Muslim Donors Use DAFs and New Tech Tools to Give During Ramadan

Plus, the billionaire financier Kenneth Griffin gives Harvard $300 million, and the Hess Corporation commits $50 million to boost plants’ role in mitigating climate change 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](. RAMADAN GIVING [Muslim Donors Embrace New Technology, Giving Methods During Ramadan]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( More are using donor-advised funds and other progressive methods to share during the holy month. ADVERTISEMENT BIG GIFTS [Billionaire Financier Kenneth Griffin Gives Harvard $300 Million]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( The new gift brings the Citadel founder’s lifetime support of his alma mater to more than $500 million. GRANTS ROUNDUP [Hess Corporation Commits $50 Million to Bolster Plants’ Role in Mitigating Climate Change]( By M.J. Prest [STORY IMAGE]( Also, a $40 million grant to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Southern California will support a new partnership in biomedical research, and 31 nonprofit groups with Muslim leaders will share $2 million from the Pillars Catalyze Fund. 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 | AWS [Supercharge Your Fundraising Efforts with Financial and Tech Support]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online The leaders of a Canadian foundation honoring the late Pierre Trudeau have stepped down over a controversy about money it received allegedly from the Chinese government. Named for the former prime minister, the foundation largely provides scholarships and no longer has a connection with his son, the current prime minister Justin Trudeau. But press reports say an intelligence leak revealed that two Chinese businessmen who donated 200,000 Canadian dollars in 2016 were to be secretly reimbursed by the Chinese government as part of a larger campaign to curry favor with the Canadian government and support Trudeau’s Liberal Party against the Conservatives in two elections. The Chinese government was also allegedly prepared to underwrite 750,000 dollars for scholarships at the University of Montreal’s law school, of which the school received 550,000 dollars. The foundation said it has returned the portion of the donation received and that the politicization of the contribution made the status quo untenable. The leader of the Conservative Party has called for an investigation into the foundation. ([New York Times]( Ukrainians continue to dig deep to support the war effort, even amid occupation and attacks. Crowdfunding campaigns for military equipment, support for soldiers, or even undisclosed intelligence tools rack up millions of dollars. Donors range from large foundations to an 11-year-old checkers whiz, from families giving their modest life savings to online bank customers leaving small sums in “tip jars.” The combined efforts have raised almost $1 billion since the start of the war last year. A rough calculation is that Ukrainians account for 80 percent of the donations to these campaigns, but as the war drags on, organizers say they will need to rely more on foreign help. ([Fast Company]( More News - Md. Governor to Court Philanthropists in Britain During First Overseas Trip ([Washington Post]( - US Charity Says 2 Staff Killed in Ethiopia ([Agence France-Presse]( - Strained by Housing Crisis, Mass. Funneling Millions of Dollars Each Month to Shore Up Shelter System for Homeless Families ([Boston Globe]( Plus: The Cost of Homelessness: 5 Southeastern N.C. Nonprofits Invest Nearly $11 Million a Year ([Port City Daily]( - Nation’s First Religious Charter School Could Be Coming to Okla. ([New York Times]( - Kresge Foundation CEO Rip Rapson on Pairing Philanthropy With the American Rescue Plan Act ([Axios Detroit]( 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 [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](. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 [Director of Individual Giving, Theater Industry]( Northern Stage [Vice President of Institutional Advancement]( American Rivers [Leadership Giving Manager III]( Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Inc [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