Unraveling the Mysteries of MacKenzie Scott's Giving

Plus, Bloomberg's big gift to HBCUs; and a $30 million bet on Supreme Court reform ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. BIG GIVING [A Sneak Peek Into MacKenzie Scott’s Giving, Courtesy of Her Grantees]( By Stephanie Beasley [STORY IMAGE]( In the four years since Scott started surprising nonprofits with unrestricted, multimillion-dollar gifts, a few details about her selection process have become known. Plus, see the rest of our new [August issue]( published online today. ADVERTISEMENT [A Sneak Peek Into MacKenzie Scott’s Giving, Courtesy of Her Grantees]( MAJOR GIFTS [Bloomberg Gives $600 Million to Four HCBU Medical Schools’ Endowments]( By Thalia Beaty, Associated Press [STORY IMAGE]( The donations will more than double the size of three of the medical schools’ endowments. JUDICIAL REFORM [Can a $30 Million Bet on Supreme Court Reform Rise Above Partisan Divides?]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( NYU’s new Kohlberg Center on the U.S. Supreme Court will test whether judiciary reforms can rise above the political fray or just widen it. WEBINARS [August 15 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Well-crafted budgets demonstrate sound fiscal management, show how spending aligns with mission and goals, and engender trust. Join us for CRAFTING PROPOSAL BUDGETS THAT INSTILL CONFIDENCE to learn from Jeanette Hall, director of finance and operations, Phoenixville Community Health Foundation and Lynne Weikart, Ph.D., retired professor, CUNY. ONLINE FORUMS [Today: August 6 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join us for How MacKenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates Are Transforming Philanthropy. You’ll hear from Dr. Elisha Smith Arrillaga of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, Dr. Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change, and Kendra Davenport, CEO of Easterseals. They’ll examine the impact and influence of Scott’s and French Gates’s giving, how their approaches align and differ, and how their giving is shaking up philanthropy. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE [Chronicle of Philanthropy Subscription] Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online Warren Buffett’s recent announcement that upon his death his remaining billions would go to his children’s charities, rather than the Gates Foundation, has raised questions about the state of his decades-long relationship with Bill Gates. People close to Buffett say he views the massive Gates Foundation, with a budget larger than the World Health Organization’s, as bloated and too risk-averse. But the announcement was not technically a departure: When Buffett decided in 2006 to give tens of billions of dollars to the then-Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, it was a lifetime pledge. Buffett said he would make separate plans for the remainder of his wealth that remained upon his death. ([New York Times]( Background from the Chronicle: [Warren Buffett Has Given $50.7 Billion Toward Historic Multibillion-Dollar Pledges to the Gates Foundation and Others]( One block in Harlem is learning how to live with one of the country’s first supervised drug-use sites. The nonprofit OnPoint offers a safe place to use street drugs, as well as storefront medical attention, food, and counseling. But it also anchors one of the police precinct’s most violent blocks, and some neighbors complain that the drug users and dealers it attracts have exacerbated the struggling area’s problems. Others, including the owner of a day care across the street, credit OnPoint’s workers with helping to keep the block cleaner and safer, and said the neighborhood needs the center. ([New York Times]( Background from the Chronicle: [Safe Injection Sites for Drug Users Are a Tough Sell to Foundations]( More News - ‘Affordable Housing for Another Generation’: California Trusts Pull Properties Off the Market ([CalMatters]( - Background from the Chronicle: [Land Trusts Offer and Innovative Way the Help the Middle Class Afford a Home]( - Cargill Billionaire’s Secretive Foundation Quietly Closes After Giving Out $500 Million ([Star Tribune]( - How Will Louisiana Nonprofits Spend $182 Million From Mackenzie Scott? Here Are the Details. ([NOLA.com]( - Background from the Chronicle: [A Sneak Peak into MacKenzie Scott’s Giving, Courtesy of Her Grantees]( - Remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? 10 Years Later, the Viral Campaign Is Again Fundraising For ALS ([Associated Press]( - Background from the Chronicle: [How One Nonprofit Responded in the Moment]( - A Financier and Philanthropist Took His 68-Year-Old Secret to Court and Finally Confronted His Ghost ([New York Times]( - Holocaust Museums at a Crossroads ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) Note: In the links in this section, we flag articles that only subscribers can access. But because some journalism outlets offer a limited number of free articles, readers may encounter barriers with other articles we highlight in this roundup. EDITOR'S PICKS DATA AND RESEARCH [Donors Less Likely to Give on Smartphones — How Fundraisers Can Combat ‘Mobile Giving Gap’]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( Charities are losing out by failing to see the importance of adapting their fundraising appeals across device types. FUNDRAISING [How Social Media Can Help Nonprofits Cultivate Donors]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( The authors of “One Click to Give” say everyday donors want to give, but want community first. OPINION [Is Your Nonprofit Brat?]( By Michael Bellavia [STORY IMAGE]( The Harris campaign offers important lessons in how to use memes to draw attention to an issue and reach younger audiences. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join our webinar]( —Sound budgets demonstrate to grant makers your nonprofit’s financial health, show how your spending aligns with your mission and goals, and instill trust. Yet some grant seekers focus on perfecting the narrative elements of proposals while overlooking errors, gaps, and other problems in their budgets. This is an expensive mistake: Weak budgets can break a strong proposal — and cost your nonprofit a grant. How can you build proposal budgets that assure grant makers and improve your odds of securing support? Join us for a 75-minute webinar on Thursday, August 15 at 2 PM ET to learn from our expert guests. [Register now.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES Find your next nonprofit role in The Chronicle Career Center: - [Senior Director of Development, The Shepherd School of Music]( — The Shepherd School of Music, Rice University - [Chief Executive Officer]( — Wolf Conservation Center - [Managing Director, Global Philanthropists Circle]( — The Synergos Institute - [Chief Development Officer]( — Chicago Public Media [Search all job openings →]( Hiring? [Post a Job.]( [Chronicle of Philanthropy Logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. 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