Top American Donors Stick to Decades-Old Conventions of Philanthropy

Plus, Michael Jordan celebrated his birthday with a $10 million gift to the Make-a-Wish Foundation ADVERTISEMENT [Philanthropy Today Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now follow The Chronicle on [Apple News]( [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. ANALYSIS [America’s Top Donors Are Helping to Shape the Future in an Old-Fashioned Way]( By Maria Di Mento and Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( Many of 2022 largest donors hewed closely to decades-old conventions of philanthropy. Two areas that attracted significant support: scholarships and medical research. Plus: See our entire [special report]( on the Philanthropy 50. ADVERTISEMENT GIFTS ROUNDUP [Michael Jordan Celebrates His Birthday With a $10 Million Gift to Make-a-Wish Foundation]( By Maria Di Mento [STORY IMAGE]( Plus, the University of Michigan landed a $50 million donation for its education school, and three other universities received big gifts. Webinars [Thursday: Seeking General-Operating Grants]( [STORY IMAGE]( As salaries and other expenses keep climbing, nonprofits need general-operating support more than ever. How can you make a compelling case for unrestricted support? Join this 75-minute session on Thursday, February 23, for guidance from two executives with strong track records in securing grants to cover overhead expenses. They’ll explain how grant seekers can demonstrate the return unrestricted investments deliver, align with grant makers’ philanthropic goals, and build trust in your nonprofit’s sustainability. [Register today.]( ONLINE BRIEFINGS [Using Data Analytics to Attract and Retain Members]( [STORY IMAGE]( Trade associations and other nonprofits that rely on membership revenue employ a variety of strategies to recruit and retain people, such as hosting conferences and selling reports and research, but data from these activities often is stored in different places and can be difficult to reconcile with member records. How can nonprofits use data to maximize membership revenue and build community? Join us Tuesday, February 28, at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn from leaders who are putting their data to practical use with good results. [Register Today.]( SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE Enjoying the newsletter? [Subscribe today]( for unlimited access to nonprofit news and analysis. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Online The chief diversity officer for a venerable social-justice nonprofit has been accused of fabricating her identity — by her mother. Raquel Evita Saraswati presented herself to the American Friends Service Committee as a queer Muslim woman of color when it hired her in 2021. But her mother said she is of British, German, and Italian ancestry. “I’m white as the driven snow, and so is she,” Carol Perone said of her daughter. Saraswati has not commented on the accusation, and officially the organization stands by her. But some AFSC employees posted an anonymous letter on Medium airing concerns that Saraswati could be a saboteur, given her pre-AFSC history of appearing “in conservative and Islamophobic spaces, including right-wing TV shows, where she was presented as a ‘[moderate]( Muslim critical of Islamic extremism.” And an anonymous AFSC leader said the new emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion in many organizations has spawned a lucrative industry that has led to “white people in brown face getting into DEI positions, with its salary, resources, and power.” ([Intercept]( Larry Kramer, head of the Hewlett Foundation, pledged in his personal capacity to back part of Sam Bankman-Fried’s $250 million bail. In court records unsealed last week, Kramer pledged a $500,000 contribution toward a bond for the former crypto currency trader, who is accused of funneling clients’ assets from his FTX exchange before it collapsed last year. Kramer is the former dean of Stanford Law School, where Bankman-Fried’s parents work. He said the commitment had nothing to do with his work at the foundation and said the elder Bankman-Frieds were longtime friends who had supported his family through “a harrowing battle with cancer.” In a statement to CNBC, Kramer said he was not commenting on the legal case through the bond commitment and that the issues needed to be fully tried in a court. Another Bankman-Fried sponsor was Andreas Paepcke, a research scientist at Stanford University who kicked in $200,000. ([Wall Street Journal]( — subscription) (The Hewlett Foundation is a [financial sponsor]( of the Chronicle of Philanthropy.) Plus: ‘Effective Altruism’ Led Bankman-Fried to a Little-Known Wall Street. Firm ([New York Times]( More News - James O’Keefe Leaves His Post as the Leader of Project Veritas ([New York Times]( - Guinea Worm Cases Drop to 14 — Close to Jimmy Carter’s Goal of Zero ([Associated Press]( - Baltimore Leader Secures $20 Million to Support Black Leaders and Organizations After Learning of Foundation’s Closure ([Black Enterprise]( - How Public Money Goes to Support a Hasidic Village’s Private Schools ([New York Times]( - A Christian Ministry Promised an Obamacare Alternative. The FBI Says Its Leaders Pocketed $4 Million and Left Members With Thousands in Unpaid Medical Bills. ([Forbes]( - Tomb Raiders, Crooked Art Dealers, and Museum Curators Fed Billionaire Michael Steinhardt’s Addiction to Antiquities. Many Also Happened to Be Stolen. ([New York]( Opinion - How the Rich Have Their Cake and Eat It Too by Using Trusts to Give to Charity, Collect Cash, and Save on Taxes at the Same Time ([Insider]( SPONSOR CONTENT | CCS [CCS Examines Philanthropic Trends Amid Steady Giving in Eleventh-Edition]( CCS Fundraising is thrilled to share the eleventh edition Snapshot of Today’s Philanthropic Landscape report. This report compiles and contextualizes research from across the field of philanthropy to help US-based nonprofits wade through the available data and create informed fundraising strategies. Editor's Picks YEAR-END GIVING [Year-End Fundraising Jumped for Some Groups, Declined for Others]( By Rasheeda Childress [STORY IMAGE]( Some charities did gangbusters, while others struggled amid economic uncertainty and inflation. DISASTER GIVING [Turkey-Syria Earthquake Hits a Region in Crisis U.S. Donors Have Long Neglected. Will That Change?]( By Drew Lindsay [STORY IMAGE]( The U.S. charitable response to the disaster offers a mixed forecast of giving in the long run. OPINION [The End of AmazonSmile Is an Opportunity for Nonprofits to Revisit Their Values]( By Christopher Hammett [STORY IMAGE]( Its free money for nonprofits came with a cost. It led groups to push aside fundamental beliefs to accept easy cash from a corporate behemoth whose business model harms the very communities they aim to protect. CRIMINAL JUSTICE [$125 Million From Mellon Will Go to Artists Working to Change Public Attitudes on Criminal Justice]( By Sara Herschander [STORY IMAGE]( The grant maker is committing $125 million to creative artists — especially those who have spent time behind bars — to figure out ways to spark new conversations that lead to policy change. OPINION | WHAT WE'VE LEARNED [I Know Trusting Grantees Works Because It Propelled My Own Successful Career]( By Holly Fogle [STORY IMAGE]( When others doubted me, one man showed his faith in my ambition to become a business leader. Today, I’m putting that same trust in the grantees and low-income mothers my foundation supports. ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDED WEBINAR [Watch Our Webinar]( — As salaries and other expenses continue to climb, nonprofits need general-operating support more than ever. How can you make a successful case for unrestricted support from foundation decision makers? Join this 75-minute webinar on Thursday, February 23, at 2 p.m. Eastern to learn directly from two nonprofit leaders with strong track records in securing grants to cover overhead expenses. They'll explain how they did it and offer guidance on how grant seekers can demonstrate the return unrestricted investments can deliver, align with grant makers' philanthropic goals, and build trust in your nonprofit’s sustainability. Don't miss this chance to boost your odds of receiving unrestricted support. [Register today.]( JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Executive Director]( Phi Kappa Tau Foundation [Search other jobs.]( NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. [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. © 2023 [The Chronicle of Philanthropy]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037