October 2022
Things We’re Loving This Month
A Graphic Re-visioning of Nonprofit Overhead
I’m obsessed with this idea for re-visioning the traditional funding piechart by Curtis Klotz!
“How we visualize our understanding of nonprofit structure and programs shapes the overhead debate. It’s time to get graphic about our new ideas—to deploy fresh images to help educate the public, our funders, and ourselves.”
How to be philanthropic in early Byzantine Christianity, with Dan Caner
H/T to Rhodri Davies for including this incredibly niche podcast episode in the WhyPhilanthropyMatters newsletter.
Ask Vu: Nonprofit Love and Relationship
Vu Le of NonprofitAF has been releasing a series of relationship advice videos on his instagram, perfect for nonprofit professionals.
Articles and News
Venmo Rolls Out ‘Charity Profiles’ to Allow Charities to Raise Funds Directly Within Its App
Venmo is launching a new feature called “Charity Profiles” that will allow charities to raise funds and receive donations directly within its app. (TechCrunch)
Despite the Fanfare, Ed Philanthropy’s Investment in Racial Justice Falls Short
“Only a few funders allowed movement or community leaders to make grantmaking decisions, though some indicated plans to do so in the future. And even though several of the pledges were aimed at catalyzing systemic change, only about a quarter of grants went toward organizations working explicitly on building power in communities of color.” (Inside Philanthropy)
Drugmakers profit through donations to patient charities, study finds
“While drug companies can't make illegal inducements, they can send money to patient assistance charities and ask that the funds to be used to treat certain conditions, including ones only they and select other companies may have a treatment for.
What they found: The percentage of Medicare Advantage drug spending estimated to qualify for charity assistance, increased from 29% to 41% between 2010 and 2017.
‘Manufacturers could effectively assist in the purchase of their own medications by contributing to condition-specific charities,’ the study authors wrote.” (Axios)
The Forbes Philanthropy Score 2022: How Charitable Are The Richest Americans?
“The richest Americans give only a small percentage of their wealth to charity every year, according to new philanthropy scores compiled by Forbes magazine. The vast majority of those on Forbes’s annual list of the 400 wealthiest Americans have donated less than 5 percent of their wealth to charity, by the magazine’s calculations. Only nine people on the list have donated more than 20 percent of their wealth: Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, MacKenzie Scott, Warren Buffett, George Soros, Gordon Moore, Amos Hostetter Jr., Lynn Schusterman, and John Arnold. For the third year in a row, Soros topped the list, having given $18 billion so far in 2022.” (Forbes via Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Wealthy Use Loophole to Reap Tax Breaks — And Delay Giving Away Money
In more than 1,000 instances, foundations would have fallen short of their required payout for the year were it not for contributions to DAFs, according to Bloomberg’s analysis. If they’d paid out exactly what they were supposed to in previous years, closing the loophole could have forced them to push an additional $800 million directly to working charities over the six years examined. That’s more than twice as much as the annual expenses of the Alzheimer’s Association or the World Wildlife Fund. (Bloomberg)
As Recession Fears Grow, Economy Shows Troubling Signs for Giving
Still, experts pointed to some reasons for optimism in year-end fundraising, including rising consumer confidence and spending amid hopes of moderating inflation. (Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Studies and Research
Virtual museum visits improve well-being for elderly, study finds
Researchers found adults over 65 who attended virtual guided tours each week over a three-month period experienced significant improvements in their well-being. (The Hill)
“Educational gag orders are state legislative efforts to restrict teaching about topics such as race, gender, American history, and LGBTQ+ identities in K–12 and higher education… In this report, we analyze the landscape of educational gag orders as of August 2022—a natural point for reflecting on the year’s legislation.” (Pen America)
A new study by Hala Altamimi and Qiaozhen Liu shows that “Nonprofits that spend more on information technology, facilities, equipment, staff training, program development, and fundraising tend to be more successful than those that skimp on these “overhead expenses.“ (Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Learning Out Loud: What Nonprofits Are Saying About Trust-Based Philanthropy
Findings from the Trust-Based Philanthropy Project’s survey on how and whether nonprofit leaders have experienced shifts in power dynamics in their funder relationships.
Resources
“In 2015, SumOfUs staff, led by Hanna Thomas, began the compilation of a new kind of guide – one that sparks a conversation about language among progressives. With the help of Anna Hirsch, an independent editor, A Progressive’s Style Guide was born. We invite drivers of progressive change – community members, grassroots leaders, activists, and progressive funders – to peruse the vital movement frameworks, decolonizing usage, and up-to-date word choice and phrasing for current theory of change directions and momentum across groups and issue areas presented in this guide.”
Appropriate Terms to Use from the National Disability Authority
A guide to provide some practical guidance and explanation for terms no longer in use when writing and speaking of individuals with disabilities and recommended alternatives.
Building a Culture of Safety at Work in Charitable Organizations – A Practitioner Perspective on the Dialogue About Sexual Harassment in and Around Nonprofits
Liz LeClair published these words in 2021 but this topic remains (unfortunately) relevant today.
South Arts Accessibility Resources
Resources and recommendations for ADA compliance and accommodations for all audiences in programs and services, employment, accessibility technology, alternative methods of communication, and physical accommodations.
Giving circles are reclaiming philanthropy
A new TED Talk from Sara Lomelin on Giving Circles and the future of philanthropy.
For Funders
PayPal debuts ‘Grant Payments’ to shift charitable giving from paper checks to electronic transfers
The new product has been created in partnership with National Philanthropic Trust (NPT) and Vanguard Charitable and allows Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) sponsors, community foundations and other grantmakers to move their donations electronically through PayPal’s platform. In addition to moving money quickly, the system includes an online Grant Payments dashboard available to grantmakers and charities alike where they can view all the grant details, including the donor information, which can be exported to help simplify record keeping. (TechCrunch)
Battling Burnout in the Nonprofit Sector
A video by The Durfee Foundation
