Steve and Connie Ballmer haven’t been giving in Los Angeles for long, and they already rank among the region’s largest funders. But can their pioneering grants to strengthen community organizations really make a difference?
Read MorePhilanthropy has played a critical role in revitalizing Detroit. But a billionaire-backed new research center downtown has triggered a backlash in an era of rising fears about gentrification and the overreach of private power.
Read MoreMatthew Desmond's book “Evicted” offered an intimate look at how housing insecurity perpetuates the cycle of poverty. Now, he's tapping millions in grants to pull back the veil on evictions nationwide and spur policy change.
Read MoreMacArthur’s 100&Change competition brought forward a lot of bold proposals, but only one got the prize. With Lever for Change, the foundation aims to broaden the impact of its grant competition model and curate more good ideas.
Read MoreAs part of its mission to improve health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has given millions to nonprofits focused on poverty and community development. Its latest investment underscores its belief in integrated approaches.
Read MoreEven as Opportunity Zones draw fire as a giveaway to wealthy investors, more nonprofits, foundations and local governments are backing efforts to make the new law work. A case in point is an ambitious statewide initiative in Alabama.
Read MoreThe Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is pulling lots of levers in its fight for more affordable housing in California. Its latest commitments embrace a big-tent approach that’s capitalizing on new political momentum around this issue.
Read MoreIn the 1990s, George Soros set out to make a difference in a single U.S. city. He chose Baltimore, and today, the institute created by his foundation is still going strong, addressing entrenched urban problems. What are some takeaways?
Read MoreLiving Cities spent its formative years channeling money from big firms and foundations to community development projects. Now, to drill deeper on equity, it aims to be a “leading racial economic justice organization.” How is that going?
Read MoreA new law to incentivize investments in poor communities is drawing fire as a giveaway to the rich. But despite its flaws, the act has the potential to do real good. Here’s a roadmap for what philanthropy can do to ensure that happens.
Read MoreAmid a growing critique of how U.S. capitalism has concentrated wealth in ever-fewer hands, the Kendeda Fund is looking to move the idea of employee ownership from the margins to the mainstream and democratize the economy.
Read MoreThe New Markets Tax Credit program, which was enacted in 2000, can be leveraged by nonprofits to motivate big monetary rewards, including state-wide funds and grants from private foundations. Here’s a case study of how that works.
Read MoreThe 2017 tax law included the most important new program to spur urban revitalization in decades. But it’s lacking in transparency and accountability. Kresge has been working to fix that and ensure the law achieves real impact.
Read MoreConcerns about gentrification are fueling fraught debates over public places at a moment of rising private grantmaking for parks and other civic amenities. The Boston Foundation is looking to expand who’s heard in these conversations.
Read MoreThe Investing in Opportunity Act has the potential to be a game changer for distressed communities. But that promise can only be realized if the act works as intended—a big “if.” Rockefeller is on the case, along with other funders.
Read MoreT. Rowe Price, the global asset management firm, has been based in Baltimore since 1937. Lately, its philanthropic arm has been ramping up its giving and taking new, bolder approaches to tackling the city’s many problems.
Read MoreTwo top community foundations have recently gotten behind public-private efforts to ease the housing squeeze. And a Seattle nonprofit is crowdfunding affordable housing investments. Can this new wave of local investing move the needle?
Read MoreData is at the center of a project to design city-level economic mobility programs backed by Bloomberg, Gates, and Ballmer. But with ten cities selected and ready to develop their ideas, is this technocratic model likely to achieve lasting impact?
Read MoreMore community foundations are getting behind impact investing, often with housing on the agenda. Recently, the Foundation for the Carolinas has attracted major corporate backing with a fund designed to boost affordable housing in the region.
Read MoreThe 2017 tax law created more than 8,700 zones around the U.S. with the goal of attracting new investment to poor areas. Now, funders like Mastercard and Rockefeller are stepping up to help communities get capital flowing.
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