MacKenzie Scott’s and Melinda French Gates’s Giving, Compared

Plus, how grant makers can support nonprofits led by people of color; and faith groups battle anti-immigrant sentiment ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. PHILANTHROPISTS [MacKenzie Scott and Melinda French Gates Are Both Disrupting Philanthropy — but Not Always in the Same Way]( By Jim Rendon [STORY IMAGE]( The most talked about women in philanthropy don’t always take the same tack, but they have some core approaches in common. RACIAL JUSTICE [Grant Makers, Here’s How to Support Nonprofits Led by People of Color]( By Aisha Benson [STORY IMAGE]( Leaders of nonprofits serving people of color are facing urgent needs and less support. Here are 5 ways foundations can take action to preserve progress and speed racial justice. GOVERNMENT AND REGULATION [Court Battle Underscores Faith Groups’ Battle Against Anti-Immigrant Sentiment]( [STORY IMAGE]( This fight to keep Annunciation House open has drawn media attention to conflicts between religious communities that assist migrants and the goals of political authorities. WEBINARS [Thursday, 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. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online A sometimes-inscrutable and imperious Bill Gates could inspire panic and fear among his employees, according to a new book about the billionaire philanthropist. Former executives of the Gates Foundation recall a relationship akin to a king and his courtiers as employees defended their programs and searched for signs of favor or disapproval. Longtime associates of Gates said his approach worked better in the competitive workplace of Microsoft than with foundation employees, who come from “the more genteel and collegial culture of the international development and academic communities.” A spokesperson for Gates said the book contains “outright falsehoods” based on “second- and third-hand hearsay and anonymous sources.” ([Business Insider]( Plus: New York Times Writer Tackles Bill Gates in New Biography ([Seattle Times]( Dozens of New Orleans homeowners who received houses through Habitat for Humanity are in danger of losing them, thanks to skyrocketing property insurance premiums. As more frequent and intense natural disasters pushed some insurers out of the state, those that remained raised premiums. As a result, while Habitat homeowners can afford the modest mortgages they pay to the nonprofit, the required property insurance is out of reach, pushing many toward foreclosure. City officials have given more funds to Habitat for Humanity as a stopgap, and voters will decide on a permanent housing trust fund in the fall. ([New York Times]( More on Housing and Homelessness - The Mass. Governor’s No-Win Shelter Situation: The ‘Right to Shelter’ Was a Promise That The State Can’t Actually Keep. ([Boston Globe]( - Plan for Mid-Cape Homeless Shelter Pits Two Towns Against Nonprofit Developer ([Boston Globe]( - Everyone Agrees There’s a Homeless Crisis in the U.S. Plans to Address It Vary Among Mayor Candidates. ([Associated Press]( More News - Illinois Sued by Conservative Think Tank Over New Pro-Union Law ([Crain’s Chicago Business]( subscription) - Catholic Bishops Reject Claims That Catholic Nonprofits Facilitate Illegal Immigration ([Catholic News Agency]( - Immigrant Farmers Often Can’t Get Federal Grants to Start Businesses. These Nonprofits Are Helping ([NPR]( - Steve Schwarzman Is Turning His Newport Mansion, Miramar, Into a Museum ([Town & Country]( - Background from the Chronicle: [‘The Path to a Better Life’]( Correction: In Monday’s Philanthropy Today, the first name of Kate Oh was omitted in the item on the ACLU. 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. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE [Chronicle of Philanthropy Subscription] Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. EDITOR'S PICKS INNOVATION [‘We Can Save Our City': The $100 Million Plan to Revive East Oakland]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( With Rise East, longtime residents aim to write a new chapter for East Oakland, starting with $100 million. PERSONAL ESSAY [‘While I Breathe, I Hope': A Black Nonprofit Leader and Daughter of the South Returns Home]( By Tycely Williams [STORY IMAGE]( A veteran fundraiser takes up a new job as CEO and pursues the American ideals that she, her family, and generations of Black philanthropists hold dear. OPINION [Trust-Based Philanthropy Isn’t an Excuse to Ignore Metrics — It’s the Opposite]( By Eric Weingartner [STORY IMAGE]( Measuring performance actually promotes trust and accountability, while helping both funders and grantees do their jobs better. 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. 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. 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: [Search all job openings →]( Hiring? [Post a Job.]( [Chronicle of Philanthropy Logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2024 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037