The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Our April issue is out! Could The Great Wealth Transfer bring as much as $18-trillion to the charitable sector? While past predictions of a golden age of bequests haven’t panned out, our cover story looks at whether the wealth transfer will really pay off for charities this time, and how they can prepare for potential opportunities. On the cover we feature Lacey Fluor Goossen and her father, Peter Fluor, of Houston who have partnered with the Greater Houston Community Foundation. Lacey participated in the foundation’s program for next-gen donors and then got her father involved. Inside you'll find stories on: 🟣 Planned Giving: How to Position Your Nonprofit for the Wealth Transfer https://lnkd.in/eaJ5MGmN 🟣 Power Couple Giving: The 10-Year Journey of Steve and Connie Ballmer https://lnkd.in/enk-SReF 🟣 Philanthropy Advising Is a ‘Wild West’ — and Increasingly Influential https://lnkd.in/epmvvjGu 🟣 How Nonprofits Are Fundraising Amid ‘Scary, Challenging Time’ https://lnkd.in/eFffYwJH 🟣 and much more! Dive into the new issue: https://lnkd.in/e-a6pTBa Not a subscriber yet? Sign up today. 🗞️ https://lnkd.in/ebTafqKc 🗞️

Amid the furor to roll back progress on DEI, nonprofit leaders should stay focused on finding and hiring great candidates who will contribute to their work in innovative and inspiring ways. Being intentional about consistently weaving people with disabilities into that process can help us achieve that goal. https://lnkd.in/eB3mZ5ZX

Jacklyn and Miguel Bezos, the parents of Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos, will match up to $500M in gifts from other donors to UNICEF USA’s Child Nutrition Fund. https://lnkd.in/e7vW8KSV #BigGifts

Can nonprofits help rebuild trust in American institutions? Join us on April 29 for a timely online forum to explore what individual charities and grant makers can do to reverse the trend and boost trust in their organizations. Register today to hear from our panelists — Kristen Grimm, founder of Spitfire Strategies, and Aisha Nyandoro, CEO of Springboard To Opportunities, — as they share their insight and expertise. The Chronicle's Drew Lindsay, senior editor of special projects, will host this important discussion. This event is free. Registration required. https://lnkd.in/eiW-djkU

One of the first reports looking back at giving in 2024 indicates donor gave a slight bump, 1.9 percent more than the previous year. While the report from the Blackbaud institute notes the positive 5-year trajectory for giving, last year's increase was eaten away by a 2.9 percent inflation rate. The good news for charities is that donors were still giving in 2024, bumping up actual donations in most sectors, according to the report. Healthcare, animal welfare and the environment saw good bumps. This year, however, amid a turbulent stock market, donors may be skittish. For more on the report and what some consultants are seeing so far this year, read the story: https://lnkd.in/eyu2ugKp

#TRANSITIONS: In March, new nonprofit leaders have taken the helm at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, NALEO Educational Fund, SAT-7 USA, amfAR, Teach Democracy, and 40+ more organizations. A few highlights this month include: The Skoll Foundation: Marla Blow, president and chief operating officer, will become CEO of the $1.6 billion foundation on June 1. She has worked there since 2021. BBB Wise Giving Alliance: Bennett Weiner, executive vice president and chief operating officer, was promoted to president and CEO of the charity-watchdog group. Direct Relief: Amy Weaver will become CEO of the humanitarian aid group on May 5. Currently she is president and chief financial officer at Salesforce. Read the full list of 40+ nonprofit leadership transitions announced this month: https://lnkd.in/eFcdaPZx 👀 Looking for a career change? Find your next nonprofit job with the Chronicle's job listings at: https://lnkd.in/eGdhjXqP #philanthropy #nonprofit #nonprofits #fundraising #leadership #careers #jobs

Opinion: Foundations should share their deep expertise on issues and causes to help aspiring philanthropists move their money off the sidelines, writes Eric Weingartner. https://lnkd.in/efwMv7TT Weingartner is president and CEO of The Overbrook Foundation.

Opinion: In the battle to influence public opinion, democracy funders have fallen behind. Here’s how to change that, writes Cora Daniels. https://lnkd.in/eJJU3AJR Daniels is senior editorial director at The Bridgespan Group, is on their podcast “Dreaming in Color," and is the author of several books, including “Impolite Conversations: On Race, Politics, Sex, Money, and Religion.”

There’s always new research coming out about nonprofit fundraising. Here, we take a look a brief look at three items. The recent GivingPulse survey found both that donors gave more in the fourth quarter of last year and they generally had high trust of the sector. A new report shows that the policies of donor-advised fund sponsoring organizations can help spur inactive donors to give again. And the top peer-to-peer fundraising events picked up more donations in 2024 than the previous year. For more details, click through to read the article. https://lnkd.in/enKtGEZ3

Several rapid response funds have been created to help nonprofits affected by disruptions to government funding. The Chronicle has compiled a list that includes funds to support LGBTQ people, unhoused populations, and global humanitarian aid. https://lnkd.in/eypgnfTs