Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation @ Aspen Institute

Here's my take on the recent report from The Generosity Commission, and an opportunity for you to find out more about how giving is changing in an upcoming webinar with Ted Grossnickle and Jane Wales on 10/31. We are at a crucial moment for fundraising and philanthropy, friends. Let's seize it.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest research data on the nonprofit workforce in August. The next release date is scheduled for 2029. A letter sent to President Biden, signed by Aspen PSI and nearly 600 supporters, urges him to take executive action now to ensure the quarterly release of nonprofit employment data from BLS. Today, we're revisiting a perspective in response to the August data release from Mott Foundation President and CEO Ridgway White. In it, he argues how quarterly nonprofit workforce data can help reinforce civil society: "It’s a way to understand the health status of a field that serves the public good. ... it's also a way to help the public and policymakers understand the contributions of the sector, and what’s at stake when the work of nonprofits is restricted." 👓 Read White's article here: https://lnkd.in/e_qnExx2 📊 Access the latest data on the nonprofit workforce here: https://lnkd.in/ercz5xtf ✉ Read the letter to President Biden: https://lnkd.in/ex2t4mDc 

Nonprofits and philanthropy help power our daily lives. The 12.8 million Americans who work in this field help provide medical care, respond to natural disasters like Hurricane Helene, lift spirits through faith and art, and pitch in to rebuild the nation's infrastructure. Nonprofit and philanthropic organizations are also the US's third-largest private employer. Yet figuring out the labor trends that drive the field is incredibly difficult. Why? We only receive nonprofit employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on this workforce every five years. Other fields? Every three months. That's why Independent Sector, National Council of Nonprofits and Aspen PSI organized a letter urging President Biden to take executive action now to provide critical workforce data through BLS. Together, and with help from so many others, we rallied— 🏢 450+ national, state and local organizations 🔎 100+ researchers 🛣 Signers from all 50 states and DC From children's museums to tiger rescues to nurses associations, the signees represent the breadth, depth, and reach of our sector. Read our letter to President Biden below. https://lnkd.in/ex2t4mDc

Last week we had the pleasure of convening a group of community foundation leaders and national funders at the historic Cleveland Foundation. It was an opportunity to reconnect and advance our ongoing project to reimagine the community foundation of the future and design a business model to support its expansive role in rebuilding the civic infrastructure across the country. During our time together, participants dreamed big and put some new ideas forward, many of which will be captured in a report that the Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation @ Aspen Institute will release later this year. Convening inside the Cleveland Foundation’s new Midtown headquarters was a wonderful opportunity to witness the history of the world’s first community foundation, while thinking about the future of the field. Looking forward to sharing more about this work in the weeks to come. Onwards and upwards! 

📣 A weekend call to action for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and researchers! 📣 Sign onto this letter to President Biden urging him to take executive action that requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to include nonprofit employment data in its quarterly reports. This would give nonprofits the same information that businesses regularly get from the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. So many organizations and researchers have signed already. And we’ve nearly covered all 50 states—help from Nevada, Oklahoma, and South Dakota would get us there! Help us showcase the strength of our workforce and its support for quarterly nonprofit employment data by signing on and sharing with your networks. 📝 Sign by Sunday, October 6 here: https://lnkd.in/esJdyE57 ❓ Want more background information? Click here to read an earlier letter from 30 national nonprofit organizations to Congressional leaders. https://lnkd.in/ehA8NuMa Aspen PSI sends a big thank you to everyone who has pitched in, particularly our partners in spearheading this: Independent Sector and National Council of Nonprofits.

📣 A weekend call to action for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and researchers! 📣 Sign onto this letter to President Biden urging him to take executive action that requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to include nonprofit employment data in its quarterly reports. This would give nonprofits the same information that businesses regularly get from the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. So many organizations and researchers have signed already. And we’ve nearly covered all 50 states—help from Nevada, Oklahoma, and South Dakota would get us there! Help us showcase the strength of our workforce and its support for quarterly nonprofit employment data by signing on and sharing with your networks. 📝 Sign by Sunday, October 6 here: https://lnkd.in/esJdyE57 ❓ Want more background information? Click here to read an earlier letter from 30 national nonprofit organizations to Congressional leaders. https://lnkd.in/ehA8NuMa Aspen PSI sends a big thank you to everyone who has pitched in, particularly our partners in spearheading this: Independent Sector and National Council of Nonprofits.

In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Armando Enrique Zumaya of Somos El Poder highlights a recommendation from The Generosity Commission's recent capstone report: “more funding from organized philanthropy for the fundraising capacity of their grantees.” Zumaya offers suggestions on how funders can invest in fundraising itself to help fundraisers excel and make an org's mission more achievable through this crucial support. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gKjbk9i7 Read The Generosity Commission's capstone report: https://lnkd.in/ekdM3KRS

📰 PSI in the news: In The Art Newspaper, Christine J Vincent, Project Director of PSI's Artist-Endowed Foundations Initiative, provides insight on the impact and scope of the POLLOCK-KRASNER FOUNDATION's direct grants to artists. The grants, largely unrestricted, total approximately $3 million per year. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g9tJDDGE

In an interview for Alliance magazine, GlobalGiving CEO Victoria Vrana, discusses successful infrastructure investments made during her time at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She cited an investment in PSI's Nonprofit Data Project that helped open the IRS Form 990 to the public for free. Filed annually by nonprofits, the form contains a wealth of data on nonprofit finances and activities. The work continues at PSI, with the 990 Data Infrastructure Project, powered by GivingTuesday, making access to 990 data more efficient. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gRcPwpi7

Civic participation is the backbone of a thriving democracy. Despite rising overall charitable giving, fewer Americans are giving and volunteering, reflecting a troubling trend. Jane Wales, Executive Director of the Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation @ Aspen Institute, and Mike Gianoni, President, CEO, & Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at Blackbaud, explore the importance of everyday generosity in strengthening our democracy in their latest TIME article. These acts of generosity are essential for building social connections, bridging divides, and mobilizing communities around shared values. Head to the article to dive into The Generosity Commission’s recent capstone report, Everyday Actions, Extraordinary Potential: The Power of Giving and Volunteering, and understand the reasons behind the steep decline, including economic precarity, social isolation, and decreased civic trust: https://lnkd.in/d53eZKaW