Corporations Often Waver on Racial Equity Efforts

Plus, how nonprofits really feel about A.I.; and $25 million for arts programs from an Ohio couple ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. CORPORATE GIVING [Corporations Could Be Champions of Racial Equity but Often Waver]( By Glenn Gamboa and Thalia Beaty, Associated Press [STORY IMAGE]( The current backlash against anything that could be perceived as a diversity, equity, and inclusion program is making it more difficult to measure corporate commitments. ADVERTISEMENT [Corporations Could Be Champions of Racial Equity but Often Waver]( TECHNOLOGY [How Nonprofits Really Feel About A.I.]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( More than two-thirds of nonprofits have already tried using artificial intelligence in their work, despite low comfort levels with the technology and concerns about data protection and bias, a new survey reveals. GIFTS ROUNDUP [Ohio Couple Gives $25 Million for University Arts Programs]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( Plus, billionaire philanthropists Roy and Diana Vagelos gave Columbia University’s medical school $400 million, a women’s college in Milwaukee landed $10 million, and the arts and culture focused Chautauqua Institution received $8 million from its longtime donors Cathrine and Craig Greene. WEBINARS [September 19 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join us for How to Measure and Convey Impact, a session designed for communications and fundraising professionals. You’ll learn from Cindy Eby, founder and CEO of ResultsLab; Deidre Kennelly, principal of Kennelly Consulting; and Isis Krause, chief strategy officer at Philanthropy Together, how to collaborate with program staff to demonstrate the difference your organization makes. Online Forums [September 10 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( It’s rare to find an organization that coordinates all of its digital outreach to create a seamless experience that engages supporters and minimizes transactional interactions. Join us for Creating a Positive Donor Experience in a Digital World to learn from Allison Fine, president of Every.org, Mardi Moore, executive director of Rocky Mountain Equality, and Stacy Bridavsky, executive director of Lil BUB’s Big FUND, to get tips on giving donors a better online experience without spending a lot. 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 Employees and directors at Raheem Al, a now-defunct anti-police nonprofit, faced a dilemma when they discovered that the founder had apparently misused hundreds of thousands of dollars of the struggling organization’s funds. After they investigated Brandon D. Anderson’s spending on travel, clothes, and chiropractic and veterinary care, the nonprofit’s two independent directors quit and eventually donors pulled their funding. Reporting the situation to law enforcement was a bitter pill for the group, but ultimately, the former staffer who discovered the irregularities reconsidered. Now the case is under investigation by the D.C. attorney general. Anderson declined to answer detailed questions. He sent a written statement saying that some allegations made about him were “rife with untruths,” but declined to specify which. ([New York Times]( Background from the Chronicle: [Philanthropy’s New Activism in Public Safety]( San Francisco’s district attorney is pulling out of a criminal justice reform partnership with the MacArthur Foundation, forgoing a $625,000 grant. MacArthur had prodded the office of D.A. Brooke Jenkins, who has overseen a rise in the city’s jail population since her former boss, Chesa Boudin, was ousted in a recall election. Jenkins’s chief of staff, who, like Jenkins, is a Black woman, accused the foundation of racism and “lecturing” in its dealings with the office. The MacArthur Foundation, which has given $5.2 million to the D.A.’s office since 2018, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ([Mission Local]( Background from the Chronicle: [3 Years After George Floyd, Foundations Say They’ve Changed]( More News and Opinion - New Initiative Aims to Turbocharge Wildlife-Crossing Construction Across California ([Los Angeles Times]( - Boosters Started a Nonprofit to Pay Alabama Athletes Millions. Now, It’s Shutting Down. ([AL.com]( - Connecticut-Based Nonprofit Pays $1 Million Ransom After Cyberattack ([NBC Connecticut]( - ‘They’re asking: Why me?’ Volunteers Respond to Mental Health Concerns After Vermont Floods. ([Boston Globe]( - Mennonite Women Offer a Helping Hand in Vermont ([Boston Globe]( - Opinion: Gus Walz Inspired Me to Crash a Nonprofit Website ([Colorado Sun]( Housing and Homelessness - Soaring Insurance Costs Could ‘End’ Affordable Housing, Developers Warn ([New York Times]( - Is Housing Homeless People a ‘Religious Purpose’? A Mass. Church May Have to Make the Case in Court. ([Boston Globe]( 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 MAJOR GIFT [$400 Million to Columbia U. in Boom Year of Medical School Megagifts]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( Roy and Diana Vagelos’s latest donation expands the medical school’s mission to advance treatment for diseases. FUNDRAISING [By Overlooking Women, Nonprofits Are Leaving Billions on the Table]( By Stephanie Beasley [STORY IMAGE]( Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott have become two of the biggest donors in the country. More women could join their ranks as they inherit large fortunes. Q&A [How Philanthropy Fails Boys and Men]( By Eden Stiffman [STORY IMAGE]( Richard Reeves is fighting the prevailing view of who’s on the losing side of gender equality. Melinda French Gates is backing him with $20 million. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join our webinar]( —Grant makers and individual donors want to see the lasting impact of their contributions. But at many nonprofits ― especially those with modest budgets — there are no staffers assigned solely to measuring and evaluating results. So, fundraisers, communications professionals, and program staff often must work together to show the difference their organizations make. It can be hard to know which kinds of metrics show progress toward long-term goals, how to capture and analyze data, and how to communicate your impact in ways that are compelling and easy to digest. Join us for a 75-minute webinar on Thursday, September 19 at 2 PM ET to learn from our expert guests. [Register now.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES Find your next nonprofit role in The Chronicle Career Center: - Associate Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement — Centre College - [Fundraising Consulting Sales - Account Executive - Remote Work]( — Capital Campaign Pro - [Senior Associate Vice President of Development and Campaign Director]( — The University of Toledo Foundation [Search all job openings →]( Hiring? [Post a Job.]( [Chronicle of Philanthropy Logo]( This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. 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