California Wellness Foundation Names New CEO

Plus, thanking donors should not be relegated to a chatbot (letter to the editor) 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](. TRANSITIONS [California Wellness Foundation Promotes Richard Tate to President and CEO]( By M.J. Prest [STORY IMAGE]( Also, the Cleveland Foundation has named Lillian Kuri to succeed Ronn Richard as its leader, and the National Gallery of Art will install a new administrator in July. ADVERTISEMENT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [Thanking Donors Is Not Drudgery]( Showing gratitude to those who support nonprofits is a critical task that shouldn’t be relegated to a chatbot. Online Briefings [‘Everyday Megadonors:' A New Force in Giving]( [STORY IMAGE]( There are nearly four times as many Americans worth $50 million or more than there were a decade ago, many of whom keep a low profile. Some savvy fundraisers have built strong ties with these multimillionaires and billionaires. Join us and our panel of experts Tuesday, May 23, at 2 p.m. Eastern to gain insights into how they connect with donors in authentic ways that have led to some of the largest gifts in their histories. [Register today for this free session.]( SPONSOR CONTENT | The James Irvine Foundation [How one organization is working towards reinstituting morals in our economy.]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online A conservative nonprofit that received a staggering windfall in 2021 made nearly $183 million in donations in the 2021-22 tax year, records show. The money handed out by the Marble Freedom Trust, a 501(c)(4) organization that received a $1.6 billion gift in 2021, went to intermediaries, with the ultimate recipients difficult to pin down. It gave $153.8 million to the Schwab Charitable Fund and $28.9 million to the Concord Fund, another 501(c)(4) group that has focused on filling the ranks of the judiciary with conservative judges and “has acted as a funding hub” for like-minded causes. A direct trace beyond that is impossible, but during the filing period, Schwab sent $141.5 million to the 85 Fund, a 501(c)(3) group with ties to Leonard Leo, the Marble Trust’s founder, that backs a nationwide project to restrict voting access. In addition, “some of the money that flows through Mr. Leo’s network of nonprofit groups goes to for-profit companies he controls. In 2021, the 85 Fund paid $21.75 million to CRC Advisors, a consulting firm run by Mr. Leo, according to the 85 Fund’s tax filings.” ([New York Times]( Oklahoma’s Republican governor has vetoed the annual license renewal and spending bill for the state’s public broadcaster, citing what he called the station’s LGBTQ-inclusive programming. Gov. Kevin Stitt decried the “indoctrination and over-sexualization of our children” and said programming by the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority “doesn’t line up with Oklahoma values.” As the only statewide television broadcasting system in Oklahoma, the network reaches 650,000 viewers a week. It operates the only statewide news program and the tornado-prone state’s emergency alert system, in addition to its educational programming. The system receives $2.9 million from the state and $6.3 million from donors and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. A board member and past president of the Friends of OETA nonprofit said the veto is a first and “we just don’t know” what the station will do if it is not overridden. ([CNN]( More News - Southern Baptists Lost Nearly Half a Million Members in 2022 ([Religion News Service]( - Ohio Foundation With $440 Million in Opioid Settlement Money Must Make Records Public ([Columbus Dispatch]( - Report: “Sharp increase” in Crimes Against Abortion Clinics Post-Roe ([Axios]( - Adidas Finally Reveals Its Plan for Millions of Unsold Yeezy Shoes: to Sell Them for Charity ([MarketWatch]( - Calif. Christian Nonprofit Punished for Feeding Homeless People Gains Backing of Justice Department ([Los Angeles Times]( - Pope Warns Charity Network Caritas Against ‘Worldly Ways of Thinking’ ([National Catholic Reporter]( - New Colo. Law Requires Nonprofit Hospitals to Explain Their “Community Benefit” in Greater Detail ([Denver Post]( Nonprofit Innovation - Could the Government Help End Intergenerational Poverty With $3,500 for Each Child? ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription). Background from the Chronicle: [Creating Wealth With ‘Baby Bonds’]( - For Turning ‘Mines to Vines,’ Founder of Roots of Peace Wins World Food Prize ([Associated Press]( - Proposed Affordable Housing Campus Could Transform Part of East Providence., R.I. A Collaborative of Nonprofits Is Seeking $28 Million to Do It. ([Boston Globe](. Background from the Chronicle: [Everyone Should Care About Housing]( Opinion - Choose the Activism That Won’t Make You Miserable ([Atlantic]( - Attacking Art Isn’t Climate ‘Protest.’ It’s Vandalism ([Washington Post]( 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 ARTS AND CULTURE [Race, Shakespeare, and a Theater’s Fight to Survive]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s artistic director — the first person of color in the role — departs amid criticism that her plan to save the American theater drove away donors and patrons. Supporters say bias and racism marred her tenure. EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP [Philanthropy Roundtable CEO Elise Westhoff Is Stepping Down]( By Jim Rendon [STORY IMAGE]( She says she wants to focus more on her family and that her efforts as CEO to raise the group’s public profile through sometimes controversial opinion articles and public appearances have appealed to the values that the group’s members share. WORK AND CAREERS [Bonuses Can Help Nonprofits Stretch Budgets and Retain Fundraisers]( By Emily Haynes [STORY IMAGE]( Workplace culture plays a crucial role in how well incentive compensation works to draw in potential hires. OPINION [What Grant Making in Russia Taught Us About How to Address the Assault on American Democracy]( By Yelena V Litvinov and Tatyana Margolin [STORY IMAGE]( A dissident lawmaker is expelled by the legislature’s majority for supporting a popular protest movement. The lawmaker argues that the move was politically motivated following his participation in a protest. Outside experts call the expulsion a dangerous sign of increasing authoritarianism. OPINION [The End of the Covid Health Emergency Must Not Spell the End of Progress Toward Health Equity]( By Amy Pisani [STORY IMAGE]( Philanthropic support helped fill gaps in government funding to ensure coronavirus vaccines and care were available to everyone. Those investments are still needed to sustain the long-needed public-health infrastructure built during the pandemic — and to prepare the nation for the next health crisis. SPONSOR CONTENT | The James Irvine Foundation [The Road to Equality in the Workplace]( An organization on a mission to build a Black worker-led movement that successfully organizes for quality jobs and economic and social mobility. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join Our Next Webinar]( — Donors are showing increased interest in planned giving since the pandemic began: In a recent survey, 60 percent of fundraisers said they were seeing a spike in interest in bequests. Plus, many donors are pledging larger gifts. Yet charities often miss out on planned gifts because they don't ask supporters to consider leaving one. How can you increase planned giving to your nonprofit without spending a lot? Join us on Thursday, June 8, at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn from two experts simple yet effective ways to inspire loyal donors to make planned gifts. They'll share smart ways to identify and cultivate donors, to make it easy to give, and to promote planned giving to donors of all ages. They'll also provide tips for stewarding donors and advice for taking planned giving to the next level at your organization. [Register today.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Major Gifts Director]( Native American Rights Fund [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