Yield Giving
One in Three Women: These Funders Are Working to End Gender-Based Violence
Legacy Foundations Love Listing Out Their Grants. Billionaire Givers? Not So Much
Visit the website of a major legacy foundation and almost without exception you will find one of the hallmarks of philanthropic transparency: a grants database. But if you’re hoping for the same from America’s biggest individual donors, you’re often … [Read more...] about Legacy Foundations Love Listing Out Their Grants. Billionaire Givers? Not So Much
This $50 Million Funding Challenge Seeks Solutions for a Resilient and Sustainable Gulf Coast
It was 15 years ago that the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded and caught fire, killing 11 crew members and triggering the largest marine oil spill in history. An estimated 60,000 barrels of oil per day poured … [Read more...] about This $50 Million Funding Challenge Seeks Solutions for a Resilient and Sustainable Gulf Coast
A Conversation with Michelle Prater, President and CEO of the North Georgia Community Foundation
Originally hailing from Ohio, North Georgia Community Foundation President and CEO Michelle Prater spent over a decade in the banking industry before a life-altering experience made her rethink what she wanted to do with her life.“I went on a medical … [Read more...] about A Conversation with Michelle Prater, President and CEO of the North Georgia Community Foundation
Endowment-Ready: Preparing for a Mega-Gift from MacKenzie Scott (or Anyone Else)
As the director of the endowment and foundations national practice at the Delaware-based financial services firm Wilmington Trust, Walter Dillingham spends his days helping nonprofit clients grow their endowments. In January 2022, Dillingham answered … [Read more...] about Endowment-Ready: Preparing for a Mega-Gift from MacKenzie Scott (or Anyone Else)
Here’s What You Need to Know About MacArthur’s Latest $100 Million Competition
Melinda French Gates Charts a Course for a “New Chapter.” Here Are Some Takeaways
It didn’t take her long. Just two weeks after the news broke that Melinda French Gates was leaving the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, she made another big announcement: She is committing $1 billion through 2026 “for people and organizations working … [Read more...] about Melinda French Gates Charts a Course for a “New Chapter.” Here Are Some Takeaways
Five Takeaways From a Dive Into MacKenzie Scott’s Climate Giving
MacKenzie Scott is well known as a groundbreaking philanthropist, racial equity champion, billionaire, novelist, mother and the quiet force behind those magic phone calls announcing no-strings-attached seven-figure-plus checks. As a climate action … [Read more...] about Five Takeaways From a Dive Into MacKenzie Scott’s Climate Giving
MacKenzie Scott’s Open Call Awards Give Disability-Focused Nonprofits Breathing Space
A Look Under the Hood of MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Open Call
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on May 6, 2024. In March, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced the winners of its inaugural open call, capping a year-long process in which philanthropy’s most-talked-about donor partnered with … [Read more...] about A Look Under the Hood of MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving Open Call
An Open Letter to MacKenzie Scott: Three Ways to Change Up Philanthropy’s Damaged Status Quo
Dear Ms. Scott,In your 2019 Medium post outlining the approach you planned to take after committing to the Giving Pledge, you wrote about the “tremendous value [that] comes when people act quickly on the impulse to give.” You said, I think correctly, … [Read more...] about An Open Letter to MacKenzie Scott: Three Ways to Change Up Philanthropy’s Damaged Status Quo
In Her Latest Round, MacKenzie Scott Zeroed in on the Criminal Legal System and its Human Fallout
There are a staggering number of people behind bars in this country — one of the largest incarcerated populations in the world — so it should be no surprise that the number of children with incarcerated parents is enormous, too. In fact, 2.7 million … [Read more...] about In Her Latest Round, MacKenzie Scott Zeroed in on the Criminal Legal System and its Human Fallout
Which Latino-Serving Organizations Landed Grants From MacKenzie Scott’s Open Call?
MacKenzie Scott’s giving entered a new chapter last month when Yield Giving announced the results of its first open call for grant applications. Although she planned to award 250 grants of $1 million each, Scott surpassed that initial goal, awarding … [Read more...] about Which Latino-Serving Organizations Landed Grants From MacKenzie Scott’s Open Call?
Who Will Double Down on MacKenzie Scott’s Giving?
We are at an extraordinary moment in the history of philanthropic giving in the United States. Over the past four years, MacKenzie Scott has given gifts totaling more than $17 billion to over 2,300 organizations with proven track records. There’s no … [Read more...] about Who Will Double Down on MacKenzie Scott’s Giving?
Toward a More Equitable South: Meet a Funder Where Rural Grassroots Leaders Call the Shots
Atlanta’s Southern Partners Fund is one of those unique grantmakers working at the intersection of a few of the more urgent themes animating philanthropy today.The first involves geography. SPF, which has moved more than $15 million to grassroots … [Read more...] about Toward a More Equitable South: Meet a Funder Where Rural Grassroots Leaders Call the Shots
How Many Green Groups Won Support in MacKenzie Scott’s First Open Call?
In her 13 years leading the Alaska-based environmental justice nonprofit Native Movement, Enei Begaye has often partnered with conservation groups, despite concerns that the work did little to shift the status quo.For years, such projects were … [Read more...] about How Many Green Groups Won Support in MacKenzie Scott’s First Open Call?
Four Big Takeaways from MacKenzie Scott’s Open Call Grant Drop
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on March 22, 2024. Earlier this week, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving, along with Lever for Change, announced the winners of the inaugural Yield Giving Open Call, Scott’s first and highly … [Read more...] about Four Big Takeaways from MacKenzie Scott’s Open Call Grant Drop
MacKenzie Scott’s Open Call Was Also a Challenge to Other Billionaires
When Chuck Feeney passed away last October, the “billionaire who wasn’t” left behind a philanthropic legacy that remains unmatched: He was the only megadonor on that level who actually emptied the safe while alive. Despite vague pledges from … [Read more...] about MacKenzie Scott’s Open Call Was Also a Challenge to Other Billionaires
Bill Drayton on Ashoka’s Work to Make “Everyone a Changemaker”
Four decades ago, when Bill Drayton founded Ashoka, the terms “changemaker” and “social entrepreneur” weren’t part of the lexicon. Drayton coined them to describe the global movement he was launching, which he envisioned as a community of innovators … [Read more...] about Bill Drayton on Ashoka’s Work to Make “Everyone a Changemaker”
How This Accessible Chicago-Based Funder Targets Entrepreneurship, Health and Disabilities
We periodically publish quick overviews of grantmakers on our radar, looking at recent developments and key details about how they operate. Today, we’re taking a look at the Coleman Foundation, which supports organizations in the Chicago metropolitan … [Read more...] about How This Accessible Chicago-Based Funder Targets Entrepreneurship, Health and Disabilities
Where is MacKenzie Scott’s Global Giving Headed? Here’s What the Latest Data Tells Us
Numbers always tell a story. For MacKenzie Scott’s global giving, the Yield Giving database reveals a sustained level of giving and consistent issue priorities. The giving trends that emerged when the database launched last year remained constant … [Read more...] about Where is MacKenzie Scott’s Global Giving Headed? Here’s What the Latest Data Tells Us
More Than a Spokesperson: Why Foundations Are Prioritizing External Communications
The website of the L.A.-based Levitt Foundation has feature-film-quality clips of people singing, laughing and doing a conga line over the grass. The funding intermediary UpTogether produces a blog, video series and podcast designed to prove that … [Read more...] about More Than a Spokesperson: Why Foundations Are Prioritizing External Communications
As We Enter a New Era of Checkbook Philanthropy, Can Donors Avoid the Pitfalls of the Old One?
There was a time not too long ago when to be at the height of philanthropic innovation was to unequivocally reject “checkbook philanthropy.” That is, ad hoc support — often unrestricted or otherwise with little follow-up — for organizations a donor … [Read more...] about As We Enter a New Era of Checkbook Philanthropy, Can Donors Avoid the Pitfalls of the Old One?
Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott Pitch in for Student Health
Earlier this month, two of the most powerful women in philanthropy stepped up to support healthcare for American students. Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures and MacKenzie Scott provided a combined $23 million to the School-Based Health Alliance … [Read more...] about Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott Pitch in for Student Health
With Housing a Growing Global Concern, Habitat for Humanity Targets Informal Settlements
Habitat for Humanity is probably best known for its U.S. volunteer force, which has been building and improving housing since the 1970s, but today, it ranks among the top 10 largest charities headquartered in the U.S., with an ever-growing scope. In … [Read more...] about With Housing a Growing Global Concern, Habitat for Humanity Targets Informal Settlements
MacKenzie Scott Backs Community Health Centers as Another Path to Advancing Equity
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on January 3, 2024. Aside from a brief overview of the process, MacKenzie Scott famously doesn’t disclose how or why she chooses a particular organization or cause to support. And she backs a … [Read more...] about MacKenzie Scott Backs Community Health Centers as Another Path to Advancing Equity
Some Funders Still Think Nonprofits Can’t Handle MacKenzie Scott’s Gifts. Nonprofits Disagree
As someone who is mystified by funders’ reluctance to embrace trust-based practices like providing unrestricted support and dialing back onerous reporting requirements, I found the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s latest study on MacKenzie Scott’s … [Read more...] about Some Funders Still Think Nonprofits Can’t Handle MacKenzie Scott’s Gifts. Nonprofits Disagree
Here’s What You Need to Know About MacKenzie Scott’s 2023 Giving
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on December 14, 2023. On December 6, an inconspicuous blog post titled “(Giving Update)” appeared on MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving site. “Excited to call attention to these 360 outstanding … [Read more...] about Here’s What You Need to Know About MacKenzie Scott’s 2023 Giving
