Why Fundraisers Should Speak Up About Their Challenges (Opinion)

Plus, MacArthur's $1 million bet on human rights research; and the IRS and 'churches' that aren't really churches ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( You can also [read this newsletter on the web](. Or, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, [unsubscribe](. OPINION [Fundraisers Need to Speak Up About Their Challenges — and Funders Need to Listen]( By Armando Enrique Zumaya [STORY IMAGE]( Addressing drops in giving starts by giving fundraisers enough support to excel in their jobs. GRANTS AND FINANCE [The Quest for Fiscal Stability: How MacArthur’s $1 Million Bet on Human Rights Research Paid Off]( By Stephanie Beasley [STORY IMAGE]( Nearly 10 years after receiving a MacArthur “genius” award for institutions, UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center has transformed itself and its work, offering lessons for both grant makers and nonprofits. OPINION [The IRS and ‘Churches’ That Aren’t Really Churches]( By Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer [STORY IMAGE]( How the government can stop the IRS from treating advocacy groups with a “biblical worldview” like real churches WEBINARS [October 10 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join us for Steps to Take to Build a Planned Giving Program to learn from Aquanetta Betts, director of planned giving at George Mason University, and Sean Twomey, senior director of planned giving and impact at the Wilderness Society, how to jump start your planned giving efforts. They’ll share smart tips for attracting charitable bequests, which totaled $42.7 billion last year, and other planned gifts. SPONSOR CONTENT| Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University [Pioneering the Future of Nonprofit Leadership]( FORUMS [October 29 at 2 p.m. ET | Register Now]( [STORY IMAGE]( Join Strengthening Cybersecurity in the Age of A.I., a conversation with Francesca Bosco of the CyberPeace Institute, Michael Enos of TechSoup, Raffi Krikorian of Emerson Collective, and Joshua Peskay of RoundTable Technology. They’ll share updates on how cyberthreats are changing and share practical advice on how nonprofits can protect themselves. 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 Two Texas energy billionaires have used campaign donations and a network of think tanks, other nonprofits, and political action committees to gain influence over the state’s Republican politics, with an eye toward national domination. Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks have poured tens of millions of dollars into campaigns and PACs, and millions more into 501(c)(4) social-welfare organizations, with a goal of making Christianity the basis of the state’s culture and laws. Alongside crusades on abortion, gun rights, and immigration, the pair are waging a long battle for taxpayer-funded vouchers for private schools. ([New York Times and ProPublica]( Background from the Chronicle: [What Pro-Democracy Activists Can Learn From Their Adversaries]( A fledgling group is providing a safe place for gay and transgender refugees escaping persecution in their own countries. Launched last year by the State Department, the Welcome Corps works with nonprofits and volunteers. It has so far connected 3,500 sponsors with 1,800 refugees, while 100,000 people have applied to become sponsors. Many refugees come from countries where homosexuality has been outlawed, sometimes on pain of death. ([Los Angeles Times]( Background from the Chronicle: [As LGBTQ Rights Come Under Threat, Lambda Legal Mounts Effort to Raise $180 Million]( More News - JD Vance’s Old Yale Law Classmates Raise Money for Springfield’s Haitian Residents ([New York Times]( - Heritage Foundation Staffers Flood Federal Agencies With Thousands of Information Requests ([ProPublica]( - Nonprofits Serving Californians With Disabilities Must Make Records Public Under New State Law ([KQED]( - Bill Gates Falls To Lowest Rank On The Forbes 400 In Nearly 25 Years ([Forbes]( Nonprofit Scandals - Nonprofit In D.C. Council Member’s Bribery Case Got Millions in City Contracts ([Washington Post]( - State Investigates the Foodbank of Southern California’s Use of Government Funds Amid Dueling Accusations of Corruption ([Long Beach Post]( 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 RESEARCH ROUNDUP [New Research on How Older and Younger Generations Give]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( More than three-quarters of donors approaching retirement and those who have already retired say charitable giving plays a significant role in their lives. OPINION [The Case for Doing Away With the Charitable Deduction]( By Robert McClelland [STORY IMAGE]( A tax code tweak that replaces the deduction with matching grants could encourage everyone to donate. RESEARCH AND DATA [The Hidden Patterns Shaping American Philanthropy]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( Where do the country’s charitable dollars really flow? A new collaborative report reveals a complex landscape of giving, with patterns shifting dramatically across time, geography, and donor types. 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