February 2025
Articles and News
DAFgiving360 Donors Grant $7.7 Billion to Charity in 2024
DAFgiving360™ (formerly Schwab Charitable), one of the largest national providers of donor-advised fund (DAF) accounts and related philanthropic resources, reports that its donors granted more than $7.7 billion to charity in 2024, a 25% increase – or $1.5 billion more – compared to 2023. (DAFGiving360)
Empathy as a Strategy of Resilience
A thoughtful, and timely, column from Paul Luikart. “Empathy distills into a robust, cultivated compassion which initiates thoughtful, effective, cooperative responses in the real world.” (Nonprofit Quarterly)
World Safety Net Ripped: One USAID Worker Speaks Out
“Many may ask why this work is important, aside from just being the nice thing to do. Why should we provide food to children in Sudan, when we are having trouble feeding our own children here at home? Why should we provide healthcare to people in other countries, when healthcare is so hard to acquire in the United States? In the end, why should we spend this money on others, when we could spend it on ourselves?” (Bitter Southerner)
Studies and Resources
MDC’s 2025 State of the South Report
The State of the South, MDC’s premier publication, began in 1996 as a report on the economic conditions and demographic trends affecting the South. (MDC)
Report: 11 Trends in Philanthropy for 2025
Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy’s annual report on trends to watch this year includes predictions for the growth of collective giving and an increase of foundation sunsetting.
2025 Outlook for Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy
A helpful report for those seeking corporate support finds “In 2025, citizenship leaders see employee-driven initiatives, AI, and outcome-based philanthropy as the most impactful emerging approaches for driving societal impact,” among other useful tips. (The Conference Board)
For Funders
From Fighting Back to Cutting Back: Funder Responses to Trump Anti-DEI Orders Are Mixed
“It’s taken a few weeks for the funding sector to begin sorting out how to respond. Only one of five major funders we reached out to the day after Trump’s inauguration — the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — had already made a public statement condemning the executive order.” (Inside Philanthropy)
A Challenge to Philanthropy: Break the Cycle and Fund the Infrastructure that Already Exists
“It’s beyond time for a bold reimagining: stop funding the retrofit of large institutions that will inevitably revert to their bureaucratic inertia. Instead, invest directly in the small, community-rooted organizations already delivering impactful and well thought out programs right now.” (KALW)
Breaking the Mold: The Transformative Effect of MacKenzie Scott's Big Gifts
The final report in a three-year study by the Center for Effective Philanthropy. Spoiler alert: 85% of nonprofit leader respondents indicate that the grant has moderately or significantly strengthened their organization’s long-term financial sustainability.(CEP)
