The Philanthropy Roundtable Blog

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito defended the First Amendment rights to free speech and religious liberty, warning that support for each is slipping.

Recently, I’ve been following a lot of what Darren Walker, the CEO of the Ford Foundation, has been saying. I came across an interview  he did in 2019, and I have to say, I found myself a little confused.

John Legend picked an online fight with Mark Cuban over the subject of philanthropy, of all things. Who won?

Veterans can be powerful civic assets, but only if they are equipped and deployed to fill those roles.

We should be concerned about all forms of threatened violence, regardless of whether it’s aimed at progressive nonprofits, conservative organizations, or anyone in between.

Given the seriousness of what Joe Biden may need to throw his energy and effort into addressing, it seems he has a choice to make when it comes to philanthropy.

Elise Westhoff explains how a Biden administration could change philanthropy.

We consider this a true win for anyone who believes in a vision of America where people, regardless of race or other characteristics, can pursue opportunity.

Earlier this year, The Philanthropy Roundtable published a guidebook focused entirely on protecting donor intent, a key aspect of philanthropic excellence.

Sandra Swirski, executive director of ACR, wrote to The Chronicle of Philanthropy expressing concerns about how Joe Biden's tax plan could affect the philanthropic sector.

Community foundations from Oklahoma to Oregon gave more than $1.22 billion to charity through donor-advised funds this year.

Giving shot up in the first half of 2020. For that, you can thank not just the billionaire philanthropists, but thousands of donors with small gifts.

In a year afflicted by the coronavirus pandemic, will Americans keep their donations up until the end? A recent survey has some good news.

Helpful news for individuals, families, and foundation boards engaged in time-horizon conversations.

I sat down with John Tyler of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to get up to speed on a recent proposal to regulate DAFs.

We believe this is the first time that authors from both sides of the debate have met face to face to discuss their perspectives.

When SPN released its annual Bob Williams Awards for Outstanding Policy Achievement, organizations that helped Americans get through the pandemic topped the list.

Two thought leaders share their perspectives on some complex questions surrounding the role of free speech.

The Constitution has never been interpreted as a color-blind document, even though giants such as Frederick Douglass believed it could be.

The New York-based nonprofit delivers food, and connection, to vulnerable populations during the pandemic.

Donor-advised funds are efficient and effective tools that help donors get resources out the door in times of critical need.

On the Supreme Court, how might Judge Amy Coney Barrett rule on issues of donor privacy?

Philanthropy Roundtable vice president of strategy and innovation Debi Ghate writes that security threats plague conservatives, not just progressives.

Out of the 1,600 children Better Together has served, 96 percent have stayed out of the foster care system entirely.

We discussed the trial penalty and its consequences, and much more—such as why pressure on “white-led” organizations from progressive funders will hurt more than help.

If one values liberty, opportunity, and personal responsibility as we do at the Roundtable, one might bristle at even seeing "The Tyranny of Merit" as the title of a book.

Key takeaways from a discussion of the effects of COVID-19 on the national economy and its relation to rising rates of diseases and deaths of despair.

Philanthropy Roundtable president and CEO Elise Westhoff wrote a letter to the editor at the Chronicle of Philanthropy in response to a recent push to curb philanthropic freedom. Read more.

The recent turmoil in American politics may have helped more Americans understand basic civics. Yet, despite these signs of progress, civic educators still have work to do.

It is going to take litigation to challenge this unconstitutional California law.

deLaski Family Foundation President Kathleen deLaski decided to “go all in” on reinventing college with an opportunity for disrupting higher education.

When free speech grows rarer on so many campuses, how are donors to respond?

When was America really founded: 1776 or 1619? The Philanthropy Roundtable is hosting two scholars for a debate.

A suggestion from a Congressman to rename the Antonin Scalia School of Law at George Mason University adds a new twist to donor intent lore, bringing us into the realm of the just plain silly.

One small group is attempting to dictate the rules and terms for an entire industry in a sphere that is voluntary and well-intentioned to begin with.

In the years since 9/11, millions of philanthropic dollars have been poured into the veteran and military family space. What works best?

A recent Forbes ranking of billionaire philanthropists minimizes methods necessary for innovation, problem-solving, and sustainability.

When most campuses aren’t even operating at normal capacity due to the pandemic, what could possibly be driving the numbers of these kinds of cases up so noticeably? The answer: cancel culture has taken root on campus.

The Roundtable hasn’t had the opportunity to file many amicus briefs in support of legal challenges that affect the philanthropic freedom of donors to give to causes they value and to be free of restriction or intimidation in doing so.

“Critics claim that DAFs unduly postpone funds needed by charities, but the vehicle offers many benefits that may outweigh its costs.”

A recently launched experiment supports parents in educating their own kids—during distance learning or otherwise.

Thirty years ago, when Father Greg Boyle was a pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights, he became troubled by the prevalence of gang violence in his neighborhood.

While many donors have turned toward humanitarian efforts to ease the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, some are looking at a different sort of humanitarian work.

A majority of donors plan to keep giving to religious causes—despite covid-19.

Philanthropy recently spoke with Jonathan Greenberg of the Jack Miller Family Foundation about mobs tearing down statues and how donors can fund civics education.

The Supreme Court just delivered a victory for school choice, but only time will tell how much it will affect students across the U.S.

A RealClearPolitics spinoff from the Spring 2020 issue of Philanthropy magazine.

Partnership Schools, an innovative network of Catholic educators, expands to Cleveland.

A spinoff in The Hill from the forthcoming Spring 2020 issue of Philanthropy magazine.

A RealClearPolitics spinoff from the forthcoming Summer 2020 issue of Philanthropy magazine.

Philanthropic giving boomed in 2019. What will the future bring?

Donors big and small are helping mom and pop stay open.

There are 124 hospitals in the state of Arizona, and more than 1,000 churches. During the coronavirus pandemic, a new charitable effort was launched to connect them.

The covid-19 crisis created numerous problems in the food sector. Savvy nonprofits and donors connected the dots.

Media companies are laying off employees by the hundreds during the covid-19 crisis. Yet the Long Beach Post, a regional news website with 20 employees, just hired two new reporters.

Leo Linbeck on covid and its consequences.

A new fund provides crisis aid to artists in need.

Meet a ten-gallon donor.

The executive director of the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust explains how the foundation is responding to the coronavirus.

Dr. Tony Atala—an international leader in the field of regenerative medicine, which creates tissues that can replace failing body parts—discusses covid-19.