Apex Donor: Five Concerns We Have About MacKenzie Scott's Groundbreaking Giving

Apex Donor: Five Concerns We Have About MacKenzie Scott's Groundbreaking Giving

MacKenzie Scott’s debut as a mega-donor earned her a great deal of praise, including here at Inside Philanthropy. But $6 billion in a single year also demands serious scrutiny. Here are some big questions we have about Scott’s giving.

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How Kat Taylor and Taj James Are Challenging Philanthropy to Take Bolder Steps to Shift Power

How Kat Taylor and Taj James Are Challenging Philanthropy to Take Bolder Steps to Shift Power

Can philanthropy, an institution rooted in concentrated wealth, truly be a force for structural change? Mandy Van Deven recently spoke with donor Kat Taylor and capital advisor Taj James to learn about their radical approach to moving money.

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Why Are So Many Major Green Funders Still Not Sharing Their Diversity Data?

Why Are So Many Major Green Funders Still Not Sharing Their Diversity Data?

Among the largest green NGOs and foundations reporting their diversity data, Green 2.0’s annual report card saw slight improvement. But its most jarring finding is that nearly three-quarters of funders asked are still not submitting information.

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Who Pays for Hate?

Who Pays for Hate?

While the funders of hate groups are largely obscured, we do know the mechanisms and loopholes that allow charitable giving to support extremism. Abbas Barzegar and Anna Fink make the case for cutting off these funding streams.

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Major “Transformation” Underway at OSF—Temporary Limits on Spending, Freeze on New Initiatives

Major “Transformation” Underway at OSF—Temporary Limits on Spending, Freeze on New Initiatives

Open Society Foundations, one of the world’s largest funders of democracy, human rights and more, is undergoing a “transformation.” The institution has put a freeze on new initiatives and temporarily reduced spending as it charts a new course.

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At Their Doorstep: What the Attack on the Capitol Might Mean for Philanthropy

At Their Doorstep: What the Attack on the Capitol Might Mean for Philanthropy

The events of January 6, 2021 marked a jarring break in the nation’s history of peaceful transfers of power. Here’s what democracy funders are saying about what philanthropy could have done better, and what it should do now.

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Now the World's Wealthiest Person, What Kind of Mega-donor Might Elon Musk Become?

Now the World's Wealthiest Person, What Kind of Mega-donor Might Elon Musk Become?

Elon Musk didn't get to be the richest human by following the crowd. After his recent call on Twitter for advice on how he might deploy his ballooning wealth, we speculate about what kind of philanthropist he might turn out to be.

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Foundations Are Making an Epic Push to Tackle Housing Affordability in the Bay Area

Foundations Are Making an Epic Push to Tackle Housing Affordability in the Bay Area

No issue is more vexing to Californians than the sky-high cost of housing. But this is daunting terrain for grantmakers, given the massive costs involved. A group of funders is backing what may be philanthropy's biggest effort ever in this arena.

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An Inside Look Into a Music Funder’s Democratized Grantmaking Process

IP’s Mike Scutari recently observed the Lewis Prize for Music’s participatory grantmaking process. He reports on the experience and checks in with panelists and leadership on how arts funders can best democratize their grantmaking.

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Five Funders That Played a Role in the Georgia Senate Runoffs

Five Funders That Played a Role in the Georgia Senate Runoffs

Philanthropy was less visible a force in the Georgia runoff elections than a torrent of over $800 million in political spending. But such funding did help build many of the movement organizing platforms that proved so crucial to the results.

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"A Wake-Up Call to All of Us." Inside a Chicago-Based Pharma Company’s Racial Equity Giving

"A Wake-Up Call to All of Us." Inside a Chicago-Based Pharma Company’s Racial Equity Giving

The jury is still out on the best ways for corporations and their foundations to support racial equity, but the six partnerships chosen by this biopharmacuetical company are an example of thoughtful leadership and grantmaking.

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"An Essential Resource." A Foundation Tackles the Digital Divide, Starting in its Own Backyard

"An Essential Resource." A Foundation Tackles the Digital Divide, Starting in its Own Backyard

Since the pandemic began, funders across the country have been scrambling to address the gaping digital divide in our education system and its damaging impact on students. Here’s how the Mott Foundation has taken on the challenge.

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With $4.2 Billion in COVID-Relief Grants, MacKenzie Scott Cements Her Place as a Top Giver

With $4.2 Billion in COVID-Relief Grants, MacKenzie Scott Cements Her Place as a Top Giver

In time for the holidays, MacKenzie Scott announced an immense commitment to COVID relief and long-term equity work, spread across 384 grantees. Sustaining this level of giving over many years may actually put Scott on track to spend down.

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City Fund Has Become a Major Player in K-12 Philanthropy. Here’s What it Funds and Why

City Fund Has Become a Major Player in K-12 Philanthropy. Here’s What it Funds and Why

In just two years, City Fund has gone from newcomer to a major player in K-12 education funding, with backing from some of the biggest donors in this space. We unpack the grantmaker’s approach and take a closer look at some of its grantees.

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Seven Things to Know About Mark Malloch-Brown, OSF’s New President

Seven Things to Know About Mark Malloch-Brown, OSF’s New President

Patrick Gaspard is departing the Open Society Foundations, possibly for a role in the Biden cabinet. OSF’s new head is a former U.N. second-in-command with a long history of working in international development and a close bond with George Soros.

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Tree Planting Was Hot This Year—and Hotly Debated. Who’s Funding it, and Does it Make Sense?

Tree Planting Was Hot This Year—and Hotly Debated. Who’s Funding it, and Does it Make Sense?

Tree planting took the spotlight in climate change discourse this year, both celebrated as an untapped solution, and criticized as a distraction. We take a closer look at who is funding the push for more trees, along with the pros and cons.

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Racial Justice is the Most Urgent Priority for a Growing Number of K-12 Funders

Racial Justice is the Most Urgent Priority for a Growing Number of K-12 Funders

The pandemic has thrown longstanding racial inequities in U.S. schools into stark relief—and widened them. Now grantmakers are looking more urgently at how to close these gaps, says a new report.

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For the New CEO of a Climate Justice Grantmaker, Funding From Bezos is Just the Beginning

For the New CEO of a Climate Justice Grantmaker, Funding From Bezos is Just the Beginning

Rooted in grassroots organizing, Gloria Walton takes the helm at The Solutions Project as the fund prepares to move $43 million in funding from Jeff Bezos. Walton tells us how the gift came about and what lies ahead.

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