Trends 2024: The Forces Shaping Fundraising and Grant Making

Artificial intelligence, a proliferation of the uses for DAFs, a presidential election, and more ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. We’re unveiling a special issue with reporting on the forces that will shape philanthropy in the months to come. Here’s what you need to know. - [Hiring: the crisis that never ends]( - [Fundraising’s quest to win back everyday donors]( - [The sunny side of a future with A.I.]( - [Disruptors: new-fangled DAF uses and products]( - [Affirmative-action aftershocks for race-based grant making]( - [How election wrangling could hurt charitable giving]( - [The next steps for growth in trust-based philanthropy]( - [Democracy funding on the eve of the 2024 election storm]( - [The need for speed when it comes to climate funds]( ADVERTISEMENT WEBINARS [Tomorrow: 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 | James Irvine Foundation [How Philanthropies Are Preventing Wage Theft]( ONLINE FORUMS [January 23 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join us for a review of the risks and rewards of Fundraising in the Age of A.I. Our panel of nonprofit, higher-ed, and tech leaders will explore the emerging benefits of A.I. fundraising tools. You’ll learn which questions you should be asking now, how technology may reshape fundraising, and get a glimpse of what’s on the horizon with Daniel Hadley of the University of Utah, Elizabeth Searing of the University of Texas at Dallas, and Kim Snyder of Roundtable Technology. [January 30 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Start the new year with insights from the Chronicle. Join CEO Stacy Palmer and a panel of reporters for Key Nonprofit Trends to Watch in 2024. They’ll explore the fundraising outlook for the year ahead, ways nonprofits are solving hiring and retention challenges, and efforts by foundations to strengthen democracy and minimize disinformation in a presidential election year. Learn from the insightful journalists who cover these issues: Rasheeda Childress, Alex Daniels, and Jim Rendon. SPONSOR CONTENT | Classy [Is the Scarcity Mindset to Blame for Low Donor Generosity?]( There are a few reasons to pin-point for fewer donations coming in, including a scarcity mindset among donors. We're sharing simple ways to connect with new donors and re-engage existing ones. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online Unsure of how their big-ticket gifts to support university research were being used, and impatient with academic bureaucracy, a group of billionaires is luring top scientists away from schools to a venture they fund, Arena BioWorks, potentially jeopardizing the profits that fatten schools’ endowments when university researchers’ discoveries make it to market. ([New York Times]( A major Supreme Court case that could curtail federal agencies’ ability to regulate industry is being argued by the Cause of Action Institute, a 501(c)(3) organization backed by Stand Together, a nonprofit founded by petrochemicals billionaire Charles Koch, using lawyers from Americans for Prosperity, a social-welfare organization funded by the billionaire. ([New York Times]( More News - Kobe-Inspired Mamba Foundation Amasses Cash But Spends Little ([Sportico]( - A $75 Million Gift for CUNY Dedicated to A.I. ([New York Times]( - What’s Behind the Fight Over Whether Nonprofits Can Be Forced to Disclose Donors’ Names ([Time]( - Advocacy Groups Are Petitioning for the End of SNAP Interview Requirements ([Associated Press]( - The Wealth Transfer From Baby Boomers Mostly Benefits Women ([Washington Post]( - Air Pollution Relegated to Philanthropic Margins, Says Clean Air Fund ([Alliance]( Opinion and Analysis - Why Philanthropists Should Become Heretics: Donors Must Challenge, Not Comfort, the Existing Order. ([Foreign Affairs]( - SBF Faces Prison, but ‘Effective Altruism’ Lives On ([Wall Street Journal]( subscription) - A Trickle of Philanthropy: Why Is Generosity in Crisis? ([El Pais]( - To Shift Power Effectively, We Funders Have to Think Long Term ([Devex]( 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 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. OPINION [Diversity Work Isn’t Working. It’s Time to Consider a New Approach.]( By Eboo Patel [STORY IMAGE]( Too often, diversity initiatives encourage an us-versus-them mentality. Philanthropy should invest in efforts that unify rather than divide. TECHNOLOGY [Fundraisers Reach for A.I. to Boost Productivity]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( Some tools suggest whom fundraisers should contact when, based on previous giving patterns or evidence of their connection to the organization. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join our webinar]( — Charities’ dependence on wealthy donors is growing as giving at lower levels ebbs. Women continue to influence big giving and now wealthy millennial and Gen Z households are making their mark. How are big-gift fundraisers successfully cultivating donors? Are economic pressures causing any shifts in strategy? Join us on Thursday, February 8, at 2 p.m. Eastern for a 75-minute webinar to learn directly from fundraising leaders about the outlook for 2024 and how best to connect with wealthy donors in the year ahead. [Register now.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Apply today](http://). [Director of Development and Alumni Relations for the College of Nursing]( Michigan State University [Chief Development Officer (Hybrid - Metropolitan DC)]( Hope for Henry Foundation [Sr. Director of Development]( Catalina Museum for Art & History [Chief Advancement Officer]( Culver Academies [Vice President for Advancement]( Aspen Music Festival and School [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