The Pandemic Left Some Nonprofits Stronger

Plus, as technology use explodes in classrooms, philanthropy must help ensure all students benefit (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 [How the Pandemic Left Some Nonprofits Stronger Than Before]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( Despite forecasts of doom at the start of Covid, many nonprofits emerged fiscally stronger, thanks in part to government and foundation emergency relief as well as a surge in individual giving. Plus, see the rest of our special report on how nonprofits are [rebuilding after Covid](. ADVERTISEMENT OPINION [As Technology Use Explodes in Classrooms, Philanthropy Must Help Ensure All Students Benefit]( By John Overdeck [STORY IMAGE]( More evidence is needed to gauge whether these tech tools help students succeed. That will require greater donor support for new innovations and large-scale research. 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.]( [Optimize Your Data and Segment Donors]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join us on Tuesday, May 11, at 2 p.m. Eastern for a 75-minute session to learn simple steps you can take right away to enhance your donor records and customize your outreach to give supporters information and appeals that resonate. We’ll share real-world examples of personalized messages that make the most of donor data to improve fundraising results. Can’t make the live event? Watch on demand. [Register by May 4 for the early-bird rate.]( SPONSOR CONTENT | Center for Creative Leadership [Building Stronger Relationships with Boards & Staff]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online Some nonprofits quickly vowed to return funds received from FTX’s charitable arm after the exchange folded last year, but stuck in limbo are academic researchers who were granted millions of dollars from the FTX Future Fund. Students and faculty at prestigious universities in the United States and Britain had won money to attend school or to study areas of interest to the community of effective altruists that had guided the fund, including artificial intelligence, bio threats, and economic growth. Some of those students have dropped out for fear they will have to repay the grants as part of FTX’s bankruptcy proceedings. Other scholars are torn about whether to use the money or to return it, given that it might have been purloined from investors in FTX as part of a fraudulent scheme prosecutors allege was orchestrated by FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. ([Cointelegraph]( and [Reuters]( A Boston nonprofit that promotes progressive business practices has lost most of its board members over its handling of a complaint about racism and sexual harassment. The rupture stems from a complaint by a Latina employee of the Alliance for Business Leadership, who said a male colleague suggested she received a promotion because of her gender and ethnicity and made inappropriate sexual comments to her. Board members who left in March said they learned of the complaint well after the fact. One said leaders of the organization, which champions workplace inclusion and liberal labor practices, had “bottled this up, papered this over, and circled the wagons.” The episode has also cost the group support from the Barr Foundation, a major backer, which denied funding for a search for a new president, citing workplace-culture issues. The board chairman, who remains, said the alliance hired outside lawyers to review the complaint and its investigation and the organization’s policies and procedures. The target of the complaint said he learned about it on the same day the organization told him he was exonerated. ([Boston Globe]( More News - There’s a New Group Helping Trans People Flee the U.S. ([Vice]( - Hoboken Woman Posed as CPA to Defraud 100 Nonprofits, Feds Say ([Hoboken Patch]( - Myriam Ullens, Philanthropic Baroness With a Disputed Fortune, Dies at 70 ([New York Times]( Arts and Culture - New Chicago Cultural Center Exhibit Showcases Philanthropic African Americans ([NBC Chicago]( - Not Picassos, but Still Precious: Museums Return Silver Lost to the Nazis ([New York Times]( - At 85, Agnes Gund Isn’t Finished Transforming Philanthropy in Art ([W Magazine]( 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 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](. SURVEY [Americans Know Little About Charities — and Very Few Think Nonprofits Can Solve Problems, Poll Finds]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( The first comprehensive study to measure public attitudes on foundations and nonprofits shows Americans have little knowledge of the difference organizations make in their lives. Just a third say they make a lot of difference to society. 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. VIDEO [Experts Share Ways to Motivate and Retain Fundraisers]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( A panel of fundraising and human resources experts discuss how nonprofit leaders can incentivize fundraisers — and keep them on the job — even with a shoestring budget. 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. SPONSOR CONTENT | The James Irvine Foundation [Empowerment and Employment for Survivors of Human Trafficking]( “People closest to the problems and the stories are also closest to the solutions.” 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 [Business Development Manager (Based anywhere in the US)]( Bellingcat [Search other jobs.]( [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