MacKenzie Scott's Chosen Ones — Her 1,964 Grantees Analyzed

Plus, lessons from the NRA's scandals; and the nonprofits helping college athletes get paid ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. BIG GIFTS [What MacKenzie Scott Wants in a Grantee — a New Analysis Offers Clues]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( Harvard researchers mined information about the maverick philanthropist’s nearly 2,000 grants to offer the best window yet into the types of organizations she favors. ADVERTISEMENT NONPROFIT TRUSTEES [A Lesson From the Wayne LaPierre-NRA Scandal: ‘Designated Contrarians’ Could Improve Nonprofit Boards]( By Dana Brakman Reiser [STORY IMAGE]( They can disrupt the kind of consensus and groupthink that contributed to the National Rifle Association’s woes. SPORTS [NIL Nonprofits Can’t Lose in College Football Playoff Championship]( By Thalia Beaty and Glenn Gamboa, Associated Press [STORY IMAGE]( Numerous Name, Image, Likeness organizations, which help college athletes get compensated, have sprung up since a Supreme Court decided to allow the NCAA to pay student athletes for use of their brands, but few are nonprofits. GIFTS ROUNDUP [Minnesota’s Richest Man Gives Land Worth $172 Million to Benefit Nonprofits in the State]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( Plus, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, the Ehlers-Danlos Society, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and an Outward Bound education program all received large sums. WEBINARS [January 18, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( How can you keep supporters connected to, and inspired by, your cause in uncertain times? Join us for the webinar Developing a Donor-Engagement Plan for 2024 to get tips and tactics for mapping out a year-long strategy that you can adjust as conditions warrant. You’ll learn how to prioritize tactics and communication channels that get results, keep your cause top of mind among supporters, and lay a strong foundation for year-end fundraising appeals. SPONSOR CONTENT | Community Heart & Soul [Helping Residents Find Their ‘Heart & Soul’ Through Civic Engagement]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online The National Rifle Association’s longtime leader, Wayne LaPierre, has announced that he is stepping down, as a corruption trial against the nonprofit gets under way in New York City, capping years of declining fortunes and allegations of self-dealing and improper spending. ([New York Times]( A nonprofit backed by financial and policy luminaries, including hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin and former CIA directors John Brennan and James Woolsey, is putting $100 million into a company seeking to legalize the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs, focusing on MDMA to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder. ([Bloomberg]( Background from the Chronicle: [A Psychedelic Renaissance]( More News - NIL Collectives Take Tax Shelter Amid Storm of College Cash ([Sportico]( - Hunger Grows: As More San Diegans Struggled to Eat, Donations to Food Nonprofits Fell ([San Diego Union-Tribune]( - Interfaith Coalition Urges R.I. Officials to Address Poverty ([Boston Globe]( - Mackenzie Scott’s Donations to Chicago Nonprofits Tapered Off in 2023 ([Crain’s Chicago Business]( - Online Shopping Returns Are Rising. This Va. Nonprofit Finds a New Home for Discarded Purchases. ([Washington Post]( - New Plan Calls for State-Created Nonprofit to Run Preakness, Operate Maryland’s Racing Industry ([Baltimore Sun]( - UChicago Medicine’s New Cancer Center Lands $20 Million Gift ([Crain’s Chicago Business]( - Investigation Finds Assaults, Abuse, And ‘Countless Violations’ at Nonprofit Children’s Home in Rhode Island ([Boston Globe]( - Klee Benally, Navajo Activist and Artist, Dies at 48 ([New York Times]( - Who Is Bill Ackman, The Hedge-Fund Billionaire Who Used Corporate-Raider Tactics to Push Out Harvard’s President? ([Market Watch]( - Opinion: Migrants Are Overloading American Cities’ Capacities to Serve Them. They Deserve Our Help Anyway. ([Boston Globe]( 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 OUTLOOK FOR A NEW YEAR [5 Trends Fundraisers Need to Watch in 2024]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( Among the forces that will shape development this year: artificial intelligence, the explosion of DAFs, and the culture wars. FINANCE AND REVENUE [The Fiscal Cliff Has Arrived — and With It, Cuts, Layoffs, and Crisis. A Look at 2024’s Hunt for Revenue.]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( In 2023, nonprofits were forced to make tough decisions — including mergers, layoffs, and program cuts — to stay afloat. FINANCES AND REVENUE [Foundation Assets Are at All-Time Highs, but Don’t Expect a Giving Boom]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( The stock market rally in the final stretch of 2023 left foundations with $1.48 trillion in assets. SPONSOR CONTENT | NewsMatch [Our Society’s Need for Trusted Journalism Has Never Been Stronger]( That’s where independent, nonprofit news comes in. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join our webinar]( — Fundraisers and nonprofit communicators know how vital it is to keep donors regularly informed and inspired by your work. The year ahead is likely to be filled with distractions — from ongoing economic uncertainty and geopolitical strife to a U.S. presidential election — so cutting through the noise will take creativity and thoughtful planning. How can you keep supporters connected to your cause in unpredictable times? Join us on Thursday, January 18, at 2 p.m. Eastern for a 75-minute webinar to get tips and tactics for mapping out a year-long strategy that you can adjust as current events or economic conditions warrant. You’ll learn how to prioritize tactics and communication channels that get results and lay a strong foundation for year-end fundraising appeals. Don't miss this chance to start the year off strong. [Register now.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Apply today](http://). [Director of Philanthropy (Hybrid - Denver)]( ACLU of Colorado [Executive Director]( Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center [Development Manager @ Sustainability Nonprofit]( Pet Sustainability Coalition [Vice President of Philanthropy]( Kansas City Symphony [Director, Major Gifts & Individual Giving]( New York City Ballet [Director of Development, Independent Day School]( Falmouth Academy [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. © 2024 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037