In this 2018 post, IP founder David Callahan called out the abject failure of mainstream foundations to fight back against a decades-long attack on everything they cherish and urged funders to move away from a dated technocratic mindset.
Read MoreLast week, we looked at what foundations are doing wrong in the fight against rising economic stratification. Now, we turn the spotlight on a foundation that's been doing everything right.
Read MoreWall Street veteran Steve Rattner tells us why he and his wife Maureen White believe that backing think tanks and advocacy groups delivers the most bang for the buck.
Read MoreThe Arca Foundation sees the "financialization" of American life as a key driver of inequality. How does this view translate into day-to-day grantmaking to advance structural reforms?
Read MoreAmid a rising debate over how to think about U.S. history, a $1 million grant will support the National Park Service’s efforts to expand recognition of America’s diversity and struggles for equality.
Read MoreSix weeks after the New America Foundation ousted a project that criticized Google, it's an open question whether dissenting voices that challenge the power of big tech can find the funding they need.
Read MoreA large country like the U.S. will always have people with fringe viewpoints. But given the way that money can now buy influence and access, it's easier for extremists to shape public life. Robert Mercer is Exhibit A.
Read MoreA report that the New America Foundation ousted a leading critic of Google, one of its funders, has raised familiar questions about where supposedly independent policy groups get their money.
Read MoreWell out of the political mainstream, the idea of a basic income is intriguing to some funders who are worried about inequality and also keen to put a bureaucratic welfare state out of business.
Read MoreThere have been shaky moments before in America's democratic life. But recent developments have even veteran grantmakers alarmed. So what's the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation up to?
Read MoreDerwood S. Chase, Jr. is another donor who's following the right's playbook of investing in both national and state policy groups, and sticking with grantees over the long haul.
Read MoreAfter a big recent infusion of funds, this leading conservative funder embraced a larger, more activist agenda, with a focus on winning influence for the right in state capitals—and the broader culture.
Read MoreWork on budgetary issues has never drawn a lot of funding. Now, though, some new donors are putting millions behind efforts to create better, more reliable fiscal data and analysis.
Read MoreIf you're in the nonprofit policy world, it may seem to go without saying that such cause-driven work should be subsidized by your fellow taxpayers. But who benefits the most from this setup?
Read MoreWhen a couple has $30 billion and is ramping up their philanthropy, we pay attention. Steve Ballmer's new project has an intuitive interface and a simple mission: the facts.
Read MoreSmall and controversial, the Center for Immigration Studies is now an influential player in Washington. Most of its funding comes from just one foundation that also bankrolls other anti-immigration groups.
Read MoreAs Brookings reels in a big gift from a private equity billionaire, we raise the question of whether an institution dominated by rich board members and donors can be truly unbiased on policy matters.
Read MoreThe latest move by Hewlett’s Madison Initiative will establish a lab at MIT devoted to the science of elections. Can philanthropy establish a level-headed foothold in our tumultuous elections?
Read MoreHarried high-level city officials often complain they don't have the bandwidth to dive deeper on policy. Here's what one philanthropist has been doing to team them up with smart young wonks.
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