Community Finance Takes Racial-Equity Focus

Plus, Dana-Farber receives $40 million for multiple myeloma research, and how to lead with courage in difficult times ADVERTISEMENT [Academe Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. RACIAL JUSTICE [Corporations and Philanthropy Underwrite a New Era of Community Finance With Racial Equity Focus, Report Says]( By Dan Parks Billions of dollars have been committed, but more attention needs to be paid to communities that lack the ability to advocate to ensure that their neighborhoods benefit. ADVERTISEMENT GIFTS ROUNDUP [Rodger and Paula Riney Give Dana-Farber $40 Million]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( Plus, the ACLU, Brandeis, and UC San Diego’s Shiley Eye Institute all receive large gifts. VIDEO [How to Lead With Courage in Difficult Times]( By Dan Parks [STORY IMAGE]( To help leaders recharge and gear up for 2022, the Chronicle hosted two expert guests in the online briefing Leading Courageously in Unparalleled Times. Watch the video or read the summary. Webinars [Create a Fundraising Plan for Growth and Recovery]( [STORY IMAGE]( Research shows that most American households are on stronger financial footing than at any other point since the pandemic hit, but the Omicron variant of Covid-19 demonstrates that uncertainty still lies ahead. So how can you craft a smart fundraising strategy for 2022 with so much still in flux? Join us on Thursday, January 20 at 2 p.m. Eastern to get advice from our expert guests as they explain what to include in your 2022 fundraising plan, how to make it adaptable, and how to set priorities. [Register now.]( SPONSOR CONTENT | INDEPENDENT SECTOR [Why Embedding an Artist in Your Nonprofit Is a Sound Investment](. NONPROFIT NEWS FROM ELSEWHERE Year Up is experimenting with ways to stretch its dollars and grow faster as the nonprofit finds success getting struggling young people started on their journeys toward middle-class careers. The nonprofit provides tuition-free job training that can lead to internships with major employers such as Amazon, Bank of America, and JPMorgan Chase. Opinion writer Peter Coy says Year Up is experimenting with shortening its six-month training for people who may be ready sooner for the work force, trimming real-estate expenses by partnering with community colleges, and outsourcing some skill training, such as learning Microsoft Office, so that Year Up can focus on teaching soft skills such as showing up on time, meeting deadlines, and working in teams. The program has an annual operating budget of more than $170 million and plans to serve about 4,900 students this year. ([New York Times]( Plus: See a Chronicle article about how Year Up [persuaded donors]( to invest in its growth. A majority of eligible workers at Lines for Life, a nonprofit crisis hotline based in Portland, Oregon have signed cards to form a union, setting up an official vote in February. The crisis line takes calls from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and local crisis numbers to provide emotional support, treatment referrals, and other services. “The number of calls went up. The acuity of calls went up. And the organization also started taking on more contracts, too,” said Billy Constable, one of the workers at Lines for Life. The pandemic has exponentially raised the pressure and stress working at crisis lines, as well as other types of nonprofits, across the nation. In New York, a nonprofit umbrella group representing 170 organizations has sued the city over a new law that makes forming a union easier, saying it “cedes control over the City of New York’s social services to union leaders.” ([New Republic]( and [City]( More News - Mother Teresa’s Charity in India Regains Access to Foreign Funding After Ban ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) - A Former GOP Senate Candidate Says He’ll Donate $1 Million to Charity if Trump Will Debate Him ([Insider]( - A Pub That Let People Buy Beers for Betty White Will Donate the Money to Charity ([NPR]( Opinion - ‘It’s Time for Museums to Take Critical Race Theory Seriously’ ([Art Newspaper]( - Melania Trump’s 2022 Resolution: Grift Like There’s No Tomorrow ([Vanity Fair]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. EDITOR'S PICKS STAFF PICKS [You Say the Arts Don’t Matter? A 10-Year, $150 Million Venture Set Out to Prove You Wrong]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( ArtPlace America, funded by some of the country’s largest grant makers, argued that arts and culture are community builders and not just some esoteric good. ADVOCACY [$1 Billion in Gifts Attracts New Attention to the Rules on Charities and Political Giving]( By Alex Daniels [STORY IMAGE]( The New Venture Fund doubled its donations last year, becoming what some see as a liberal powerhouse to counter Charles Koch’s support of conservatives charities and advocacy groups. OPINION [Philanthropy Can Help Build a Thriving Democracy by Building Up Programs and Places That Fuel Civic Involvement]( By Stephen Heintz [STORY IMAGE]( Vibrant local libraries, community centers, parks, and other forms of civic infrastructure foster a sense of pride and connection to one’s community — and help shut down polarized politics and anti-democratic impulses. WHAT I LEARNED [Audacious Goals: Meet a Leader Who Turned a Nonprofit Start-Up Into a Quarter-Century Success]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( When Argelia Rodriguez took the helm of the District of Columbia College Access Program, she was charged with doubling the number of D.C. public school students who go to college. She leaves her job later this year, secure that her mission is accomplished. DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION [How to Ask Donors to Share Demographic Details]( By Michael Theis [STORY IMAGE]( A new guide aims to clear up common issues related to charities’ collection and use of donors’ demographic information. SPONSOR CONTENT | Center for Creative Leadership [Burning Bright Instead of Burning Out]( Learn what philanthropic organizations are doing to limit the nonprofit burnout rate and turnover, guiding individual and organizational resilience. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Join Our Webinar]( — Research shows that most American households are on stronger financial footing than at any other point since the pandemic hit. That’s encouraging news for nonprofits that are looking to rebuild — or even expand — in the year ahead. However, the latest wild card, the Omicron variant of Covid-19, demonstrates that we’re still facing a lot of uncertainty. So, how can you craft a smart fundraising strategy for 2022 with so much still in flux? Join us on Thursday, January 20, at 2 p.m. Eastern for a 75-minute webinar to get insights and advice from our expert guests as they outline key things to include in a fundraising plan for 2022, explain how to set priorities, and share ways to build in flexibility, so you can adapt as needed. [Register today for the early-bird rate.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES Apply for the top jobs in philanthropy and [search all our open positions](. 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