Free Data-Analytics Tool Helps Test Fundraising Fitness

Plus, aviation-law expert John Hoyns gives Colgate University $20 million 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](. ADVICE [How the Columbus Zoo Tests the Fitness of Its Fundraising Program]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( The nonprofit revved up small-gift donations with a free data-analytics product offered by the Fundraising Effectiveness Project. ADVERTISEMENT GIFTS ROUNDUP [Aviation-Law Expert John Hoyns Gives Colgate University $20 Million]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( Plus, a lumber heir left a large bequest to two Bangor, Me., hospitals, and Los Angeles philanthropist Wallis Annenberg is giving $10 million to a Beverly Hills performing-arts center she helped to launch 10 years ago. Webinars [Attract Corporate Support for Your Fundraising Event]( [STORY IMAGE]( In-person events are back, bringing lots of joyful reunions, but rising costs for food, entertainment, and more are a challenge. Securing corporate support for your next gathering is a smart way to defray costs and strengthen ties with corporate donors. Join us for a 75-minute webinar on Thursday, June 8, at 2 p.m. Eastern, to gain insights into the corporate-giving landscape in 2023, which strategies are working now, and why. [Register by June 1 to get the early-bird rate.]( SPONSOR CONTENT | The James Irvine Foundation [The Road to Equality in the Workplace]( Online Briefings [Tomorrow: ‘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 tomorrow, 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 now for this free session.]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online After failing to woo Bill Gates to put money into a new charitable fund, Jeffrey Epstein suggested he might reveal an affair that Gates had several years earlier, sources said. In 2011, Epstein urged JPMorgan Chase to set up a multibillion-dollar philanthropic fund, seeded with $100 million contributions from the world’s richest people, chief among them Gates. Seeking millions of dollars in fees and to salvage his reputation, the convicted sex offender implied to the firm that he was a close adviser to Gates. But Gates never invested and the fund never took off. Several years later Epstein wrote to Gates asking for reimbursement for financial assistance he had provided to a former paramour of the married philanthropist. “The tone of the message was that Epstein knew about the affair and could expose it,” people familiar with the matter said. A spokeswoman for Gates said he did not pay and that his relationship with Epstein was based solely on philanthropic matters. ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) With this year on track to set a record for mass shootings, some gun-control advocates say the momentum is shifting their way. Over the past year, the signs of change include a jump in the number of Students Demand Action chapters at high schools and colleges from 374 to more than 600; a new embrace of the issue in Asian-American communities; and even a three-mile human chain of protest in Tennessee formed by a new gun-safety group that includes Republicans. Progress is still slow in Republican-controlled legislatures, but two trend lines — the mounting toll of those affected by gun violence and the marked political engagement of Generation Z — give activists hope for the future. ([Washington Post]( Background from the Chronicle: [10 Years After Sandy Hook: a Movement Reborn]( More News - Catholic Charity Leaders Alarmed by Republican Efforts to Tie Debt Ceiling Debate to Work Requirements ([America]( - N.Y. Homeless Men Say They Were Offered Money to Pose as Military Veterans and Falsely Claim They Were Pushed Out of a Hotel to Make Room for Migrants ([CNN]( - L.A. Priest to Exit Union Rescue Mission After 20 Years Serving the Destitute and Needling the Powerful ([Los Angeles Times]( - Berkeley’s $220 Million Mistake Exposed in Massive Deal With China ([Daily Beast]( - The Dodgers Booted the Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence. Then Came a Big-League Backlash ([Los Angeles Times]( - How a Cat Rescue Worker Created an Internet Splash With a ‘Catvana’ Adoption Campaign ([NPR]( - Mini Golf, Massive Topics: Feminist Course Opens as Teaching Tool in Middlebury ([VTDigger]( - The Charitable Foundations and Local Agencies Stepping In to Support Industry Members During the Writers Strike ([Hollywood Reporter]( Big Donors - In Sam Zell, Chicago Has Lost a Big Giver to City Arts and Education Groups ([Crain’s Chicago Business]( - He Donates £2.1 Million a Day. Meet the UK’s Most Generous Man ([Times]( Opinion - How to Change a Life for 50 Cents ([New York Times]( - In Mont., a Lawsuit Backed by an Out-of-State Nonprofit May Provide a Road Map for Future Climate Litigation ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) 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. SPONSOR CONTENT | The James Irvine Foundation [Investing in an Economy of Belonging]( How one organization is working towards reinstituting morals in our economy. Editor's Picks DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION [Ballmer Group Awards $42.5 Million to Help More Than 100 Black-Led Groups Expand]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( The grants will support organizations that are less than two years old and focused on improving economic mobility. DIVERSITY IN FUNDRAISING [New Tool Aims to Help Fundraising Teams Improve Diversity]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( The Council for Advancement and Support of Education created the assessment to help university development departments take stock of their diversity and inclusion efforts, but any nonprofit with a fundraising team can use it. NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT [How the Ford Foundation Helped Grantees With an Unusual Problem: a Surge of Cash]( By Sono Motoyama [STORY IMAGE]( Staff burnout, lack of clarity about an organization’s values, and the pace of hiring are among the challenges that prompted nonprofit leaders inundated with surprise gifts to turn to consultants — and one another. 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 [People-Powered Movements Helped Our Grandfathers Push Through the New Deal. They Can Save Those Programs Now.]( By James Roosevelt Jr. and Henry Scott Wallace [STORY IMAGE]( House Republican budget proposals over the debt ceiling threaten many programs put in place by FDR and his vice president, Henry A. Wallace. The answer, say their grandsons, is to support social movements that hold those in power accountable. 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. 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