Rockefeller Foundation's Big-Bets Approach to Philanthropy, Explained

Plus, how to segment your donors and design customized outreach. ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. [No Apologies: Rajiv Shah Stands By Rockefeller’s Top-Down Approach]( By Marc Gunther [STORY IMAGE]( Even as MacKenzie Scott and the Ford Foundation popularize unrestricted giving, the Rockefeller Foundation maintains an experts-know-best approach to grant making. ADVERTISEMENT FOUNDATION GIVING [Rockefeller’s Rajiv Shah: Highest Paid CEO Among Big Foundations]( By Marc Gunther [STORY IMAGE]( His management style has sown discontent among some, but he also has admirers. MACARTHUR FELLOWS [Profiles in Doing Good: Meet This Year’s ‘Genius Grant’ Winners]( By Thalia Beaty, Associated Press [STORY IMAGE]( Among the 2023 fellows are the U.S. poet laureate, an author of multiple books on resistance and activism of Black Americans, a master hula teacher trying to preserve Hawaiian culture, and the co-founder of Protect Democracy. DONOR SEGMENTATION [Tips for Segmenting Donors and Tailoring Your Outreach — to Raise More]( By Lisa Schohl [STORY IMAGE]( Getting this right takes good donor data, a smart strategy, and time. But the most important thing is to try, experts say. Webinars [Smart Ways to Attract Online Donors]( [STORY IMAGE]( Before you finalize your year-end fundraising strategy, join us on Thursday, October 12, at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn which online tactics are getting the best results now. You’ll learn from a vice president of online communications and a veteran fundraiser who oversees alumni engagement as they explain how to run successful online advertising campaigns, strategically time emails to maximize donor engagement, and work with social-media influencers to amplify your message, among other smart strategies. [Register by October 5 to get the early-bird rate.]( [Corporate Grant Seeking in the Current Climate]( [STORY IMAGE]( Corporations gave nearly $30 billion to charities in 2022, but many companies are redefining the focus of their giving. Company structures are changing, and grant makers feel greater pressure to show the impact of their donated dollars. How can nonprofits adjust to these changes and attract corporate support? What do companies seek from nonprofits? Join us on Thursday, October 26, at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn from a highly successful fundraiser and a leader who helps execute Boeing’s philanthropic efforts. [Register today.]( SPONSOR CONTENT | James Irvine Foundation [Paving the Path to Gender Equity in Construction]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online The lawyer behind Texas’s six-week abortion ban is seeking patient and provider information from abortion funds in a lawsuit over the statute’s constitutionality. Jonathan Mitchell is using the discovery process in the litigation, which was brought by groups that help Texans continue to have access to abortion, to get information including “the city and state where each patient lived, the names of the abortion providers, and the identities of nearly every person who helped the patients.” Executives at some of the funds called the move an intimidation tactic and have asked for a protective order keeping the information private. ([Intercept]( Background from the Chronicle: - [Abortion Funds Face Slowdown in Giving a Year After Supreme Court Ruling]( - [More abortion coverage]( Chicago’s culture and arts scene is in crisis, with budgets and attendance yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, according to a new report. Most dramatically, attendance at performances is down 59 percent, as theaters struggle to win back audiences now accustomed to staying home, the report found. The changed audience habits are compounded by flat donations and the end of pandemic-era government support. As a result, many of the city’s cultural institutions have slashed their budgets or even put operations on hold. ([Chicago Sun-Times]( The MacArthur Awards - When the Phone Rings and the Voice Says: You’ve Won a MacArthur Award ([New York Times]( - ‘Genius Grant’ Winners Work on Climate, Democracy, Abortion Research ([Washington Post]( - This Macarthur ‘Genius’ Knew the Initial Theory Of COVID Transmission Was Flawed ([NPR]( More News - Texas County Drops Funding for Girls Inc., Citing Its Support for LGBTQ, Abortion Rights ([Dallas Morning News]( - In Historic Pick, Boston University Names Dr. Melissa Gilliam to Be Next President ([Boston Globe]( - A Hollywood-Backed Nonprofit’s App Promises to Identify Sex Traffickers, But Critics Say It Endangers Survivors ([Forbes]( - Opinion: As Conservative Groups Attack the Fearless Fund And Minority-Led Venture Capital, Hope Can Be Found in the Surrounding Support Systems ([Boston Globe]( - Leader of Giffords Gun Control Group Calls It Quits ([Politico]( - Justices Hear Civil Rights Dispute About Disability Activist ([New York Times]( - Nonprofit Group Plans Ad Campaign Using AI Misinfo to Fight AI Misinfo ([Politico]( Big Gifts - ‘Momentous Gift': Alex & Cheryl Fairly Donate $20 Million to Fund The Hill Institute at West Texas A&M University ([KVII]( - Hillandale Farms Founder Donating $25 Million to University Of Pittsburgh After a Doctor Gave Him a ‘Better Life’ ([Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]( Arts and Culture - The Director of HBO’s ‘Savior Complex’ on the Perils of ‘White Saviorism’ ([New York Times]( - Carnegie Museums Adopt New Human Remains Policy, Remove Iconic Diorama ([WESA]( - The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Global Licensing Ambitions Are Getting Even Bigger ([ARTnews]( - The Portland Art Museum Ditches its Docents, Raising Questions About Race, Class and Especially Age ([Willamette Week]( - Madonna Is Using Her Celebration Tour To Raise Money For Charity ([Forbes]( - Nonprofit, First Book, Working to Give Children Access to Banned Books ([KOIN]( 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 CORPORATE GIVING [What Happened to Big — and Local — Corporate Giving?]( By Eden Stiffman [STORY IMAGE]( Companies are giving away a smaller share of profits than they used to. Where does that leave the nonprofits in their backyards? OPINION [It’s Open Season on Civil Rights. Philanthropy Must Not Retreat.]( By Stacey Abrams and Julián Castro [STORY IMAGE]( As a new Supreme Court session begins today, an onslaught of lawsuits will use the affirmative-action decision to try to chip away at other rights. Donors should prepare to fight back and recommit to funding racial justice. DATA [Big Donors Give Bigger: Charity Dependence on the Wealthy Grows, Survey Says]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( The study says volunteering can spark big gifts, but that the share of wealthy people who volunteer, while on the uptick, is still below pre-pandemic levels. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join our next webinar]( — It can be difficult to develop a year-end drive that stands out from the crowd ― and hits fundraising goals — even in the best of times. But as inflation continues to pinch, and individual charitable giving continues its downward slide, this year’s so-called giving season could be quite challenging. Before you finalize your year-end fundraising strategy, join us to learn which online tactics are getting the best results now. Join us October 12 at 2 p.m. Eastern learn from a vice president of online communication and a veteran fundraiser who oversees alumni engagement. They’ll explain what it takes to create a successful online advertising campaign, how to strategically time emails to maximize donor engagement, and creative ways to work with social-media influencers to amplify your message. [Register now.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Apply today](http://). [Vice President for University Advancement]( California State Polytechnic University, Pomona [Executive Director of Annual Giving and Donor Experience]( Centre College [Office Worker / Administrative Assistant]( figureflipping [Individual Giving Officer (Hybrid Location)]( Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation [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