Examining the Ethics of Where Their Money Came From — and Changing Their Grant Making]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( Grant makers are hiring historians and taking other steps to learn whether their founders harmed people or the environment to get rich and then deciding how best to make up for what has caused the problems of today. FUNDRAISING IN TOUGH TIMES [Monthly Giving Can Help Nonprofits Weather Economic Uncertainty. Here’s How to Do It Well.]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( Longtime monthly donors have shown they really care about an organization’s mission. Experts say groups shouldn’t be afraid to ask them for additional gifts. OPINION | WHAT WE'VE LEARNED [To Get Life-Saving Items to Ukraine, We Created Our Own Supply Chain]( By Ariel Zwang [STORY IMAGE]( Nonprofit aid organizations need to consider more creative approaches to addressing the growing humanitarian toll of the war in Ukraine, including how to get food, medicine, and other critical goods to those who are struggling to survive. OPINION [Gates Foundation Should Match Its Massive Global Giving With a Massive Commitment to Accountability]( By Stephanie Amoako and Gregory Berry [STORY IMAGE]( Despite pledging billions to help communities around the world, the Gates Foundation has no formal mechanism for tracking the potential environmental and social harms of their investments. Such accountability systems are critical to effective philanthropy. INTERVIEW [Ford’s Darren Walker Urges Philanthropy to Do More to Fight Injustices]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( In an interview with the Chronicle, Walker talks about the broad array of approaches grant makers can take to achieve real change in society — and fends off the criticism that has surrounded big philanthropy in recent years. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join Our Next Webinar]( — Savvy fundraisers know it’s essential to figure out which donors and potential supporters are likely to give most generously — and then decide whom to cultivate first. But at many nonprofit organizations, this process involves a lot of guesswork and missed opportunities for gifts. That’s why we've assembled an expert in donor research, along with a successful chief development officer, to show you how to gather the data you need to wisely invest your limited staff time and fundraising budget. Join us live on Thursday, April 20, at 2 p.m. Eastern for a 75-minute session (or watch on demand) to get practical guidance on creating a road map for identifying and building stronger ties with those donors who have the greatest potential to support your work. You'll get tips on mining your database to reveal promising donor behaviors and traits, tools you can use to find solid prospects, and ways to deepen relationships with your leading supporters. [Register today.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Development Director, Mid-Atlantic (Remote/NYC)]( Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship [President (Remote Location)]( The Better Angels Society [Director of Development, Institute for Policy Studies]( Institute for Policy Studies [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](. 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