List of Donors Divesting From Fossil Fuels Swells to 200-Plus

Plus, the share of households that give declined 13 percentage points post-recession, and Pepperdine’s law school lands a $50 million gift [Philanthropy Today] Was this newsletter forwarded to you? [Please sign up]( to receive your own copy. Foundation Giving [List of Major Donors Divesting From Fossil Fuels Swells to More Than 200]( By Alex Daniels Chronicle reporter The founder of the movement says the investment returns for the foundations and individual donors that have signed onto the pledge haven’t suffered. (PREMIUM) ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( Research [Share of Households That Give Declined 13 Percentage Points Post-Recession]( By Emily Haynes Chronicle reporter The report, by the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy, says 20 million households stopped giving to charity from 2000 to 2016. (PREMIUM) Gifts Roundup [Pepperdine’s Law School Lands $50 Million to Help Underserved Students]( [Image]( Tracie Van Auken for The Chronicle By Maria Di Mento Chronicle reporter In addition, Craig Newmark gave $1.5 million for a program that will help journalists investigate and verify online content. Opinion [As Distrust in Big Philanthropy Grows, Here’s How Leading Foundations Are Demonstrating Their Value]( By Melissa Berman CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors By seeking the views of the people they serve, diversifying their advisory bodies, and demonstrating how they learn what works, grant makers can cement their compact with society, Paid for and Created by Salesforce.org [The Cloud: A High-Tech Answer for Nonprofits Looking to Grow]( Managing programs, enhancing campaigns, and developing stronger communication streams, a cloud platform improves how an organization pursues its mission, offering a clearer path to growth. ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( Subscribe to the Chronicle As donors become increasingly selective in their giving, it’s more important than ever that you have unlimited access to the tools and resources needed to show your impact. A subscription to the Chronicle of Philanthropy provides you with the knowledge you need to generate excitement for your nonprofit, grow your donor base, and stay ahead of emerging trends. [Subscribe Today]( Nonprofit News From Elsewhere The questionable spending of West Virginia Bishop Michael Bransfield was done via a chain of entities that helped him transfer money meant for local charity elsewhere. Bransfield used the Bishop’s Fund, which received at least $21 million generated by a church hospital, as a “discretionary fund,” even though the diocese told tax officials it was to help the people of West Virginia. While much of the money went for local philanthropy, it also helped refurbish the apartments of a cardinal at the Vatican and paid for a $400,000 custom-made Italian altar set for a church in Wheeling that parishioners rejected amid criticism of the bishop’s spending. Bransfield stepped down in 2018 after being accused of financial improprieties and sexual harassment. A church official said the transfers were approved by the hospital board, but members say they have no recollection of such votes being held. ([Washington Post]( A tax break meant to encourage wealthy investors to plow capital gains into impoverished areas will benefit Michael Milken, a symbol of the rule-bending, predatory 1980s-style capitalism. Milken, who served 10 years in prison and paid $600 million in fines for insider trading, is a longtime friend of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. After an event hosted by Milken’s think tank, which Mnuchin attended, Mnuchin instructed his department to deem a plot of land in Nevada owned by Milken eligible for the tax break, even though the land did not fall within guidelines for opportunity zones. The program covers impoverished areas and more affluent areas adjacent to them. Many of the investments have gone into those better-off nearby areas. ([New York Times](. For more background, see a Chronicle article about [opportunity zones]( and an [opinion article](. Plus: How a Tax Break to Help the Poor Went to NBA Owner Dan Gilbert ([ProPublica]( And: Philanthropic Investment in Opportunity Zones Is Lacking ([OpportunityDb]( A once-powerful nonprofit helping needy young people in Los Angeles has flamed out. The Youth Policy Institute, which provided after-school program and counseling to students, among other programs, has closed its doors and cut loose nearly 1,000 employees. Despite its $47 million budget, the institute had recently struggled to support its programs, and an audit released last week found sloppy bookkeeping, lax oversight, and “a grim budget outlook.” An official with the institute blamed federal budget cuts — the Department of Education had withheld almost $6 million from the organization’s programs — but others blamed mismanagement. ([Los Angeles Times]( More News A Billionaire Who Signed the Giving Pledge in 2012 Said Bill Gates' Philanthropy Pact Isn't 'Growing as Rapidly as We Hoped' ([Business Insider](. See an in-depth Chronicle report on the [slow pace of the giving pledge]( toward its goal. Native Hawaiian Heiress Faces Court Test to Control Millions ([Associated Press]( Regents Ask Judge to Toss Lawsuit Alleging ‘Gift Clause’ Violation ([Arizona Capitol Times]( A San Diego County Supervisor Served as Adviser and Gala Chair of a Charity She Backed to Run $2 Million County Project ([San Diego Union Tribune]( Detroit Institute of Art Widens Targets in Push to Meet $400 Million Endowment Goal ([Crain’s Detroit Business]( Dallas Sports Team Owners Donate $1 Million Apiece to Help City’s Schools Recover From Tornadoes ([CNN]( Opinion Philanthropy: Not the Problem, Not the Solution ([Forbes](. See [more from the author, William Meehan,]( in a Chronicle opinion piece. George Soros: Open Societies Are Under Threat ([NPR]( What Everyone Else Is Reading [Strategic Planning Sucks the Life Out of Nonprofits]( How and why the process is often flawed, and how to fix it [David Brooks Wants to Repair America’s Fraying Social Fabric]( The conservative New York Times columnist is bringing together people who are building relationships to improve their communities in the hopes of sparking a social movement. (PREMIUM) [When Major-Gift Fundraisers Manage Fewer Donors, They Can Raise More Money]( Better work-life balance and a better donor experience are two of the benefits. (PREMIUM) [North Dakota State U. Lands $75 Million; Sheryl Sandberg Gives Anti-Defamation League $2.5 Million (Gifts Roundup)]( Plus, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Carnegie Hall, Big Shoulders Fund, and seven universities received large donations. [Mercy Corps Appoints Interim CEO Following Abuse Scandal Involving Its Founder (Transitions)]( Also, the Mozilla Foundation hired a new vice president for global programs, and the McKnight Foundation's president will retire next month. Want More News and Ideas About Fundraising? See our brand new free weekly newsletter chock full of stories to give you an edge, keep you up to date, and inspire you with advice from your peers. [Subscribe here](. Job Opportunities Find your next job in the Chronicle's jobs section, where employers have posted hundreds of the best career opportunities in the nonprofit world. Here are a few: [Chief Development Officer]( Gulf of Maine Research Institute [Vice President of Development]( Horizons Foundation [Manager, Community & Strategic Partnerships]( LeagueApps [Vice President for Advancement]( Albright College [Search the Chronicle's jobs database](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Sign up]( for other newsletters, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2019 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy](