Nonprofit News Feed Podcast: Recent Episodes
NonprofitNewsFeed.com
Short summaries of nonprofit sector news covering fundraising, trends, and information from 100’s of sources.
First up: PayPal Giving Fund and why its reported $60B acquisition interest from Stripe should have the nonprofit world paying closer attention. A quick teardown of who actually controls the money moving through it.
Then: the politics of AI are getting contentious, and nonprofits are stuck in the crossfire. We dig into the cooling public mood, the two extremes pulling the debate apart, and the case for a transparent AI use policy that draws bright red lines, shows where AI drives impact, and admits where it does harm.
Next: Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund put $200M behind saving 100 species from extinction, and why celebrity-and-billionaire-built operations earn a raised eyebrow.
Closing out: the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s Whole Child school in New Jersey shuts its doors after CZI pulls funding, and what it says about throwing money at problems instead of partnering with the people who already do the work.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post AI Politics Are Getting Ugly; Nonprofits Can't Sit It Out (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
This week’s Nonprofit News Feed turns the spotlight on the PayPal Giving Fund (PPGF), a pivotal player in the donation processing ecosystem. Operating like a donor-advised fund (DAF), PPGF processed a staggering $952 million in donations in 2024, marking a 50% increase from the previous year. This growth is largely attributed to PPGF becoming the sole donation processor for Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram in the US and UK.
However, concerns arise over the fund’s operations, particularly its handling of donor data and the creation of “shadow pages.” These pages can reroute donations without nonprofits’ consent, and PPGF’s lack of transparency in passing donor information to nonprofits is a significant issue. Additionally, the PayPal Giving Fund’s close ties to PayPal, a for-profit entity, raise questions about governance and financial transparency, especially regarding the interest accrued on funds held for up to 90 days.
The discussion underscores the need for nonprofits to be vigilant about how their donations are processed and the importance of advocating for more transparent and efficient systems that truly benefit charitable organizations.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post PayPal Giving Fund: A Deep Dive into Donation Dynamics (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
Political spam texts are flooding phones at scale—and the data shows it’s overwhelmingly a Democratic problem, running 3-4X Republican spending on SMS fundraising since 2008. This week breaks down the loopholes that make it legal (peer-to-peer “technology,” snowshoeing across thousands of numbers, political speech exemptions) and the burn-and-churn vendor model that profits 7-15% off every dollar raised, no matter how much trust it burns. Plus a look at PACSpam.org, a new tool that lets you paste in a spam text, trace the UTM parameters and ActBlue links back to the vendor and PAC behind it, and log it to a public database.
Plus: Giving USA 2025 numbers are in. Total US charitable giving hit a record $617B (a 3% inflation-adjusted bump), bequests jumped 17% signaling the great wealth transfer, and a handful of mega-donors accounted for nearly $18B of $19.2B in mega-gifts.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post Spam Texts, Scam PACs, and the Burn-and-Churn Fundraising Machine (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
This week’s Nonprofit News Feed highlights the potential impact of upcoming IPOs in the AI sector on donor-advised funds (DAFs). Major players like SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI are expected to go public, potentially generating $12 to $32 billion in new DAF contributions. This influx could significantly enhance grant-making capacities across the nonprofit sector.
The democratization of philanthropy is a key theme, as newly liquid employees—not just billionaires—could make substantial charitable contributions. Nonprofits are advised to prepare by developing relationships with potential donors early and ensuring they can efficiently handle stock gifts and DAF grants.
Key insights include the expectation of a massive year for DAFs, similar to the IPO boom of 2021. However, nonprofits should note that liquidity does not equate to immediate increased budgets. The episode emphasizes the importance of strategic communications and understanding the philanthropic mindset of tech sector employees, particularly concerning AI’s societal impacts.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post The $32B Charitable Wave Is Coming. Your “Donate” Button Isn't Ready. (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
Global Giving’s Controversial Renaming Decision
This episode of the Nonprofit NewsFeed delves into Global Giving’s decision to rename Taiwan as “Chinese Taipei” on its platform, a move reportedly influenced by the Chinese government as the platform expands in China. This change has provoked dissatisfaction among Taiwanese NGOs, leading some to withdraw from the platform.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post Taiwanese Nonprofits Leave GlobalGiving Over “Chinese Taipei” Relabeling (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
This week the hosts break down three stories circling the same question: who actually consents to AI’s rollout into civic life?
Malta adopts ChatGPT. OpenAI’s “OpenAI for Countries” program will give every Maltese citizen free ChatGPT Plus for a year, plus an AI literacy course. Nick warns of Free Basics-style second-order risks; George sees a paid tier as a better deal than the ad-driven alternative. Both flag the year-long lock-in and the temptation for governments to nudge system prompts.
Commencement speakers booed for praising AI. 81% of Gen Z think AI will shrink job opportunities, but NY Fed data shows recent grad underemployment (41.5%) is well below its 2012 peak. The takeaway for nonprofits: this is not the quarter to brag about AI efficiencies in your newsletter.
Musk loses to Altman. The jury sided with OpenAI. Worth watching: the OpenAI nonprofit arm is about to be extraordinarily well-funded, and Malta may be a preview of its philanthropy.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post To AI Or Not To AI (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
This episode of Nonprofit News Feed explores two pressing issues affecting the nonprofit sector. Firstly, the loss of federal data sets poses significant challenges for nonprofits that rely on this information for decision-making and funding. Over the past 16 months, crucial data from agencies like USAID, NOAA, and the CDC have been deleted or altered, emphasizing the need for nonprofits to back up essential data to preserve institutional memory.
In a forward-looking segment, the discussion shifts to a major anti-poverty nonprofit in San Francisco investing $40.3 million in AI resilience. This move, supported by the Sobrato Foundation, highlights the growing intersection of tech philanthropy and nonprofit initiatives. The importance of strategic, ongoing AI training is stressed to keep pace with rapid technological advancements.
The episode also touches on the introduction of advertising within ChatGPT, offering new opportunities for nonprofits to engage with users during their decision-making journeys. This development could enhance nonprofit outreach efforts by integrating messaging into user interactions.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post Government Data Losses & ChatGPT Ads Are Here, Whether We Like It Or Not (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
Supreme Court Ruling Shakes Up the Voting Rights Landscape and Nonprofits Brace for Change
In this week’s episode of the Nonprofit News Feed by Whole Whale, the hosts delve into the implications of a recent Supreme Court decision that significantly guts the Voting Rights Act. In Louisiana v. Callais, the 6–3 conservative majority found that a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. In short, Democrat-held districts representing large Black populations, designed to enfranchise historically marginalized communities (such as those in Memphis), face the threat of elimination in states with conservative legislatures.
With states rapidly redistricting, nonprofits involved in civil rights and voter mobilization face the challenge of adapting to new political boundaries and shifting voter demographics.
Key Insights:
The Supreme Court’s decision could lead to the dilution of political power for historically marginalized communities by breaking up established districts. This rapid redistricting process disrupts the groundwork laid by nonprofits for upcoming elections, necessitating quick strategic pivots. Nonprofits must reassess their geographic impact and reforge relationships with new district representatives to continue their advocacy effectively.
Other Stories:
The episode also touches on the ongoing legal battle involving Elon Musk and OpenAI, highlighting concerns about nonprofit and for-profit intersections. Whole Whale’s Nonprofit Wellness Index, offering a snapshot of the sector’s health, shows improvement from last year, suggesting a recovery from previous downturns.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post SCOTUS' Voting Rights Rulings Will Have Immediate Impact On The Ground 🗳️ (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
In this episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed, Whole Whale delves into the complexities surrounding AI’s role in the nonprofit sector and advertising. George and Nick share insights into job displacement fears and the uneven impact of AI across the workforce, particularly affecting technology professionals.
Main Topics:
AI and Job Displacement: Discussion on how AI tools are widely adopted but raise concerns about job security, even among tech-savvy audiences. Advertising Double Standards: An investigation into Meta’s revenue from “high-risk” ads, revealing a double standard that affects nonprofits trying to reach sensitive audiences. Nonprofit and Technology Challenges: A look at the hurdles nonprofits face when advertising on platforms like Meta, especially when targeting vulnerable populations.
Critical Insights and Quotes:
Meta’s internal documents show $16.5 billion in revenue from ads classified as high-risk, leading to discussions on the ethical implications for nonprofits. George highlights, “If you have under 2000 students and an endowment under $100 million, you face significant challenges in today’s academic environment.”
View Episode Transcript[George]: Welcome back to the Nonprofit Newsfeed. Today we are talking about AI’s impact and Meta’s double standard.
[Nick]: It’s a huge issue, George. Meta’s internal documents show $16.5 billion in revenue from ads classified as high-risk, while nonprofits struggle to reach sensitive audiences.
[George]: Exactly. We also have to look at the endowment threshold. If you have under 2000 students and an endowment under $100 million, you face significant challenges in today’s academic environment.
[Nick]: The workforce impact of AI is also uneven, hitting technology professionals particularly hard despite adoption.--------
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post AI's Impact on Nonprofits and Advertising: Unpacking the Double Standard (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
This week’s episode of Nonprofit Newsfeed the hosts delve into significant legal developments affecting major tech companies and their broader implications for nonprofits. They discuss two landmark lawsuits involving Meta and YouTube, focusing on their platforms’ addictive features and false safety claims. These cases, settled in California and New Mexico, respectively, highlight a shift towards holding tech giants accountable through civil litigation, despite the relatively small damages awarded.
Key Insights:
Tech Accountability: A California jury found Meta and YouTube liable for creating addictive platform features harmful to young users’ mental health, awarding $6 million in damages. In New Mexico, Meta faced a $375 million penalty for violating state consumer protection laws by making false safety claims. Impact on Nonprofits: These legal precedents underscore the changing reputational and regulatory landscape surrounding tech platforms. Nonprofits operating on these platforms must remain aware of these shifts and consider diversifying their engagement strategies to avoid potential risks. Legal Advocacy: The episode emphasizes the role of legal advocacy as a tool for holding tech companies accountable, drawing parallels to the tobacco industry’s historical legal challenges. This approach may inspire similar future lawsuits targeting social media’s impact on youth.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post Big Tech Found ⚖️ Liable ⚖️ for Mental Health Harm In Groundbreaking Verdict 🧑⚖️ (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
Exploring Google’s AI Innovations and the Philanthropy Pledge Dilemma
This week’s episode of the Nonprofit News Feed the hosts delve into two significant developments impacting the nonprofit sector. First, they discuss Google’s latest AI offerings for nonprofits, highlighting the integration of the Gemini model across Google Workspace tools. This development promises to enhance productivity by seamlessly connecting applications like Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Docs, and Sheets. Although Gemini may not yet rival other chatbots, its integration into existing Google tools provides a unified, secure platform for nonprofits to explore AI capabilities without additional cybersecurity risks.
The second major topic is the recent critique of the Giving Pledge, which was featured on the New York Times’ business front page. The pledge, initiated by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet in 2010, aimed to encourage billionaires to commit a significant portion of their wealth to philanthropy. However, new signups have dwindled, and there’s skepticism about the actual follow-through on these pledges. The episode explores how cultural shifts and critiques from figures like Peter Thiel might influence billionaire philanthropy, questioning the effectiveness and sincerity of such pledges.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post Google Workspace For Nonprofits Shows The Real Potential Of AI-Unified Systems 🤖💼 (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
In this week’s episode of Nonprofit Newsfeed, the hosts delve into significant challenges impacting the nonprofit sector, focusing on two major stories: the Flipcause donation platform’s bankruptcy and the legal troubles faced by Greenpeace.
Flipcause Bankruptcy and Nonprofit Losses
The episode opens with an update on Flipcause, a donation platform that went bankrupt, leaving nonprofits in financial turmoil. The discussion emphasizes the importance of nonprofits maintaining control over their payment gateways to avoid similar pitfalls.
Greenpeace Legal Challenges
The episode also covers a $345 million verdict against Greenpeace in the Dakota Access Pipeline lawsuit, highlighting the vulnerability of nonprofits involved in activism.
View Episode TranscriptThis week on the Nonprofit News Feed, George Weiner and Nick Azulay discuss the Flipcause donation platform’s bankruptcy and Greenpeace’s significant legal battle.
Flipcause Bankruptcy Fallout
Eagle-eared listeners may recall the beleaguered Flipcause platform—a donation tool that went underwater last year. Recent bankruptcy filings reveal the company owes million to over 3,200 nonprofits. Despite a self-valuation of million, a recent bidding process valued the entire platform at just ,000. For nonprofits like the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund (owed .2 million) and the Loveland Foundation (owed ,000), the prospects of recovery looks slim. The California Attorney General has issued a cease and desist order, and 29 organizations have filed a lawsuit alleging fraud. The core takeaway: nonprofits must maintain direct control over their payment gateways (like Stripe or Braintree) to avoid having their funds held in third-party “safe” accounts that can evaporate.
Greenpeace Legal Battle
The sector is also watching a million verdict against Greenpeace in a North Dakota lawsuit related to the 2017 Dakota Access Pipeline protests. This case is seen as a “SLAPP” suit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation), which targets activist organizations. The hosts discuss the existential threat such litigation poses to nonprofits involved in direct action and environmental advocacy.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
On a lighter note, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library reached a massive milestone in Alabama, sending free books to over 9,600 children in Madison County alone. The program aims to increase literacy and interest in reading for children from birth to age five.
Dad Joke:
What did the nonprofit dog shelter call their new meditation program? A “werewolf.”
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post Flipcause Bankruptcy Fallout and Greenpeace Legal Battle (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
In the latest episode of the Nonprofit News Feed, the hosts delve into the intricacies of giving and volunteering across the United States, as well as the pressing environmental challenges facing nonprofits today. The conversation highlights the recently conducted ‘Total Civic Generosity Report’ by Whole Whale, which sheds light on geographic disparities in generosity and the significant contributions of small-dollar donors.
View Episode TranscriptThis week on the Nonprofit News Feed, George and Nick discuss the Total Civic Generosity Report and the current landscape of climate policy.
Total Civic Generosity Report
Whole Whale recently conducted a comprehensive study on Approach to generosity across the US. A key finding: households earning under $50,000 contribute approximately 14.2% of their income to charity, while those earning over ,000 contribute only 3.9%. Small-dollar donors are the backbone of the sector and deserve strategic focus. Geography also plays a massive role; Utah leads the nation in adjusted gross income giving and formal volunteerism. Nonprofit leaders should consider regional targeting and custom messaging based on state data.
Climate Policy Rollbacks
The EPA’s ability to regulate greenhouse gases is facing significant challenges with recent administrative rollbacks. The freezing of solar projects and the prioritization of oil and gas represent a seismic shift that threatens decades of environmental nonprofit wins. The hosts reflect on the “ounce of prevention vs. pound of cure” approach to environmental safety.
The Kelsey: Accessible Housing
A feel-good story from the Kelsey, a nonprofit developer building affordable, disability-focused apartments in San Jose and expanding to Birmingham, Alabama. Their model proves that high accessibility doesn’t necessarily mean higher costs, with units coming in at or below typical affordable housing rates.
Dad Joke:
How do bees get to their nonprofit school? They take the “buzz.”
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
The post The Donor You're Undervaluing Is the One Who Gives the Most 🤑 (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
Key Trends in Donor-Advised Funds and AI’s Role in Nonprofits
In this episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed, the hosts discuss significant trends shaping the nonprofit sector, focusing on Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) and AI’s evolving impact.
Main Topics:
Website Update: The Nonprofit Newsfeed site has been revamped for better user experience and branding.
Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs):
Predicted to exceed $450 billion in assets, indicating mainstream adoption. Nonprofits should adapt strategies to include dedicated DAF donation pages. DAFs are becoming accessible beyond ultra-wealthy donors.
AI and Nonprofits:
The era of “free AI” is ending, with rising costs expected for AI tools. Nonprofits need to strategize for continued AI access, possibly through collaboration. Digital inequity concerns as AI access may widen the gap for underserved communities.
Candid’s Strategy:
Candid aims to become a key AI data source amid workforce reductions. Reflects challenges in content monetization due to AI-driven changes.
Innovative Community Solutions:
The Nomad Alliance in Utah operates a mobile shelter for the homeless, showcasing empathy-driven innovation.
Key Insights:
DAF growth offers new fundraising avenues but requires strategic adaptation. Rising AI costs necessitate proactive planning by nonprofits. Candid’s pivot highlights changing data dissemination dynamics in philanthropy. Community-driven solutions like the Nomad Alliance demonstrate impactful innovation.
Call to Action:
Evaluate and update fundraising platforms for DAF contributions. Explore collaborative strategies for AI tool access as costs increase. Draw inspiration from innovative community projects for addressing local needs.
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View Episode TranscriptThis week on the Nonprofit News Feed brought to you by Whole Whale, a B Corp. digital agency focused on analytics, advertising, and AI capacity. My name is George Weiner. I’m the Chief Whaler of Whole Whale. And I have Nick Azulay, Digital Strategist at Whole Whale. How’s it going, Nick? How are you enjoying the new facelift I gave the Nonprofit News Feed website? Hey, George, it’s going great. Yes, NonprofitNewsFeed.com got a glow up, if you will, new brand identity, totally new UX. So for dedicated listeners to this podcast, go check it out. It’s just fun. And we need a little fun, brevity, and uplifting branding in times like these. And I’m very excited for the new site, George. You did an awesome job. Yeah, serious topics covered in an unserious way. I think we’re trying to bring entertainment at least a little bit to some of this. And as we focus the brand, it is a complete detour from the much more, well, it was ugly as all get out before, but it has, I think, a bit more color and flair. So also thanks to our designer at Whole Whale, Carrie, who gave us that direction. And it’s like one of those things, like I didn’t like it and I didn’t get it at first. And then when I looked at it again, I was like, oh, I get it now. Yeah, sometimes it takes a year or two or six to really see what needs updating. Is it our sixth year, George? I think it is. Oh my gosh, yeah, I think we started in 2020. Yep, yep. New dawn, new year. And George, that takes us to our first story because not only is it a great year for the nonprofit newsfeed, but it’s also been a great year for DAFs, Donor Advised Funds. So George, I want to lead us off with an interesting stat. $450 billion. That’s the number. I remember that. George, we recently, or you on a podcast, recently talked about DAFs where we learned or predicted that 2025 saw a 40% increase in total donor advised fund assets within the year, pushing past the $450 billion mark. Now, George, the reason why we have to predict this number is because the official number won’t actually get to us until the end of this year for the DAF asset value number of last year. So we’re at about a 12-month delay. But we do think it was a record-breaking year for several reasons. We had a stock market that kept going up. Late 2025 tax changes pushed funds now decide later behavior. So some of that big, beautiful bill had various tax implications that might have increased contributions to these funds. And George, we also surpassed, we believe, the 3.5 million household holding DAF account number. That means that DAFs have gone from a niche kind of ultra-uber-wealthy donor vehicle to something a bit more mainstream. And that is why we wanted to talk about it today, George, because not only are we seeing the massive value of these DAFs increase, but we’re also seeing their overall mainstream adoption increase. And we wanted to talk about what nonprofits need to know. But George, at the top, what should listeners be thinking about? Yeah, just to rehash these numbers coming from the DAF Research Collective. They released these numbers. They pulled them from a number of aggregated sources, which is tough because after our conversation and you listened to this podcast and this podcast feed where we talked with Mitch from Chariot, givechariot.com, where they were also helping us realize what these numbers meant. And albeit they are a year old, in 2024, $326 billion was sort of reported with the total assets under management of these donor advised funds, which range across like 1,400 different institutions. The piece that I think you pointed to that is curious to me is the number of people holding DAFs in and reported for 2024 that we only just found out in the following year, December of 2025, was about 3.5 million, 3.5 million accounts. Now, an account can remember be owned by multiple people. Usually there’s a partner like two people or a family potentially that guides. So when you just think about your total addressable market, it is bigger than I previously thought and growing. I thought in the past when we talked about DAFs, donor advised funds, that we’re talking about high net worth individuals, folks with considerable means such that they would have a whole account and a whole tax structure, right? It’s a give now, realize that benefit now, and then distribute over time. And that distribution rate hovers around about 20 to 25%. But the mandated amount that they have to give out is technically zero. So it is nice that that distribution rate exceeds what the mandate is, but the market and the overall assets are growing even still far faster than that. So the friction for creating accounts is dropping. Groups like daffy.org and GoFundMes, they have these giving accounts. It’s becoming easier, reduced friction for the middle of the charitable market to create these accounts and then participate in this way as a giving mechanism. And I just think that has implications for how you communicate, how you build donation pages actually on your site, whether or not you have that as an avenue. Like one of the folks we work with is the giving block for donating crypto. And we trust them, have worked with them for a long time, but make no mistake, we think it’s a very good idea to have a separate crypto donation page. What about daff giving page? And this goes far beyond like one line of text at the bottom of your page. So right now, as far as I can see, you know, that is an opportunity for how you communicate and set up potentially your next round of giving and the fact that this is explosive growth. And I think within probably a decade, and I’m still sort of mapping out the numbers. But if we just look at charitable vehicles in the United States, if you look at foundations, we’re talking about roughly 1.5 trillion of funds. And this will be closing in on half a trillion, if our prediction is close. And at that growth rate, if we still see these types of things, it’s not long until that becomes comparable, and potentially eclipses. Yeah, George. So I think what’s so interesting about it is it’s so new. And so many organizations maybe are not necessarily thinking about how to engage with these vehicles of giving. So I think that is the impetus for why we wanted to highlight this story. Yeah, I mean, 2020, like we talked about, we started this podcast in 2020. That is with the daff research collaborative, they have data going back to 2020. In 2020, they estimated that and measured 165 billion in total assets. And now we’re talking in 2024 326 billion, and we’re estimating 450 for the previous year. And I don’t see anything that would slow that. Yeah, yeah. And that’s all I have to say about that. Great, George. Yeah, I think really important. And speaking of long term trends, and things nonprofits should be thinking about our next story comes as an opinion piece from the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Great outlet, if you’re interested in all things philanthropy and nonprofit trends. But there’s an article that they just published about how the free AI era is ending and nonprofits aren’t ready. And George, the TLDR of this article, basically, is that these AI companies have been subsidizing AI, to an extent, for the general public. Prices have been lower, there have been free tier access, they have been ad free. All of that is going to slowly change because the reality is, George, these mega companies worth billions of dollars, despite their value are still losing money because AI is expensive to operate and run. And they’re going to start recouping that money at some point. So I think, George, this is a little bit of the, you know, the Uber model of get everyone hooked, and then and then start kind of increasing the price situation. And the article makes the argument that nonprofits should prepare for this by pooling resources, potentially engaging with local or community nonprofit networks to start figuring out ways to build resilience as AI both becomes more expensive, but also increasingly integral into our processes, our operations, and so forth. So kind of a cautionary tale. And I think, George, this is going to be a big year for AI changes, we’re going to start getting AI ads, potentially other kind of user experience changes within AI platforms themselves. This will be a big year. And this is important for nonprofits to pay attention to. I think this story by Philip Allah, and Philip is the executive director of the Center for Augmenting Intelligence at the University of Detroit. Mercy is so prescient, because this is exactly what we are seeing. And he just puts it into words at like this critical moment where yes, the free lunch cannot last forever. What’s more, he points toward he points toward this new kind of digital of digital inequity. And he’s immediately pinpointing the fact that access to top tier token intelligence is actually something that is going to be tantamount to inequality, and going to have to be something that you pay for plan for. And he’s calling on the sector for plans. He’s calling on, you know, foundations and funders to think about this. You know, at cause writer, this is something I think about a lot, because we’re generating 2.5 million words, per day, for good for nonprofits. And we have a number of free tools that we put out there. But I’ll be honest, I with those free tools, I use tier two, less expensive models, because it’s bleeding money into these API’s. And what’s also interesting is, if you look at the sort of nonprofit free accounts that you can get, they’re not free, they’re still like pay per user per month. Anthropic Microsoft, Google for nonprofits has one, but it’s very, very, very, very throttled. In terms of the free thing that you get with Google for nonprofits AI, there is 350 per user per month, but they all have a price. And I cannot as of like this moment in time find a single place that offers a nonprofit, nonprofit API access to any one of these models. And when you get the API access, that’s kind of like the side door where you just get raw tokens. And you can request as many and put them into something that does not exist. And there’s a reason it doesn’t exist. Because the truth is, if someone gave me that firehose, I could create a platform for nonprofits that would let them create content for free at scale in like an unmetered way. But, you know, we don’t have that every single token is pay to play when we’re in the API landscape. Yes, we’re buying it sort of like Costco wholesale. But this article really points to this as the rising tension that will come. And I think it’s very well done. Yeah, George, I’d like to also add that not only is that access equity argument salient for nonprofits themselves, it’s also salient for the constituents and communities they serve, right? I have had teachers come to me, local community organizers saying, Hey, we are worried about tech access issues in places like, let’s say, underprivileged school districts, where, you know, the very well endowed school districts get access to all this cool new tech, they get the practical education on how to use frontier AI models, and the poorer districts get left behind. And not only do you have that at the local scale, but you also have that at the global scale. And George, it’s almost like a net neutrality kind of a debate, right? And unfortunately, the people that are going to lose out on this are the people who can’t afford these relatively high prices for AI usage, at which point, they use free models, at which point, George, if you’re not buying for the product, you are the product. And what will the ramifications of that be for people who are underserved communities predominantly that are going to be forced, they want to use this technology to interact with models that will train on them and turn them into the product. When you start, you start trending it out, right? This happens at macro, what are those second order ramifications? I don’t think we know something to think about. that read a one pager, and is more than happy to like, guess their way to success is huge, you can drive a bus through that. And I think that is that inequality that we’re talking about. Yeah, I will say, George, the tech sector has a very long and storied history of giving low end tech versions of frontier technology platforms to underdeveloped communities in countries. See also the Facebook free basics program, which gave like a lo-fi version of the Facebook platform to these countries that had very low digital literacy, very few internet governance safeguards, and it had a whole host of bad ramifications. I’m not saying this is that, right? But it’s a similar conversation that we’re going to start entering into. So important to think about. All right, George, our next story we won’t spend too long on. But this also comes from the Chronicle of Philanthropy. And it’s a quick story that Candid, the nonprofit data organization, is betting its future on becoming AI’s data source. They want to be that firehose for the AI models. And the foundation, Candid, by the way, was the merger of the Foundation Center and GuideStar. But they have laid off 42 people, one fifth of its workforce. And this article kind of goes through the future of Candid, emphasizing the value of their organization within AI platforms. Seems like maybe they’ll try to broker some kind of an agreement with these platforms, a la a major news publication outlet type situation. But kind of an interesting trend here, George. What’s going on? I think this is, and I have no insider information whatsoever here. This is all like looking from the outside in on what I have seen in our AI study. Our AI brand footprint study looked at how AIs across the six major players are recommending and referencing charities. And as a charitable data source, yes, those Candid outlets, the GuideStars, they showed up. Charity Navigator showed up. GiveWell showed up. These ranking groups that surface information of the top X number of things based on Y criteria, nonprofits, as third party sources that are referenced by these AI tools that then talk to the humans. The problem that I think these traditional organizations are having is they used to monetize that traffic. People used to come there, they used to donate, they used to subscribe, they used to engage in whatever revenue generating opportunities that were the result of creating and aggregating this kind of content. When you have that type of AI summarization and regurgitation, you don’t get the traffic. You get a fraction of that traffic. We have talked about that quite a bit. That’s when we get into AEO, answer engine optimization, but their organic traffic in all likelihood has done what Whole Whales, what the sectors, what many peoples have done, which is decreased. So too with it potentially your revenue generating opportunities. And so I think this is probably a very smart play. I think their plan to collect real time data directly from foundations rather than waiting for these two year late IRS filings is the right direction and being that source of truth. I don’t think this is about necessarily just making AI, firing people because of AI. This is second order effect of an overall marketplace shift. And we’ll probably cover the newspapers that are struggling across the board with this. So this was not meant to be calling out, candid for like, oh, look at them replacing humans with AI. This is a larger game, I think. Yeah, George, no. And it is for any content publisher, for any content publisher, this is an existential crisis because website traffic has decreased exponentially. It did with social media and now whatever kind of value. Don’t misuse exponential. It’s not exponential, it’s incrementally. It is over under 20%. For groups like HubSpot, it’s closer to 60%. So it depends on the type of content and the type of hit you’re taking. Yeah, for sure. All right, George, we have a feel good story. This is about an organization in Utah called the Nomad Alliance. They operate a converted bus that serves as a mobile shelter for people experiencing homelessness. It’s run by people who previously experienced homelessness. And the best part is the bus features bathroom showers, heating a food pantry and solar panels. And just wanted to highlight this awesome work out in Utah by the group Nomad Alliance, which is given help to people, particularly people who don’t have housing on the street during this very, very cold time of year. So shout out to their great work. Great. Empathy first innovation. Love it. Well, it’s time to suffer through another dad joke for nonprofits. Are you prepared, Nick? I’m ready. Why are DAFs so tough to make dad jokes around? I don’t know, George, why? The punchlines are always pending distribution. It’s more of a dig on slow distribution of funds from DAFs. It’s a real. Oh, oh, oh, I see. Maybe this punchline. Yeah, I that’s I. Yeah. Thanks, George.
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A New Era of Direct-to-Consumer Giving
In this week’s Nonprofit Newsfeed, the hosts delve into a groundbreaking development in philanthropy that was highlighted during the Super Bowl. The episode explores the introduction of Invest America accounts, a federally backed initiative providing tax-advantaged investment accounts for U.S. children under 18. The Treasury Department plans to seed each account with $1,000 for newborns starting in 2025, with the accounts unlocking in 2026.
A standout philanthropic commitment comes from the Dell Foundation, pledging $6.25 billion to deposit $250 into the accounts of 25 million children from low-income zip codes. This marks a shift towards a direct-to-consumer philanthropic model, allowing foundations to target specific communities, akin to how digital ads are targeted.
Key Insights:
Invest America Accounts: These accounts are likened to retirement accounts for children, maturing over time and unlocking when the child turns 18. Philanthropic Targeting: The Dell Foundation’s targeted approach sets a precedent for how philanthropy can leverage these accounts to support disadvantaged families directly. Nonprofit Opportunities: Nonprofits can play a crucial role in helping families navigate the opt-in process for these accounts, similar to assisting with food stamp applications.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: Provides a new charitable avenue for direct support; potential to engage low-income families in capital markets. Cons: Opt-in nature may leave many children out; not inherently progressive, as all eligible children receive the same amount regardless of need.
View Episode TranscriptThis week on the Nonprofit News Feed, of course, brought to you by Whole Whale, B Corp, digital agency focused on analytics advertising and AI capacity. My name is George Weiner. I’m the chief whaler and huge nonprofit geek who loves tracking the news, and I’d probably be doing this even if you weren’t listening. And I have Nick Azulay, digital strategist at Whole Whale. Hey, Nick. How’s it going? Nick Azulay It’s going great, George. How are you? George Weiner Doing all right. I feel like all of our predictions about the Super Bowl came true. I wish some of my bets were a bit more accurate, given you definitely called the big news with Bad Bunny putting out a lot of great content. I wanted to take the bet that he would not say a single word in English. I was very, very close. Nick Azulay You were very close. I think we got a God bless America, and then every other country in the Americas. George Weiner Yeah, then it was you wanted to make sure we all understood that one. But hilarious, hearing the after recap by NPR and folks talking about the 135 million folks that came in there, and how actually this is focusing on the future the NFL is looking to bring in those audiences that are going to make sure that the brand sustains, rather than clinging to the old. And in the NPR news coverage of the Super Bowl, they were at the very end, and by the way, the Seahawks won. And I was like, chef’s kiss. Perfect. By the way, there was a football match. There’s a football match that was over five minutes in. Anyway, George, we want to talk we want to pivot real briefly into our main story for the day. And this is an interesting one, George, we actually wanted to talk about something that was promoted at the Super Bowl. It was commercial. And we thought it was actually worth diving into because of its ramifications for philanthropy. So George, we want to talk about the Invest America accounts, also known as and this will be the only time I say it, Trump accounts. What are these accounts? These accounts are a federally backed tax advantage investment account for every US child under 18 who wants one. What is the benefit of these accounts? Well, George, the Treasury Department is going to see each of these accounts with a $1,000 deposit for newborns starting in 2025. Accounts will unlock on July 5, 2026. George, for the investment among us, you can basically think of this as a retirement account for childhood, right? You invest in it as a kid, it matures, you can’t touch it. Once you turn 18, it’s yours. Here’s where it gets interesting, George. The Dell Foundation made a $6.25 billion commitment, the largest single philanthropic pledge tied to the program, depositing $250 into the accounts of 25 million children aged 10 and under. The narrative we want to pull out of this, George, is that we’re now entering a realm, we have a vehicle, if you will, in which traditional means of providing support to disadvantaged families and children, which had previously been in many ways, the sole responsibility of local on the ground nonprofits is now being leveraged by philanthropy at this direct-to-consumer philanthropic model in which philanthropic foundations, corporations, employers, George, maybe even you want to throw something into an account for the kids of our employees, right? Yeah, limit up to $2,500 a year, I believe. $2,500, there you go. George, this is a kind of interesting and exciting development, I think, for youth, particularly investing in accounts. George, there’s ways to invest for your kids already, right? There’s ways to invest in your children’s future without these accounts. But I think the logic is that for underprivileged children or children who may be less financially literate, et cetera, there is now a vehicle in which families can unlock these accounts and start saving based on compounding gains over 18 years, or as long as up to 18 years. So George, there’s a lot to pull out here. What are you thinking? At a very high level, I think it’s amazing this made it through in this administration and is testament to some very, very smart dealmakers behind the scenes, like Brad Gerstner, the Dells, that were trying to architect this and very, frankly, cleverly, let Trump put his name on it. And if you want something done, just let him put his name on it. This may go down as the most lasting positive impact that this administration had in its entirety, full stop, which I think is important to note that as much as you want to hate absolutely everything at times, I think there are components of this that are going to last far, far into the future. I think this is also a toe in the water of UBI, universal basic income at a national scale, distribution of money to people across the board. Now, yes, it’s specifically to children. There are secondary incentives involved here, which are around birth rates, which become more and more important, I think, as we go along and we watch birth rates decline in major developed countries, the cost of living, but also the fact that roughly half of Americans don’t participate in the asset, the capital markets of owning stocks, owning a share of these major companies that are growing into the trillions of dollars. And by doing that, you better wed, I think, the rising generation to the overall rising ships of the economy rather than watching it as though it were a car speeding by on the highway while you stand on the side at the bus stop. Yeah, George, I think that’s a good point. And just kind of mathematically here, I was just plugging this quickly into AI, what happens to $1,000 after 18 years? Assuming a 10.5% rate of return, you’re looking at $6,144. Assuming a 6% return, you’re looking at just shy of $3,000. But of course, George, you also now have this account. So if you start adding $5 to this amount every month or something, obviously, this accrues. And you can go to the Invest America marketplace, and this very lovely marketing is all over. George, we want to do a little pro-con here. You want me to say the cons or do you have a couple of pros? Hold on. Before we get into it, I just want to make an extra note here that is very, very important to the nonprofit sector. Two notes. One, this is opening the avenue for a new set of charitable rails, charitable rails, for getting money to those families at the greatest risk. The Dell Foundation didn’t just sort of spray and pray that money. I don’t know if we really mapped that properly in what you talked about. They’re actually targeting low income zip codes. So in this new setup, you’re actually able to say, actually, we want to fund children that are in Title I schools, Title I school districts, certain areas for this state. You can actually now fundraise, deploy funds, and distribute them toward very specific communities in ways that you can see actually landing in their accounts protected to those children, which is very, very exciting. It’s unique. We’ll go through the pro and con. I think that’s it. So new charitable rails for philanthropic support akin to give directly. The GoFundMe is like, oh, no, we’re going to get cut out of actually helping the direct individuals. This is a direct payment rails to folks in however you want to slice it when you go through their system at Invest America. So that’s like a big new thing. And the other that we’ll get into probably in our pro con, but just to note is it’s opt in. And so the opportunity for nonprofits, just to front run this, the opportunity for nonprofits is also making sure the communities that would overlook this, that would forget this are aware of it. And similar to, frankly, the fact that there are many people that are eligible, for example, for food stamps for government assistance, don’t apply because of the reporting requirements. And the registration requirements are too cumbersome and confusing. A mountain of paperwork separates them from government services and support that they are that they are owed and do. So I think there is a huge opportunity for nonprofits to be working in communities to register families for this, because it’s also eligibility, not just for newborns. I think I cannot find the exact amount, but they say that under 18 year olds, it’s not necessarily $1,000 if you’re sitting there with an eight year old, but there is some money somewhere being distributed. It is not zero. Yeah, George. No, I agree. So what should we say? Should I dive into some cons? Cons. There must be a bad thing here. What are the bad things? You’re going to take, you’re going to take the skeptic. I’m going to take the pro side here. Yes, I am going to take the skeptical side just for educational purposes. Something I want to note, George, is I wonder whether some policymakers might think there is an opportunity cost here in terms of deploying political capital towards these accounts, which fund and in theory, address some of the inequities in child poverty rates in the country. The skeptic might say, why don’t we more urgently tackle things like reinstituting the child poverty tax credit, right? Which like effectually halved childhood poverty in the United States for a couple of years back during the pandemic. That might be one critique. George, what would you say to the critics who might raise that as a concern? You know, this touches on whataboutism, the either or argument certainly plays, frankly, because it was coming up in the same series of bills where obviously things are being cut in favor of other things. I think this is, you know, apples and submarines. Very clearly, like money, you know, money now, that type of support child tax credits is a completely different ecosystem. And I don’t think you were going to get any advances in that. I mean, see health care for one that got ruthlessly cut, and that’s going to be rolled out in 2026. The cuts were coming for those social services and social supports. As sure as the sun was rising in the morning, this actually is the bright spot that somehow was leveraged into that because the alternative wasn’t you were getting child tax credits, which are the smartest freaking thing we should be doing if we care about helping kids today. It wasn’t. That is fair, George. Here’s another con for you. Can’t argue with that. I think this one’s actually a little stronger. Rather, this one is that the many children are going to get left out. And this speaks to what you were saying about the space for nonprofits and opportunity for nonprofits to help folks access this. But George, these accounts are opt in, not opt out. And opt in means you need to have the knowledge they exist, the means to sign up for them. I’m sure there’s also as well, all sorts of documentation that goes with it. If you’ve ever filled out like the FAFSA, right, you know that this stuff can be pretty onerous. And that inherently creates barriers. Not to mention, particularly low income families, right, may be very skeptical of something that’s called a Trump account when they feel victimized by the government for a whole host of a dozen reasons. So that’s just something to kind of call out. Something else I want to call out, George, is this is not really, this is not progressive necessarily, right? This is kind of, even though like philanthropic donors can make it progressive in a way by targeting their donations to specific zip codes, which has all sorts of, I think, interesting and beneficial, but also maybe detrimental second order effects. Everybody gets $1,000, right? If you meet the requirements, right? There’s no income requirements here, which means that wealthy folks are also accessing these accounts. Again, is that a bad thing? No, every child deserves to have a good future, right? But it does kind of call into the question, okay, is there ways to better allocate the funds coming from the Department of Treasury? So, George, those are my two critiques there. One, that it’s opt-in, not opt-out, and it’s not progressive. And I wonder what the proponent of these accounts might respond. Two excellent points. One, this is probably by design, right, where you have to have a social security number for your child. You also have to file the IRS Form 4547 to elect and opt-in to get this money. Yes, there’s going to be an online portal this summer. Who knows how that will be set up and what barriers there will be in the way. And that is the opportunity for nonprofits in your community. You have to be out there on the side of being like, I will fill this form out for you. I spent a number of summers, a number of semesters, I’ll say, in Philadelphia, registering people for food stamps. I think I registered, by the end, 30 to 40 families. And it took time. It was hard. It was like I had to go through and map that out. And that is a ground game. That is the opportunity. That is what I think we’re looking at. And yeah, it is a bit onerous. The other point is incredibly well taken. I think it is absolutely ridiculous that families below the poverty line are getting, for their children, the same amount that those that are deciding which vacation home they’re going to go to this spring break. That doesn’t make any sense at all. What’s more, yes, the advantages of having, frankly, employers that will be able to contribute to this, to have excess money that you’ll be able to contribute to this, is a clear advantage as well that will compound that. But $1,000 is more than $0. And what’s more, these are the charity rails now in place. And the Dell Foundation has done an amazing job of deploying six plus billion dollars toward those zip codes, showing how philanthropies can use this to, frankly, make up for where the government made the mistake, I think, of not making it progressive by any means. It wouldn’t have been hard, I would say. Yeah, George, one last point, and then we’ll move on. I am super intrigued by the granularity of philanthropic foundations or grantmaking organizations to target funds to these accounts, almost like we’d target digital ads to people. What kind of parameters do they have to be like, okay, they can do it by zip code? That’s pretty specific. There’s a lot of zip codes in America. Right? It’s great when your intentions are the best, right? But that also means that when you target something, it means you’re also not targeting other people. And that allows, there’s a lot of assumptions baked into XYZ zip code is more or less rich than another zip code. And that I think introduces a whole host of other kind of downstream consequences when we’re getting kind of that level granularity in philanthropic giving. So anyway, something to think about and munch on. I don’t have a good response. And it’s a great point. When you target someone, there’s somebody outside of that target. And there’s bias inherent in that choice and that structure. But I am still shocked at the ability to target in the ways that it seems like you will be able to for communities that you deem are in the most need based on your estimate of what that need assessment is. There’s one thing that I’m surprised you didn’t bring up is that you actually don’t have real control over the investment component of this. These are like US equities essentially, or a bundle of US stuff that it’s invested in. And it’s the assumption you said 10%, that would be delightful. If you were looking at the markets as of, I don’t know, today, it fluctuates quite a bit. Anything can happen. And so your sort of fate is in the hands of the US market, but that is not a feature. It’s not a bug. It’s a feature of what they want folks being invested in America. And in another way, this actually cycles funds in a way that simply just makes its way back to the market as opposed to helping the need of today. What use is $30,000 when you’re 18, if you grew up without parental support, enough food, proper education, what do you think happens when you dump $30,000 on that person at a point where they weren’t ready for it? There’s a reason the fire department doesn’t take all the money that we, in our taxes, send them and dump that money on a fire. They invest in fire equipment, in water, water network, trucks, equipment. They aren’t dumping money on a bonfire. That does not work. So I want to put that asterisk out there as excited as I am. I’d be more excited if we were also looking at child tax credits, but again, that’s apples and submarines. And I know they’re being thrown together, but they’re different. I love this discussion. I’m excited to see how it sort of matures. We’re going to cover this again. And again, I think definitely in the summer, I’m going to pay attention to that form, how it’s rolling out and positive. I think we needed some positive and this is certainly something that I’m watching. All righty. We have waxed poetic for quite a bit here. Anything else you want to cover? I got a couple more and we can do these both very quickly, George. One is just kind of an interesting one. This comes from the Associated Press. It is that a former USAID division or unit has relaunched as an independent nonprofit called the DIV Fund. They’re backed by $48 million from two private donors. And it plans to disperse about $25 million a year, roughly half of its former government budget. The idea here is that the people working in this particular USAID unit have reconvened independently to continue some of the projects that were actually lost. So this is kind of cool, sad, morbid. Obviously, $48 million is not the billions of dollars that USAID was managing a year. But it’s interesting to see folks turning to this model to kind of close out the remnants of USAID. Yeah. I mean, the private sector allocating toward foundations, nonprofits, picking up the slack, exactly what we have seen. And this is just a, I’d say, in the branded theme, maybe some way of trying to not immediately rug pull people that were dependent on services. For sure. For sure. And George, our other one in the newsletter comes from the Nyman Lab or Nyman Lab. And kind of an interesting one that ICE operations and local hustles and protests and such have actually caused a spike in traffic and attention to nonprofit news outlets. This is kind of cool, right? It kind of shows that in hyper-local but hyper-tense environments, there is still a reliance on local reporting. And it seems that particular papers and news outlets have received jumps in attention as they fill that gap in local reporting. George, of course, the broader news sector has been decimated. Even just last week, we saw 300 journalists laid off at the Washington Post, which is just a huge blow to news in general. But there are these smaller outlets, both local, such as papers focused on Minnesota’s immigrant community, local kind of immigrant-oriented papers in New York and elsewhere, and also larger national nonprofits like ProPublica and the Salt Lake Tribune, kind of holding study there. So just kind of interesting to see that in times of need, the importance of local journalism, many of which are oriented in a nonprofit model, are still really valuable. Yeah. The hope is that some sort of financial compensation model is created for the AIs that ruthlessly scrape this information. The reason why traffic is going there is because there’s firsthand on-the-street reporting that is being vetted and produced and pushed out. And that is something that ChatGPT cannot do. It doesn’t even know what day it is until you literally code it and tell it, because it is a snapshot in time, it is a language model, and it’s only the humans doing the work that pull that information in, vet it, and share it. And I’m hoping and waiting for larger revenue share opportunities for these networks. Yeah. George, where’s Mackenzie Scott on Uneter? Can we resurrect it? Washington Post, second try. Damn. All right. Here’s a bad joke for you, George. Why was the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation so nervous about its investments? I don’t know. They came at a particularly Dell-a-kit moment for the wider philanthropic community. Wait, I told you it was bad. Yeah, you did. You warned me, and it wasn’t enough of a warning. And so I hold you at fault for this one. Thanks, Nick. Thanks.
July 2026 Update: Trump Accounts Go LiveMore than 6 million children have been signed up for new Trump Accounts, according to Treasury’s mid-June figures.
- The accounts officially launch July 4, 2026 and are tax-deferred investment accounts for children under 18 with Social Security numbers.
- About 1.4 million enrolled children qualify for the federal $1,000 seed contribution, available to babies born from 2025 through 2028.
- That’s only about 39% of eligible children, according to Urban Institute’s Madeline Brown. Translation: the “free money” program still has a giant opt-in problem. Bureaucracy remains undefeated.
- The broader eligible universe is massive: the U.S. had about 73.1 million children under 18 in 2024, so millions more could theoretically open accounts.
- Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion to add $250 for children born between 2016 and 2024 who live in ZIP codes with median income of $150,000 or less.
- Accounts can also receive money from family, friends, employers, philanthropists, charities, or local governments.
- Supporters argue even small accounts can shift children’s long-term financial identity and compound over decades.
Critics point out the design is messy:
- Families must opt in
- Lower-income families may be less likely to file taxes or navigate the signup process
- Withdrawals may face ordinary income taxes and possibly a 10% early withdrawal penalty before age 59½
- The system may mostly benefit families already good at paperwork, tax filings, and financial planning — America’s favorite obstacle course.
Treasury says 86% of opened accounts are tied to families earning under $200,000, but Brown argues higher-income families are still overrepresented because about 95% of households with children fall under that income level.
Bottom line: Trump Accounts are getting real uptake, especially with free seed money attached, but the article’s main point holds — opt-in design is leaving millions of eligible kids behind, especially lower-income families who arguably have the most to gain.
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AI’s Impact on Nonprofit Visibility and the Changing Landscape of Foundation Support
This week’s episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed, the hosts delve into the evolving dynamics of AI’s influence on nonprofit visibility and the current state of foundation support.
Main Topics:
AI’s Knowledge Windows and Nonprofit Visibility: George and Nick discuss a new beta feature from OpenAI’s ChatGPT called “knowledge windows.” This feature presents information about organizations directly within the AI interface, potentially reducing website traffic as users get essential details without needing to visit the source. This development could significantly alter how nonprofits engage with potential donors and supporters, as AI becomes the gatekeeper of information.
Foundation Support and Nonprofit Perception Gap: A report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy highlights a significant perception gap between foundations and nonprofits. While 93% of foundation leaders believe they understand grantee challenges, only 54% of nonprofits agree. The report also notes that foundation responses have weakened post-COVID, despite increased demand for nonprofit services.
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View Episode TranscriptThis week on the Nonprofit News Feed, of course, brought to you by Whole Whale B Corp Digital Agency. My name is George Weiner. I’m the Chief Whaler of Whole Whale. And I have Nick Azulay, Digital Strategist at Whole Whale. And we’re here to, as always, geek out about nonprofit news, trends, things we are seeing. And Nick, why don’t we start off by something curious that I ran across on ChatGPT? Yeah, George. So our first story is an interesting one, an inside scoop, rather. We, George, have experienced among the first users to do so, apparently, a new beta feature inside of ChatGPT. What is that beta feature? It’s not particularly sexy, but for nonprofits, it’s really important. And that is the rollout of Knowledge Windows. So George, if you are subscribed to our newsletter, you’ll be able to see a picture of this. But what are Knowledge Windows, George? They are results that come up to a query or a prompt that you put into a AI chat. And essentially, what it is, is a window that, instead of linking out to a website, fills a window with knowledge, kind of ingesting that website, just as a Google AI overview might, for example. So George, we are seeing OpenAI testing Knowledge Windows inside AI chat services. What does this mean, George? That AI now has found another way to answer questions, reference your website, and in some cases, surface actual web content without ever sending anyone to your organization’s website. So George, for example, when someone asked ChatGPT, top animal welfare charities, they are now getting a slick pop-up card with your mission. They might get the foundation founding date, key facts, all pulled into the AI’s interface. No clicks, no visits to the website required. As an organization, what does this mean? People are learning about your organization without ever accessing your content at its source. George, this is a big development within AI, particularly as we’re studying user and donor behavior and how they’re using AI systems to interact with their organizations. And George, we suspect this is leading towards something very specific. But at this point in time, George, why don’t you just tell us a little bit more about these Knowledge Windows and what it means for organizations getting surfaced within AI prompts? So notice I am currently showing this. For those of you who are just listening, I am on ChatGPT 5.2. This is a paid subscription. So I have not been able to reproduce this on the free version of ChatGPT. And in this case, as I go through, I click on a link like the Humane Society of the United States, and I go and I get this little sidebar window, this knowledge source. Sometimes sources show up on the side. Sometimes they don’t. If I click on those sources, then I am sent somewhere else. Sometimes, honestly, I go to this sidebar, and on the sidebar, there are no sources whatsoever. So in this case, I am looking at the Best Friends Animal Society. I’m interested in animal welfare, and I have what seems to be a link that I could click on. I click on it. It opens the sidebar. There is nothing. And I repeat, zero things I can click on for the source of the information or to click to go to that website. So I’ll just pause on that and just be like, the logical second-order effect of this as a user interface is that you get a zero click, zero click from people that are exploring your concept with regard to your AI brand footprint, right? People that are surfacing your information inside of an AI interaction. Not great. The other sort of potential second-order effects, where I see this going is, what is the action I might want to take? Now, imagine this for shopping, right? And shopping, what happens? We try to disintermediate the endpoint. Could I shop and buy that thing right there? How do I make it easier for this person? How do I use AI agents to support my shopping? How do I use AI agents to potentially make a donation? Let’s say I wanted to donate. Oh, why can’t I just have a donate button or the actions I could take with this organization within this window right here, allowing ChatGPT to become the gatekeeper? What’s more, if I’m clicking on something like the ASPCA or AlleyCat Allies, I have key information that I could, I don’t know, say run ads against. In this case, there happened to be sources. There weren’t, and they’re not always. But I’ll tell you what you could also do. You could shove some advertising into this exploration window. What does ChatGPT need to do and begin to optimize for? Advertising real estate. Where might I find such real estate, you ask? Right here. I don’t know why we happen to get lucky and be able to see this side window. I don’t know why more people are not talking about this, but I think we should pay attention to this right meow, pun intended. Yikes. All right, George. Okay, so we have a demo of what these- Also, shameless plug here also for the fact that somebody, we need to start working around the verified giving protocol. Verified giving protocol, something that I’ve talked about before, is the concept of needing to find a way that would route not just the money, but also the data directly to the nonprofit. Because this is going to happen. They’re going to disintermediate your donation button, but it should still be under your control, under an official way of routing that information and access to your provider of choice, whoever it may be. So, all right. End rant. No, George. I think that’s so important, right? The theme here is ChatGPT, AI in general. They’re doing everything remotely possible to generate revenue for themselves while keeping you in their platform. And we need to be vigilant and see how those products develop and what that means when it comes to cultivating donor flows and recruiting volunteers and XYZ number of actions that your website is promoting, right? They are siphoning our audiences and it’s important that we are able to, in some ways, recuperate the flow. So, George, really important. I want to pivot slightly within the same theme here. We’re really studying very hard, George, what AI is doing for clients and the representation of our clients and our organization’s brands within platforms themselves, right? George, some of our clients are getting tens of thousands of real, authentic web sessions from LLMs directly, purely based on people seeing a result and clicking on a little link, taking them to the website. Tens of thousands of sessions. But, George, we’re starting to see that AI, at least for now, I don’t think this will be permanent, has a junk link problem. And we are seeing it increasingly within the social impact sector. What do I mean by that, George? If you Google, or I’m sorry, if you search, see, we’re no longer, I have to train myself not to use that terminology anymore. If I prompt an AI chat, like chat GPT, top human rights charities to donate to, the top two results are very predictable. It is Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. And you’d say, great, that makes a ton of sense. The link next to Amnesty International probably takes me to Amnesty International’s very, very large, complex global web infrastructure that includes a global organization, national organization, and probably 100 regional or country level websites. No. What does it link to? It links to, George, a super low quality, barely usable farm link website that was written by AI that just farms content for AdSense revenue. George, I don’t think this problem is going to exist in perpetuity. But right now, major organizations like Amnesty International, that probably have larger websites than 99.9% of the internet are losing out to, excuse my language, shitty websites that are siphoning away that traffic and siphoning away those donors. So something to watch out for if you are a nonprofit or a major NGO like Amnesty International, which has billion dollar revenue. Yeah. And to be clear, it’s the top list of this for this and top list of this for this. Those types of sites are getting ingested and used as validating entities for how to answer these questions. So yeah, yeah, it is something you surfaced and something we’re exploring. And I do think it is important to note that it’s for now, not forever. These rules are changing quickly. But right now as it’s played, I thought that was a little concerning as well. A tad bit concerning. All right, George, we have some interesting tidbits I want to turn to. This comes from The Nonprofit Times. George, Whole Whale and Nonprofit Ifs, that’s nonprofit.ist, have released their 2025 consult cost and compensation survey in partnership with The Nonprofit Times. And we have some blockbuster results from this survey. Once again, for listeners who may not know, Whole Whale is us. This is in many ways our survey in partnership, of course, with The Nonprofit Times. But George, the hourly nonprofit consultant rate hit $1.59 an hour. That’s up $8 from last year and a significant jump from $110 just five years ago in 2020. And solo consultants build an average of $97k annually. And those with partners averaged $188k annually. George, we also found that consultants with bachelor degrees actually outbuild those with master’s degrees and doctorates. So degree pedigree is not actually an indication necessarily of higher rates that consultants are charging. And George, most consultants build between 20 and 24 hours per week and spend another 5 to 14 hours on unbillable operational work. Reminder that independent means also running a business, not just doing the work for other people. So George, exciting results in this survey. What were your key takeaways? Yeah, we were excited that we are now the longest running survey for the salary indicators for consultants in the industry and love The Nonprofit Times partnership. They wrote it up. You’re able to get the entire survey. If you’re not a part of the nonprofit network of consultants, you can go and actually purchase all of that information, which has so many more insights, especially as you’re like, well, what about for fundraising? Well, what about for accounting? Well, what about for board development? You can find and parse through that information by going to The Nonprofit Times and paying for that survey. I think for me, this fact that we were $110 on average from 2020 to 159 now, that 43% increase is showing that it’s faster than inflation. That rate is increasing rapidly. And we’re maybe tapering off with only that $8 increase, finding the right price maybe for that. And so that solo consultants build an average of $97K annually, which that’s fairly legitimate for a solo operation, especially when you consider that average number of hours, like that 20 to 24 hours becomes pretty attractive, I’d say for the consultants, at least that we were able to survey. And again, I think we had an N of about 300 folks that took the survey over that number. The other piece that stood out to me, certainly the more degrees is not more money. This sector prizes experience, right? Read all the books you want about how to swim. I’m going to take the person who’s out there in the freaking water, spearfishing. That’s what this sector looks at. They’re looking at the person who’s in the water and actually knows what they’re doing. And that’s what seems to be prized. No offense to the academias out there, academics that you are probably among, but it is no proxy for experience. And then finally, I’d say this idea that spending another five to 14 hours on unbillable operational work screams to me that there is an opportunity for individuals to leverage AI in their own personal operations. The upside of that is tremendous, especially if you look at the value of the billable hour and every hour that you can get back from that operational unbillable monster seems to me very, very, very valuable. You could do it, you get that hour back, spend it however you want. But I’m excited for this industry because of the upside of operationalizing with AI. Yeah. George, once again, if you want to read the full survey, which we definitely encourage, check out the Nonprofit Times. And you can, again, access it, purchase it right through them directly. All right, George, I quickly want to take us to our next story. We have another interesting report that caught my eye. It was kind of teased back in the fall, but the full report itself actually just dropped and has been making some interesting rounds within the philanthropy community. And that is, George, the Center for Effective Philanthropy’s study on foundations and whether or not they’re helping nonprofits and grantees. George, I asked AI to pull out the punchiest insights from this report. It’s a long report. No, I didn’t read it all end to end. But George, this is what I found. And I thought this was interesting. George, 93% of foundation leaders believe they’re effectively understanding grantee challenges, but only 54% of nonprofits agree. Okay. Interesting. On nearly every measure, including responsiveness, communication, and risk-taking, foundations write themselves 30 to 40 points higher than nonprofits rate them. Okay, George, I have a little bit of a little battle of perception happening within the grantor-grantee relationship. Very interesting. That’s one side of it. Another side of it, George, I thought was really interesting is that foundation response has been all around weaker than it was during COVID, even though two-thirds of nonprofits report increased demand for services, and of course, threatening cuts. Only 30% of foundations have increased payout, which I think is particularly interesting, giving the kind of blockbuster bad year for American civil society we had in the year 2025, writ large. So the majority of foundations, George, not really moving here. And I think that might be causing the risk. And then, of course, funding cuts aren’t hitting equally right. Certain sectors are getting hit harder. So George, I think this is interesting. And I think some folks I’ve spoken to within philanthropy have said that the year 2025 is a wake-up call for the sector. This very, very neoliberal model of philanthropy we have in the States, not really meeting the moment. This survey seems to add some credence to that argument. Just wondering what you’re thinking as you hear these numbers. It’s unfair for me to parse out, but maybe you can look up quickly. This seems to be the first that I’ve seen of its kind. And I’m wondering about this 93, the delta, right? The essentially 40-point delta between what the perception of foundations is versus the grantees. How has that changed over time? Is part of this just the nature of an adversarial, I don’t mean to say adversarial, but other side of the marketplace delta? The only one of the major times where I see this type of delta actually comes from the organ donation surveying world. So in organ donations, roughly about when you actually ask people, would you accept a donated organ to save your life? About high 90s, right? High 90s, 95 plus. Say, yeah, I’m going to go ahead and accept that organ. Now, if you actually look at organ donation rates, you live in the mid 50s. That is that 40-point swing, right? And when you are on the other side of a market, give versus take. And in this, maybe I’m not that surprised to see that map out to this. Now, I want to also pause and this demand is worse than COVID. I agree with that, actually. And what I’ve heard just to sit in the chair of a foundation and in that room is that when the government cuts billions, hundreds of billions of dollars, right, from budgets across all of these different programs, state programs, I’ve sat in the foundation room where they’ve literally just done the math. They’re like, we could liquidate all of our assets. And literally, we would only cover maybe six months of that operating deficit that the government left. The scale is important of what these cuts have done. And so do you want that world where the foundation liquidates all of its assets in a flurry to simply keep up with what the government used to do and then have nothing after that six months? So just, I know that that is on the other side. And it’s just a function of math and also something that has been the other wake up call that honestly, I saw running this company, how dependent or the dependencies on frankly trickle down government money. We were more supported by government dollars than I frankly realized, exposed to that risk. And the sector is now really understanding that. And part of it is this new adjustment. You can label it good, you can label it bad, devastating. But the truth is, if you were to look at the numbers, there are some new truths to reliance on government funding and how if that is a variable and it goes away, you simply cannot continue to do business at that level and expect foundations to pick up that check. The truth is government has got a lot of freaking money when it deploys it and you can’t make up that delta. Yeah, George. So I actually asked AI if there was historical reference points within the report and it pulled this out, which is interesting. So in 2025, 54% of nonprofits thought foundations understood them. 93% of foundations thought they understood nonprofits. So George, in 2014, only 52% of nonprofit CEOs agreed their funders were aware of this challenge. So that nonprofit number hasn’t moved at all. But interestingly, in 2014, only 60% of foundations felt that they fully understood the nonprofit. So it seems that the foundation side of it has gotten a lot more confident and their ability to understand their grantees in relation to nonprofits, which is kind of interesting. That is the insight. That is the insight. Yeah. Yeah. I’ll go back. I’ll take a look through this and then read it myself. Someone needs to update this newsletter, I’ll tell you that. There we go. All right, George, I got two jokes for you. Are you ready? Okay. I’m prepared emotionally. Okay, George. Why did the nonprofit break up with the foundation? I don’t know. Why did the nonprofit break up with the foundation? They were being taken for granted. Get it? Granted? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The foundation makes grants. Great. Oh, man. That’s some of my best work, I have to say. My next one is not as good. George, what did the donor think after a chat GPT prompt for charity recommendations sent them to a content farm? No idea. These results are pretty seedy. Get it? Content farm, seedy. Okay. We’ll get rid of that one. And you know what? See in the newsletter, which people prefer less? Which- Vote one of these off the island. All right. Thanks, Nick. I’m giving us a solid A for this one. I felt like we explored some good topics. So huzzah. I agree. I’ll see you next week. Hats off. All right. See you, George.
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The post Will The Future of Nonprofit Discoverability Be Donations on LLMs? Why We Think It’s Coming…And More! (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
AI Ads: A New Frontier for Nonprofits
This week on the Nonprofit Newsfeed the hosts dive into a game-changing announcement from OpenAI that could revolutionize nonprofit marketing strategies. OpenAI has revealed plans to pilot advertising on ChatGPT, marking a significant shift in how nonprofits might engage with audiences.
Key Highlights:
OpenAI’s Announcement: OpenAI is testing ads in select markets for ChatGPT’s free and low-cost tiers, aiming to provide more users with access to its AI tools without usage limits. Implications for Nonprofits: With approximately 800 million weekly active users, ChatGPT offers nonprofits a vast audience for targeted advertising. This presents an unprecedented opportunity to engage users during meaningful conversations across diverse contexts, from education to health advice. Concerns and Opportunities: While the prospect of ads in AI raises concerns about data privacy and the influence on AI-generated content, it also opens doors for nonprofits to reach audiences in innovative ways. The challenge will be crafting ad content that complements AI interactions without disrupting user trust. Transparency and Analytics: The move towards advertising may also introduce valuable analytics tools, enabling nonprofits to gain insights into user behavior and optimize their engagement strategies.
Nonprofit Wellness Index Update:
The podcast also highlights Whole Whale’s Nonprofit Wellness Index, which tracks sector health through job postings, layoffs, and ad spending. December’s index hit a record high, indicating a positive rebound from previous lows, suggesting a revitalized nonprofit sector.
Feel-Good Story:
In a lighter segment, the hosts share a unique fundraising initiative from an Alaskan bird conservation group. For Valentine’s Day, donors can name a rat after an ex, which will then be fed to a bird of prey, offering both cathartic satisfaction and support for wildlife conservation.
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View Episode TranscriptThis week on the Nonprofit News Feed, brought to you by Whole Whale, a B Corp digital agency. My name is George Weiner. I am the chief whaler and founder of Whole Whale, and huge nonprofit geek, but you know that, if you’ve listened to this podcast at all. I also have Nick Azulay, digital strategist at Whole Whale. Nick, we’ve been looking through the news. We’re in January. It’s January 21st as we’re recording this. I feel like something big happened over the weekend, at least an announcement. What did we see come across our desk? George, we had a big announcement from the likes of OpenAI this weekend. A big announcement in particular, if you work in social impact marketing, and that is that OpenAI has announced they are beginning to pilot advertising on ChatGPT. What does this mean? Let’s dive into this announcement. First, I just want to say on the onset that this is not live yet. That we can tell. It appears they’re testing it in limited markets and some kind of a beta, but there’s no advertising infrastructure that’s been broadly rolled out yet. This mostly exists in the form of a press release, but we do want to go through that press release because it gives us something, gives us a lot to think about, and we need to highlight it for this audience as AI continues to completely upend how audiences engage with our nonprofit organizations. George, OpenAI said that they’ve been working to make powerful AI accessible to everyone through free product and low-cost subscriptions. George, that includes the free version of ChatGPT and this new thing called ChatGPT Go, which is, to my understanding, a very lightweight model designed for low-income countries. But George, what they’re doing is they’re going to start to plan for ads testing in the US for the free and Go tiers. So, quote, more people can benefit from our tools with fewer usage limits or without having to pay. They’re framing this, George, as a, hey, you know, you want it for free? Now you need to give us something in the form of, you know, whatever insane amount of data that you’re now giving up to OpenAI. And they go through their ads principles, mission alignment, answer independence. They say, conversation privacy, we keep your conversations with ChatGPT private. Great, but somebody knows what you’re typing, at least vaguely, even if it’s anonymized. So, George, ads and AI are here. Ads for ChatGPT are here, and they will be fully rolled out, I’m guessing, within the next couple months. What do nonprofits need to know? I think this is an exciting opportunity to explore a new medium for advertising and for reaching an audience where they are. That is what advertising has always been, and that started with the, you know, ads in newspapers, taking up that type of real estate that offsets the cost of the printed word on the page. It is a new day, same game. I’m excited, because actually, you know, aside from, I have concerns, but I’m just going to speak from the excitement side of things, is that with 800 million, thereabouts, weekly active, I think, and climbing users, your audience is there. There are a lot of folks having a lot of conversations. Over half of those conversations, based on that September analytics report from OpenAI, over half of those conversations are non-work-related. But the truth is, this is an unprecedented level of access to communicate with advertising, to communicate to people having real conversations in depth on topics that may be aligned or adjacent to what you work on. I mean, it’s weird, but there are people that use this for a therapist. There are people that use this for executive coach. There are people that use this for health advice. There are people that use this for education. There are people that use this for work. There are people that use this for fill-in-the-blank. And if your organization is interested in reaching people when they are in that mindset and having that conversation, the ability to target the not just demographic, psychodemographic, but also moment when somebody’s there is very interesting to me and hopefully presents a tremendous opportunity for nonprofits trying to provide the type of support and guidance from a trusted source on a topic. What I hope I don’t see is that advertising actually influences the context window in any way of the output of that AI. What we have seen so far from AI overviews and the advertising that is now the inventory related to that, and we have a webinar coming up, do check us out for that coming up in the end of January here, is that the ads show up around, above and below, but not in the response. And I think that’s important because if you begin to pollute the data sources that the AI is relying on for the answer, you have ruined, capital R ruined, that AI, its trustworthiness, wherever it is, is eviscerated. So I think the architects are aware of that and acknowledge that. And if it happens, then it’s just game over for the solution. The truth is, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. We already knew that they were using our data when you weren’t paying for it. Even sometimes when you are paying for it and you don’t uncheck the box. But now it’s clear that the cost of running these things indefinitely for free is not sustainable. Ads were inevitable. And so I choose to say, hey, let’s pay attention to where the opportunities are. Just as in the early days of Facebook advertising, in the early days of Google ads, holy cow, could you get a deal? Well, people are like, oh, I don’t know. I’m going to wait and see. Like, we’re going to be testing. We’re on the list. I sometimes also get a little exhausted with the announcement and then sort of silence afterwards. Like, what did you announce? It’s like the sign in the bar that says free beer tomorrow. Come back tomorrow, free beer tomorrow. And this felt like a little free beer tomorrow to me. Like they announced the thing and they just don’t have it. So we’re on the waiting list. We’re seeing, and we’re seeing how our clients might benefit from a test ad spend on the platform. But of course, you’re going to want to measure. I think there’ll be issues with click-through rates for sure because we have already seen that having that AI overview and having that answer already sort of essentially synthesized and given by the AI means the reason, especially if it’s informational, like people need to discover the answer to X is gone. So I think there’s going to be a big difference in how that ad copy goes into play from this, like, learn more about that. Like the AI has already frankly told them about whatever that topic is. So where does your ad fit in that nuance is curious to me. Yeah, George, I think you hit on a lot of key pieces on the visibility note and the click-through rate note. It’s also interesting how and if advertising placements will impact organic link clicks from AI results, right? A lot of our clients see thousands, tens of thousands of sessions directly from LLMs, particularly our larger ones and whether advertising distracts from that will also be interesting, right? Pushing down, if you will, organic search results, that’ll be interesting. Something else to note, George, is that TrackGPT, OpenAI rather, notes that during our tests, we will not show ads and accounts where the user tells us or we predict that they are under 18 and ads are not eligible to appear in your sensitive or regulated topics like health, mental health, or politics, which is interesting, George. We see those types of health and mental health restrictions across the platform, but it looks like TrackGPT is going down the realm of no political ads, which is probably a net positive, right? But there’s also, there’s repercussions for that, right? That’s kind of, you know, you’re privileging certain aspects of the economy and not others. That’s a whole different discussion. So it remains to be seen broadly what this means, but I think, George, I have concerns about what an advertising economy means in AI because that experience is so much more intimate than even something like a Google search, right? And I wonder what the downstream consequences of that will be What I do know is that for nonprofit organizations that have quality content and the ability to shape what ethical advertising looks like on those platforms can’t afford to just be hands off and sit on the sidelines, right? What does this look like? How can you help find audiences and connect audiences with your resources? So this is a whole new frontier, George. And I think that these markets, right, this is what open AI is setting up. They’re setting up market. They’re setting up little insular market economies. And how this kind of plays out remains to be seen, right? What are costs going to look like? What’s inventory going to look like? Et cetera, et cetera. It looks like we’re kind of having text-based ads at this point, kind of akin to a Google search ad. It doesn’t look like in-stream video at this point or anything like that. But there’s a lot of unknowns here. Again, kind of vague-ish announcement from opening AI, but we’ll see what this means because it’s going to mean a lot one way or another. How great would it have been if they just went straight old school AOL homepage and been like, you get a banner, you get a banner, and it’s going to be a GIF. I don’t know. Maybe I’m too old. Man, GIFs, yeah. The other thing they note here is they have this note, and I’ll quote it, conversation and privacy. We keep your conversations with ChetchiPT private from average advertisers, and we never sell your data to advertisers. They state that and then also proceed to literally say, we’re going to let advertisers advertise against essentially the theme and content of your conversations. So I think gold medal for the mental gymnastics linguistic skill displayed by the person that wrote that or the AI that wrote that because I don’t think I can hold those two thoughts in my head without it imploding into a black hole. I’m also excited here about the fact that in order to enable ads, you have to do another critical thing, which is add transparency about impressions and impressions around a theme, impressions regionally. The reason we have Google Analytics for free is because of the beautiful advertising engine that prints money like no other system in corporate history for Google with their Google Ads. That’s why we got Google Analytics for free. And Google Analytics is a tremendous tool for understanding behavior. Right now, we have been operating in this black box for three plus years for who, what, when, where, how queries are happening. We get this sort of batch reports that come out sporadically. We got that one from OpenAI back in September, which was a very interesting report, but doesn’t allow filtering, doesn’t allow logging. So what I’m hoping to see as we are waiting here, certainly at Whole Whale, where we care a lot about the analytics of things, is what information can we glean from looking at the volume based on theme targeting around the keywords or concepts that we’d be advertising for. It’s very interesting to us. Yeah. For those listeners who are kind of less in the weeds, what George is asking about… Our listeners, I’m sorry. These listeners are freaking… They’re in the weeds. You are gardeners. I’m sorry. If you’re listening to this, especially at this point, gardeners welcome. Come on now. What I will say is essentially what we’re interested to see is in some way advertisers will have access to the volume of impressions that searches for the Empire State Building or how to bake a cheesecake. We’re going to start having specific volumes in some way, whether that’s impressions or clicks or whatever. We’re going to start to get data from the inside of this thing that, as you said, has been a black hole of nothing specific. We shall see, George. This is a major change in the game. George, my last question on this topic is, do you think that the other models are going to follow? I suspect your answer is probably, but is open AI kind of trying to get out ahead of the field here? Are they risking alienating their user base? Do they think that, hey, we’ve kind of dominated the market so far? The kind of competitive dynamics of this are kind of interesting to me. I mean, the truth is this is a company that is burning money every single day. It is desperate for these revenue models to offset. I want to look it up, so I’m going to look it up. How much AI, how much do you think they’re losing per day? Oh, it’s got to be tens of millions of dollars a day, is my guess. You’re pretty close. Based on 2025 estimates, open AI is spending roughly $15 million a day. The truth is you need something here, right? And if people don’t want to pay for it and they’re, obviously, they’re paying in their data, but it is an inevitability also, I think, for other models. You cannot offer this top tier, frontier models or even tier two models that, based on this increasing insatiable demand for free, you just kind of have to run those ads. Interesting times, George. All right. I think that was kind of, that wraps our discussion up on AI advertising for now. We’re going to be talking about this with every new development because this is, I think, George, safe to say, potentially the biggest change in digital advertising since the ability to advertise on Web 2.0 social media platforms. This is kind of next-gen advertising here, so we’ll continue to talk about this. Yeah. And it’s going to be tough because folks like you who are old-school SEO and understanding things are thinking about keywords. And I think keywords are dead. I think it’s concepts. I think it’s thinking in psychodemographics. I think it’s in emotional targeting because all of those things are… Yeah. I’m excited for this new chapter. The old one was, I was getting tired of that book. Yeah. Hey, well, the book, the new series is out. All right, George. Our last thing that we want to talk about is the Nonprofit Wellness Index. George, this is a proprietary index that we at Whole Whale created. What does it do? It measures nonprofit sentiment across the sector in semi-real time because the numbers we get from the Labor Department, we get, what, every couple years or so. This gives us a monthly breakdown of nonprofit sector health. It measures things like job posting layoffs and advertising spend as proxies for sector health. George, what was the key takeaway from our most recent monthly data? Yeah. So again, thank you for walking us through what it is, and we share it every month. And it’s tough because we adjust it constantly. And in doing that, I’m sharing the screen for those people watching poorly. Stop sharing this. But here we go. On this, we have a record high for December of 3.75. And that number doesn’t really matter out of context. In context, this is the highest recording. This is from a zero to four rating, but it’s weighted against all of our historical data. And again, we’re pulling data from various sources, including Idealist LinkedIn, meta ads library around charities and nonprofits. We’re pulling from Glassdoor and other unemployment data. And we’re merging that all together to get an idea of the health, health as measured by that proxy, as you mentioned, for employment and whether or not nonprofits are advertising. And the number and direction has gone up since June. The numbers when we started, to give you an idea, it was below two and we had a rough summer. It starts to climb a bit as we move into October and November and then hitting a high in December. Now, these numbers may be lower in the future, but this directionally is showing that the nonprofit sector is beginning to rebound from the dramatic cuts and downturn that we saw, I think a historical lows in 2025. So I think we’re seeing things pull in the right direction and we can break this down by Glassdoor, LinkedIn, meta ads and see this. There was a sudden bump. There was a big bump in Glassdoor postings for nonprofit related jobs that went away. So maybe like a bit of a seasonal bump. And so over time, this is just going to get frankly smarter and give us a better pulse on what’s going on as we move into the year over year. And job counts that happened for these things. All right. I’ll stop the share. Thanks, George, for that insight. Before we let everyone hop, George, word on the street is you have a quick cheeky joke. Not just joke. I have the feel good story. So I want to call out a very clever tactical Valentine’s Day focused fundraising idea being pushed out there by a group. And I’m pulling this up. This is the it’s an Alaskan group that does bird conservation and they essentially are titling it Love Hurts the Valentine’s Day for those hurt by love. And essentially you can name a rat after an ex or somebody that has wronged you. And one of their delightful birds of prey will eat that rat and they will record this rat getting eaten. I think it’s brilliant. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. So they’ve got the Raptors revenge, for instance, for just fifty dollars. You can relish a video of a snowy owl ghost or a bald eagle basically consuming a frozen mouse or rat symbolizing your ex. So, you know, make it make it happen. I think there’s something very cathartic about that. And by the way, you’re helping Alaska’s wild bird population. I love that George. Nothing says the season of love like revenge and retribution. OK, here’s my dad joke. You ready? All right. Why do frogs just like love working with fundraising databases? I don’t know, George. They just really enjoy eating whatever bugs come out of those CRMs. I see. Love eating bugs. Nonstop bugs. Salesforce joke. Nonprofit database administrators don’t think I pay attention. I read the comments. Those are those are the real heroes.
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The post AI Ads Are Here: A New Frontier for Nonprofits (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
This week on the Nonprofit News Feed, the hosts dive into pressing digital safety issues and uplifting philanthropic news. The episode covers the alarming rise of deep fakes and their implications for nonprofits, and celebrates a significant donation to support LGBTQ+ youth.
Main Topics:
Global Crisis of Deep Fakes: The episode highlights the disturbing trend of deep fakes, particularly on the AI platform Grok, which is generating non-consensual and sexualized images. The hosts stress the urgent need for nonprofits working with vulnerable groups to advocate for stricter regulations and educate communities on digital safety.
Implications for Nonprofits: The conversation emphasizes the critical role of nonprofits in combating AI-enabled cyberbullying and gender-based violence. Organizations are called to update internet safety protocols and engage in advocacy to protect affected communities.
Mackenzie Scott’s Transformative Gift: In a beacon of hope, Mackenzie Scott’s $45 million unrestricted donation to the Trevor Project is celebrated. This lifeline comes after federal funding cuts and highlights the importance of substantial, unrestricted support for nonprofits in crisis.
Dissolution of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting: The episode also covers the dissolution of this vital organization due to funding cuts, impacting local journalism and broadcasting. The hosts discuss the potential repercussions on local news and the need for new revenue streams.
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The post Grok’s Deepfake Crisis Is Forcing a Global Reckoning on AI, Platform Safety, and Accountability (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
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Episode Overview:
Fraud in Minnesota’s Social Services:
Federal prosecutors have uncovered widespread fraud in Minnesota’s social safety programs, with fewer than 100 individuals exploiting pandemic-era funds, resulting in over $1 billion in misappropriations. The lack of effective oversight allowed fraudulent activities to flourish, leading to significant repercussions for the Somali community in Minnesota. The “blast radius” effect highlights how a few bad actors can have widespread negative impacts on an entire community, affecting funding and perception.
Flipcause Bankruptcy Fallout:
Flipcause, a fundraising platform, has filed for bankruptcy, owing over $29 million to more than 3,200 nonprofits. The insolvency raises questions about the platform’s financial management practices, emphasizing the need for nonprofits to maintain control over their payment processing systems.
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s Strategic Shift:
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has withdrawn support from Forward Us, an immigration nonprofit, citing a strategic focus on science and education. This decision reflects a broader trend of philanthropic organizations re-evaluating their commitments to social justice initiatives.
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View Episode TranscriptAll righty, this week on the Nonprofit Newsfeed, of course, brought to you by Whole Whale, a B Corp digital agency. My name is George Weiner. I’m the chief whaler of Whole Whale, and I have Nick Azulay, chief. No, you’re not a chief. You should be a chief, but you are a digital strategist at Whole Whale. Forgive me, Nick, because we haven’t talked, and I haven’t gotten to give your proper intro in a couple of weeks. I hope you had a good break. Nick Azulay Yeah, I did, George. Nice and relaxing. I worked very hard during the end of my graduate master’s program, so it’s been a lot of hard work for me, but I’m excited to get back into it. And George, I would posit that I am, in fact, chief podcast co-host, even though that title does not extend to any other aspects of my responsibilities at Whole Whale. But nevertheless, George, we have a story to kick us off, and we want to talk about a story that’s kind of been simmering in the background but I think is worth talking about. We also want to disaggregate it from some broader, potentially more toxic political narratives that have spun out of this story, and that is, George, the major social safety fraudulent schemes that have been transpiring in the state of Minnesota. So, federal prosecutors say that about 100 individuals, fewer than about 100 individuals, exploited high-trust pandemic and social service programs, such as funding for childhood day care programs, and stole more than $1 billion across food aid, housing assistance, and all sorts of other initiatives. So, think like pandemic-era fraud, but apply it to other social services. The programs were designed for speed and not scrutiny here, right? So, these funds were often front-loaded to organizations. Oversight came after payments were issued, and agencies struggled to respond to red flags during the early 2020s. George, it’s worth noting that we’ve actually talked about some of the fraud within this overall bucket in Minnesota as prosecutors began prosecuting criminally folks at certain food charity organizations, and we’ve been talking about some of those instances as long ago as 2022 and 2023, right? Yeah, Feeding Our Future is what you’re referring to. I think $250 million in COVID misappropriation, and they had since been called out and adjudicated. Exactly, exactly, George. So, this problem is kind of compounded by the fact that this is still kind of ongoing in a way, and perhaps hasn’t gotten the national attention it deserves, and George, certain conservative YouTubers and- Yeah, Nick Shirley, like a kid in like actually a sweatshirt. You’re wearing a sweatshirt. It’s like a kid in a sweatshirt in his like 20s who is, yeah, so conservative-leaning journalist, semi-quotes. I put a finer point on that later. This video now racking up millions of views, and on one level, I’d encourage you to watch it just to understand this style of shift in media of what’s happening. Like walks around like place to place to place where money was technically given, listed from the public Minnesota site, and said, I am here at this daycare center, and it says misspelled learning on the top of the thing and shows that they’re getting millions of dollars each year, and there’s just no children around. And his work has been fact-checked since, and in his like sort of cluster of daycare centers that he was focused on and some healthcare centers, it turned out that like about 10%, maybe less, were actually in operation. He just went during an off time because guess what? Daycare happens after school hours, but on the whole, he was frankly spot on in calling out these individual actions and situations of fraud that were pretty blatant if you just sort of like stood there, and you’re like a kid in a sweatshirt and a YouTube camera, and like an iPhone. Yeah, George, I think that’s a good point, and I just want to contextualize, right? This has been a major story on the right in particular, particularly on platforms like Twitter over the past week. I think Elon Musk has tweeted about it and so forth, right? But George, this is not necessarily new, right? This pattern is not unique to Minnesota. We’ve seen this before. We use the term asymmetric fraud. There’s a few bad actors who are able to exploit larger systems. We saw that with the PPP loans in general across the United States, massive amounts of fraud, very little of which ever was or ever will be prosecuted. The FTX scandal, the Bernie Madoff scandal, and you see a lot of this in emergency aid contexts, right? When you dump lots of money at a problem, maybe rightfully, right, there’s going to be inefficiencies and potentially dramatic inefficiencies and or misuse of funds in those situations. And George, in my coursework, write a lot about Haiti, right? And just the absolute kind of blatant mismanagement of funds in the various humanitarian contexts in Haiti, particularly after the 2020 earthquake, you had thousands of NGOs descended on the country. You had billions of dollars in official development assistance going to the country. And what is there to show for it? Not much, right? International aid is different from social services in Minnesota. Principled, though, George is the same. And the political fallout of this is going to be pretty immense. Governor Tim Walz announced that he’s not going to run for another term, which is a big deal. And George, federal agencies are now freezing funds to Minnesota. They’re suspending childhood daycare funding for the state. And George, you bring in to the conversation this concept of kind of understanding the blast radius of this. George, how do you think about how a small volume of actors, bad actors, can create ripple effects that have blast radiuses that are larger than they may be intended to be or should be? What are you thinking about here? Yeah. This is a sort of a soft fallacy, but the blast radius fallacy effectively is misjudging the scope of potential damage to blast radius from a single point of failure. What we, and you just mentioned, is asymmetric fraud. The actual blast, the actual grenade that went off is actually of less than 100 people so far. Those 100 bad actors have been sort of found and are being prosecuted, and the number will grow, but it’s not going to grow from 100 to 100,000. In terms of the way that this journalist quotes, Nick Shirley approached it was to really sort of paint it as Somali’s perpetrating this. He was in Somali communities. He did find that. But again, the number of actors is small, yet the penalty, the blast radius, the number of people that will be penalized for this is going to be closer to 100,000. That’s what happens when there is this sort of overreaction and attack on an entire culture for the actions of a few people, 100 people, 100,000 community strong Somalis-ish in Minnesota. I’m also looking at, to be honest, the failure of oversight, which is very, very real here, because the truth is if you leave a bank door open and you leave it open long enough, one person will not just take some, but all, or as much money as possible. We see this in financial crimes constantly. How much do they take? As much as they could. So to that end, compassion without controls is ruinous. Compassion without controls is ruinous. These policies that don’t have oversight end up hurting the community because it doesn’t direct funds to where they should go. And in the end, you end up with situations like this, which is this community now that is going to be descended upon by these other me-too shitty journalists with cameras running around. And by the way, this, Nick Shirley, the way that when you watch it, you actually have to subtly realize that he’s walking around with a security detail that looks a lot like ICE. And so he was also scaring the shit out of people. And so yes, I had mentioned when I’m looking at the CBS follow-up reports of how many of those were actually like actual, actual fraud. In that handful of cases, there are daycares and people that are now going to, are in unsafe situations because there’s so many of these follow-on wannabes that are going to be doing this type of thing to smaller communities and other communities like this and social service programs. And that’s especially not all right when children are involved and the safety of children at scale. So I think where he succeeded was actually bringing attention to fraud, money that wasn’t finding its way to helping children, helping this community. Where he fails is when he’s talking about the also judge, jury, and execution of things, also the fear tactics, present the facts. It would have been a stronger video in some senses and work if he had not brought the blatant agenda in there and the like, we should put elected officials in prison. Like, why aren’t we putting Tim Walz in prison? You’re like, that’s not for you, fella. That’s not the journalist’s job to decide. And also you should be doing a touch more research of like, hey, are we showing up at this place during hours when children are coming in and out? Are we like showing up with security detail that looks like ICE agents and then saying like, why did you do this fraud? As opposed to like, hey, we stake this place out. Like, nobody came. Here’s the numbers. We talked to him, couldn’t get it. Like, here are the facts. That’s more journalism. This is more rage baiting of something that like people saying like, why wasn’t the news covering this? Like the New York Times on November freaking 30th had a in-depth article about billions of fraud going on potentially through healthcare, through all of these other things. Like, issue is out there. Yeah. George, I think to take us out for a second and place this more within the macro environment, this is another risk factor for nonprofits. Last year, listeners will remember we saw executive orders targeting nonprofits and philanthropy associated with terrorism. You know, pretty much any organization that funds, you know, left leaning groups in America might count under that definition. We’ve seen the weaponization of the government and agency and investigations over nonprofits. And this opens up additional avenues for that. This is going to obviously invite a ton of scrutiny, right? It could potentially have a chilling effect. You know, I know for one, I wouldn’t, you know, be about to open a nonprofit in Minnesota, right? Like there’s downstream consequences of this when you place it within the larger environment. And I think we need to be kind of aware of the stakes when we talk about fraud. And George, I have to be honest with you. The IRS does not do a great job of investigating nonprofit fraud. There are a lot of shitty nonprofits that are doing shitty things with, you know, staff of like one or two. And it turns out it’s like a conglomeration of kind of like shell nonprofits that lead back to some marketing company that like, you know, telefund raises millions of dollars from there’s there’s a lot of deception that just goes completely unregulated by the IRS. And that is a problem. However, we’re talking about it in terms of social securities fraud, social program fraud, the risk factor for the sector as a whole is immense. So let’s be vigilant. And hopefully, we have good lawyers on our side. As we move into this new year, which George, Happy New Year. I don’t think I said that. So I’ll just say it then. You really buried that Happy New Year. Yes. Happy New Year to you, Nick. What else? What else do we have? Yeah, George. So we have the story from Engadget. And this story is about the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, CZI. And just a quick story, George, but the organization has completely severed financial and governance ties with an immigration nonprofit that they were intimately involved with for many years. So in 2025, CZI provided for the first time since 2013, zero funding to the organization forward.us, immigration advocacy and placement organization. Senior leadership also resigned from the group’s board. CZI cites a strategic focus saying it’s winding down social advocacy programs, funding to concentrate on science, education and other investments. But George, I think this is yet example number 47 of certain aspects of philanthropy pulling back from potentially divisive social justice oriented programs. Of course, this is hardly surprising for the leader of one of America’s largest tech companies, but the writing’s on the wall, right? And just kind of another example worth shouting out. Yeah, you wonder as the political wind changes that, you know, this should essentially be called the meta foundation. It is much more about the perception, I feel like, of what the company needs it to be to fall in line with the administration rather than what a focused philanthropy that holds and maintains a steady goal over a long period of time because hard things take a long time of steady focus rather than like, sticking your finger up in the air being like, Oh, I guess the wind is going southwest today. Cool. Let’s do that. That’s not how you do, you know, longitudinal impact. Yeah, I agree, George. All right, George, this is a follow up, quick follow up, and a major one, I suppose. I’m reading this from KGNU.org, local news, but George, at least 74 Colorado based nonprofits have been affected by collapse in fundraising by the company Flip Cause. We have talked about Flip Cause before. Essentially, they accepted donations on behalf of nonprofits, even though apparently now they’re completely insolvent because they just filed for bankruptcy, George. So we knew about these nonprofits that had organized this kind of lawsuit. They had a cease and desist from the Attorney General of California. But George, we have new numbers now. And apparently, the company owes more than 3,000 nonprofits a sum of over $29 million. And because the organization has collapsed, it’s very likely none of that money will make its way to organizations. Or if they do, you know, what if they’re ever just scrape up? I don’t know. But George, Flip Cause, completely insolvent, they have no more cash, completely bankrupt. I imagine, George, that the severity of this means that we’re not looking just at bankruptcy, we’re looking at potentially more legal, potentially criminal ramifications here. But this is just devastating, George. And this is the kind of BS that I think you and I have a laser eye focus on in a sector that kind of gets away with too much Wild West when it comes to fundraising. Yeah. And, you know, I’ve been posting this and seeing people be like, well, how are we supposed to decide when there’s so many of these platforms out here being like, oh, we don’t take any fees or use this like, and like everyone is sort of jockeying for that, like, hey, use us. And then the lock-in is pretty tremendous. But the thing that kills me here is that in some of the filings, and I’m looking at the State of California Department, Oakland Voice is reporting as well that this $29 million owed to over 3,200 nonprofits, you know, in standard bankruptcies, they’ll do a liquidation of assets, right? And then they’ll pay out the debtor, the people that are owed money, right? The filing details coming from this chapter 11 essentially lists approximately 30 million in liabilities against 20 million in assets, right? So you’re like, oh, well, maybe it’s not everything. However, in those assets, they assume that 15 million of those assets value is the company’s website and web platform. Okay, so there goes 15. And then the company reportedly only had $70,000 in a bank account at the time of filing. I just like, let it sit in that like, this isn’t a, ah, well, we know we can’t make ends meet. This is something if you have $70,000 in your bank account, and you’re, oh, you’re owing people $29 million. You think about what happened quarter after quarter after quarter of like, well, wait a minute. How, you know, how can we be processing this and not paying it out? And I will say a different way, like this is called pass-through accounting, right? And so when, when Whole Whale, right? Like we manage millions of dollars in ads, and sometimes it’s pass-through. We have a separate freaking account. That money goes into that account. We don’t run payroll off of it. We don’t pay bills against it. It sits there. And every quarter we adjust and we put it in there and like, hey, here’s the account. Here’s our asset liabilities. This is the money we can’t freaking touch because if I touch it, right? And I can’t pay it back. That’s called fraud. This is called standard accounting. What do you, what do you take away from this? Right? What do you take away is, is one thing that I’ve seen. And I, regardless of the platform that you push for, we are friends with many, we watch many, we call out some. And one thing that I seem to really find is that the smartest thing for whatever platform you’re doing is to own your own Stripe portal and login. Such that the money actually, you’re paying the company for right. The fundraising company for the technology, the, the AB testing, the cool whiz bang database, fine, all that great. But you, at the end of the day, that credit card payment and that credit card connection is in an account you own inside of Stripe or Braintree or whatever solution. And that goes to your account. Like you don’t need them to hold that money for you. You should be routing it to something that you own. Here’s the other reason why, because last year we also talked about the way that if you have reoccurring donors in a system like that, they all go away because you don’t have that credit card ID, that transfer, that, that whatever crypt, cryptographic connection to the ability to process those all get lost. All of those reoccurring donors get lost if you switch and you don’t on your Stripe. So this is a painful lesson of make sure you own your payment portal. Yeah. And George, one thing quickly before we wrap up for today is that they had 70K cash on hand. That means they were barely able to make payroll, let alone operate. They’ve been running this thing into the ground for a while. If you see something, say something. If you think that your, your, your donation platform is about to go under, get out of there. You know, I think the writing was probably on the wall for a while here. And you know, it sucks for those organizations, but yeah, just be vigilant. Yeah. And one of the, the alarm bells should be if, if there, if there are so much as a minute late and the processing of payments and transferring a minute late, you must, you switch that to urgent. You switch that to urgent. And even if you are hearing this and you’re like, wait a minute, do we own our own straight portal? Like you’re listening, like that’s a good task. That’s a good, this is a good time of year to do a little housekeeping. And be like, Hmm, that’s an interesting question. Yeah, no, 100% George. All right. Welcome back. Right. George, I got a joke for you. Oh, that’s nice. I can use one of those. It’s, it’s, it’s among the worst ones ever. It’s neither funny nor clever, but here we go. George, why did the nonprofit print its annual report on see-through paper? I think I know the answer is because they wanted it to be transparent. They did. Transparency, baby. Transparency. There you go. Oh man. All right, Nick. Till next time. All right. See you out there. Thanks George.
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The post Social Services Fraud In Minnesota: How A Few Bad Actors Foment Collective Punishment (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
In the latest episode of the Whole Whale Podcast, hosts George and Nick reflect on the transformative themes that shaped the nonprofit sector in 2025. With a focus on AI’s impact, they explore how answer engine optimization (AEO) has redefined nonprofit discovery and engagement. AI’s rapid adoption has led to decreased organic traffic for nonprofits, necessitating strategic pivots in content and donor engagement.
George highlights a significant increase in AI-generated content, with Whole Whale producing nearly a million words daily. This shift underscores the need for nonprofits to establish internal AI policies and balance AI use with human oversight to maintain ethical standards and foster innovation.
Nick introduces the “crawl, walk, run” framework, guiding nonprofits in adopting AI responsibly. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining human expertise and authority in an AI-saturated world, urging organizations to focus on quality over quantity in content creation.
The episode also revisits key rants from 2025, including Microsoft’s controversial changes to its nonprofit grant program and GoFundMe’s unauthorized creation of shadow donation pages for nonprofits. These challenges highlight the importance of maintaining autonomy and control over nonprofit branding and fundraising.
Looking ahead to 2026, George and Nick advise nonprofits to prioritize strategic use of AI, leveraging high-quality intelligence tokens to amplify impact while avoiding the pitfalls of AI-generated “slop.” They stress the importance of creating original, authoritative content that reflects an organization’s mission and expertise.
As they close the episode, George and Nick express optimism for 2026, anticipating renewed energy and opportunities for nonprofits amidst upcoming midterms and sector transformations.
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The post 2025 in Review: Navigating AI Shifts and Nonprofit Challenges (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
In this episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed the hosts dive into the latest developments in the nonprofit sector, focusing on the aftermath of Giving Tuesday, challenges with donation platforms, and exciting AI opportunities for nonprofits.
Key Topics:
Giving Tuesday Overview: The hosts reflect on the impact and outcomes of the recent Giving Tuesday, with hopes that it reached the predicted $4 million mark to kickstart the fundraising season for nonprofits.
Donation Platform Concerns: A significant issue discussed is the case of Flip Cause, a donation platform that inadvertently kept “shadow campaign pages” live, leading to a $500,000 loss in donation revenue. The California State Attorney General issued a cease and desist order after nonprofits reported these discrepancies. This incident underscores the risks associated with outdated or unauthorized donation pages, emphasizing the need for nonprofits to regularly audit and verify their donation processes and data integrity.
AI for Nonprofits: Anthropic’s announcement of Claude for Nonprofits offers a 75% discount on AI access, aiming to enhance nonprofit operations with AI tools for grant writing, engagement, and program evaluation. The hosts compare this offering to Google’s AI tools, discussing pricing and the importance of choosing the right AI tools to maximize impact while ensuring data privacy.
Mr. Beast and Rockefeller Foundation Collaboration: The partnership between YouTuber Mr. Beast and the Rockefeller Foundation aims to engage young people in philanthropy by combining storytelling with data-driven philanthropy. The discussion highlights the potential impact and pitfalls of influencer-led philanthropy, emphasizing the importance of ethical storytelling and the need to avoid reinforcing negative narratives about aid recipients.
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The post Navigating Donation Platform Risks and AI Opportunities (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
**UPDATE: After we recorded this episode, GoFundMe announced they would reverse their stance on auto-generated nonprofit donation pages made without their consent making them opt-in instead of opt-out. Unclaimed Nonprofit Pages, they wrote in a public response, would be removed and de-indexed.****
In this episode of Nonprofit Newsfeed, George Weiner, Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, and Nick Azulay, digital strategist at Whole Whale, dive into a startling discovery involving GoFundMe’s creation of 1.4 million shadow donation pages for US nonprofits. Without outreach or consent, GoFundMe auto-generated these pages, raising significant concerns within the nonprofit community.
Discovery of Shadow Pages: The hosts note how they discovered that many nonprofits, including Whole Whale clients, had active GoFundMe pages soliciting donations without their knowledge or consent.
Potential Ramifications: The hosts discuss the implications of GoFundMe using nonprofit logos and public information without permission. The platform also initially set a default tip for itself at 16.5%, which has since been reduced following public backlash.
Impact on Nonprofits: The episode emphasizes the risk to nonprofit brand management, especially with the upcoming end-of-year giving season. Nonprofits now face the challenge of ensuring their brand integrity and donor relationships are not compromised.
Recommendations for Nonprofits: George and Nick outline a “claim, clean, and correct” strategy. They advise nonprofits to claim their GoFundMe pages, correct any inaccuracies, and make the pages private to protect their brand and donor data.
Broader Implications: The conversation extends to the potential impact on AI systems that rely on indexed information from such pages, affecting how nonprofits are represented in digital spaces.
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The post DEVELOPING: GoFundMe Backtracks After Backlash to Millions of Auto-Generated Nonprofit Donation Pages (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
In this week’s episode the hosts delve into the ongoing U.S. government shutdown and its implications for the nonprofit sector. The shutdown, now extending over half a month, poses significant challenges for nonprofits that rely on government partnerships. With 750,000 federal workers furloughed, nonprofits face operational hurdles, particularly in grant management and accessing social services like SNAP benefits. The shutdown’s ripple effects could increase demand for nonprofit services as more workers remain unpaid and public services remain halted.
In brighter news, a consortium of ten major philanthropic foundations has announced a $500 million initiative, Humanity Forward, to explore AI’s societal impacts. This collaborative effort includes the Doris Duke Foundation, Ford Foundation, and MacArthur Foundation, among others. The initiative aims to investigate AI’s influence on democracy, economy, culture, and education, with funds being distributed as early as fall 2025. The episode highlights the importance of nonprofits actively engaging with AI to drive innovation rather than being passive participants.
The hosts also introduce a fun, albeit tongue-in-cheek, mini-game created by Whole Whale. The game serves as a metaphor for the challenges nonprofits face in fundraising, emphasizing innovative content strategies to engage audiences beyond traditional written articles. This interactive approach underscores the potential for nonprofits to leverage AI and technology in new ways.
For nonprofits navigating these uncertain times, the episode underscores the importance of strategic planning and adapting to technological advancements. The discussion encourages nonprofits to explore AI’s potential and consider how these tools can enhance their mission-driven work.
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The post Government Shutdown’s Impact on Nonprofits & A $500M AI Initiative (news) first appeared on Nonprofit News Feed.
Nonprofit Sector Faces Challenges Amid Government Shutdown and Advocacy Efforts
In this week’s episode the focus is on the implications of the U.S. government shutdown and recent advocacy efforts within the nonprofit sector. The episode tackles two primary topics: the immediate impacts of the government shutdown on nonprofits and a coalition’s response to political challenges against the Open Society Foundations.
Government Shutdown Impact on Nonprofits
The episode begins with a discussion on the current government shutdown, the first since 2018. George and Nick outline the immediate consequences, such as non-essential federal employees facing furloughs and potential delays in grant disbursements. This could lead nonprofits to seek high-cost loans, cut services, or reduce staff if the shutdown persists. Organizations like food banks and those relying on government contracts are particularly vulnerable. The hosts suggest nonprofits explore temporary lines of credit to manage cash flow during this period.
Advocacy Against Political Retaliation
The episode also highlights a broad coalition of nonprofits, including the ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense Fund, condemning political retaliation against the Open Society Foundations. The coalition argues against the Department of Justice’s investigation, viewing it as a threat to free speech and democratic values. The hosts emphasize the importance of advocacy and coalition building in protecting civil society from political interference.
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Emmy’s Gamification of Charity: A Hit or Miss?
In a recent podcast episode, the hosts dissect the unconventional charity initiative at the Emmy Awards, where host Nate Bargatze pledged $100,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. The twist: the donation amount would decrease based on the length of celebrity speeches, while shorter speeches would add to the fund. Despite the initial $100,000 dropping by $60,000 due to long speeches, Bargatze and CBS ultimately donated $350,000.
The hosts debated the merits of this gamified approach to philanthropy. Critics argue it cheapens the serious work of nonprofits and aligns charity with guilt and shame. Conversely, supporters highlight the significant funds raised and the increased visibility for the Boys and Girls Clubs, as evidenced by a spike in Google searches. They argue that such creative fundraising efforts engage the public and inject fun into philanthropy.
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Nonprofit Sector Sees Positive Trends and AI Empowerment Amidst Challenges
In this week’s episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed the duo delve into the latest updates and insights impacting the nonprofit world.
Nonprofit Wellness Index Sees Positive Shift
The episode kicks off with an encouraging update on the Nonprofit Wellness Index, which has reported its best month since inception. This index, tracking metrics like donation activity, ad spend, and job sector churn, showed a significant rebound from previous months, with notable increases in nonprofit job postings on platforms like Glassdoor and a rise in ad spending on Facebook. While some of this growth might be seasonal, the data suggests a positive trend for the sector, potentially signaling a more stable period ahead.
Google for Nonprofits Expands AI Capabilities
A major highlight is Google’s expansion of its Nonprofits Workspace, now offering AI credits to organizations in the program. This includes access to powerful tools like Google Sheets, Gemini Notebook, and other AI-driven resources, providing nonprofits with high-value, cost-effective solutions. George emphasizes the importance of leveraging these free resources before investing in third-party tools, likening their value to the underutilized Google Ad Grant.
Legal and Governance Challenges with ESG
The conversation shifts to the complex landscape of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) policies, spotlighting a lawsuit by Texas against corporations implementing ESG practices. This legal pushback, fueled by conservative think tanks, highlights the contentious nature of ESG in corporate governance. Despite criticisms of ESG’s broad metrics, George underscores the inevitable market forces that will drive sustainable practices, regardless of political opposition.
Gender Equity in Nonprofit Leadership
The episode also touches on the Candid 2025 Nonprofit Compensation Report, revealing persistent gender disparities in nonprofit leadership. Despite efforts towards DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), women remain underrepresented in CEO roles at large organizations, prompting ongoing discussions about achieving true equity in the sector.
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AI’s Impact on Search Behavior and Direct Cash Assistance: Key Insights for Nonprofits
In this week’s episode of Nonprofit Newsfeed the hosts dive into the evolving landscape of digital search and the effectiveness of cash assistance programs. They explore how AI-generated summaries on search engines like Google are altering user behavior and the implications for nonprofit content strategies. They also discuss a recent study on cash assistance’s impact on low-income families and children’s development.
Main Topics Discussed:
AI’s Influence on Search Behavior:
A Pew Research Center survey reveals that AI summaries in search results significantly reduce click-through rates. Users are 50% less likely to click on links when AI summaries are present, and browsing sessions tend to end faster. AI summaries are more prevalent in long-tail search queries, especially those starting with question words like “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” “why.” The discussion highlights the need for nonprofits to adapt their content strategies, focusing on brand presence and conversion optimization as traditional traffic metrics evolve.
Effectiveness of Cash Assistance Programs:
A New York Times report on a four-year cash assistance pilot shows no measurable improvement in children’s development among low-income families receiving $333 monthly. Researchers suggest factors like the pandemic and small payment size might have influenced results. The findings spark debate on direct cash assistance’s effectiveness, with George emphasizing the need for comprehensive support systems beyond financial aid.
AI for Nonprofits Book Release:
George shares excitement about contributing to “AI for Nonprofits,” a comprehensive guide featuring insights from 57 experts on leveraging AI across nonprofit operations, fundraising, and marketing.
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In this week’s episode of Nonprofit Newsfeed the focus is on the environmental impacts of AI data centers. This conversation is sparked by a New York Times article highlighting the plight of a family in Georgia affected by a nearby Meta data center. The discussion evolves into a broader debate on the ecological footprint of AI technologies and how nonprofits can navigate these concerns.
Main Topics and Insights:
AI Data Centers and Environmental Concerns:
The episode delves into the environmental impact of AI data centers, which require significant water and energy resources. For instance, a new Amazon data center in Indiana demands 2.2 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power a million homes. The hosts discuss the story of Beverly and Jeff Morris, whose well water quality deteriorated following the construction of a Meta data center near their home, illustrating the localized environmental strain caused by such facilities.
Debate on AI’s Environmental Footprint:
George and Nick engage in a debate, weighing the environmental costs against the technological advancements AI brings. George argues for a balanced view, noting that all technological innovations initially consume significant resources but become more efficient over time. Nick emphasizes the real and immediate impact on local communities, advocating for more responsible and sustainable practices by tech companies.
Nonprofit Sector Considerations:
The episode provides insights for nonprofits on communicating these complex issues to their audiences. It encourages a nuanced approach, recognizing the potential benefits of AI in enhancing operational efficiency and impact, while also advocating for sustainable practices in tech development.
Additional Highlights:
OpenAI’s $50 Million Nonprofit Fund: The episode briefly touches on OpenAI’s initiative to support community organizations, focusing on leveraging AI for education, economic opportunities, and community organizing. IRS Changes on Political Activity for Religious Institutions: A new IRS ruling allows religious 501(c)(3) organizations to endorse political candidates, raising concerns about potential loopholes in campaign finance laws.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Navigating AI and Nonprofit Challenges: Insights from Whole Whale
In this episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed the focus is on the evolving landscape of AI and its implications for nonprofit organizations. With a special emphasis on the intersection of technology and nonprofit operations, this episode dives into the rising challenges and opportunities presented by AI.
Skyrocketing Bot Traffic and Server Strain: Nonprofits, especially those with extensive digital resources, are experiencing increased server costs due to AI-driven bot traffic. This surge is attributed to AI companies aggressively crawling websites, leading to higher hosting expenses and potential performance issues for human users. Nonprofits like libraries, cultural institutions, and research organizations are particularly affected.
Mitigating Bot Traffic: Strategies to manage this include analyzing server logs beyond standard analytics to identify non-human traffic and implementing regional and type-specific bot blocking. Tools like CloudFlare are introducing measures to help manage crawler access, including a pay-per-crawl system to offset costs.
AI Avatars in Humanitarian Contexts: The episode discusses a controversial UN experiment using AI avatars to simulate refugees, sparking debates about empathy, representation, and the ethical use of AI in sensitive humanitarian contexts. The conversation highlights concerns about AI’s role in potentially distancing aid efforts from the real experiences of affected individuals.
Grok AI Model’s Controversy: The episode touches on the recent issues with X AI’s Grok model, which exhibited problematic behavior with minimal prompting, leading to its temporary deactivation. This incident underscores the importance of thorough testing and red-teaming to prevent AI tools from spreading harmful content.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
In this week’s episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed, George and Nick delve into the critical issue of donor data ownership within donation platforms. They reveal that for 25% of platforms, nonprofits cannot seamlessly migrate recurring donors, potentially severing relationships with monthly contributors. George emphasizes the importance of understanding donor payment tokens and the impact of being locked into platforms without data portability.
The episode also touches on the philanthropic landscape, highlighting Warren Buffett’s record $6 billion donation to various foundations and the ongoing influence of billionaire philanthropy. This brings into focus the necessity of smart, long-term philanthropic planning to avoid potential pitfalls of sudden funding withdrawals.
Moreover, the conversation shifts to the legislative sphere, discussing the ramifications of the “big, beautiful bill” that threatens significant cuts to Medicaid and SNAP benefits, impacting millions of Americans. The hosts underline the urgency for nonprofits to prepare for increased demand on their services and the potential closures of rural hospitals and food banks due to these cuts.
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In this episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed, hosts George and Nick explore the intricacies of recent mass mobilizations and the challenges facing nonprofits.
The podcast focuses on the recent “No Kings” protests, a massive mobilization across all 50 states with participation from an estimated 5 to 7 million people. Nick shares his firsthand experience at the New York protest, emphasizing the diverse and passionate turnout despite the rain. The event’s success hinged on strategic digital organizing through platforms like Mobilize Us and support from major organizations such as the ACLU and Indivisible. A key takeaway is the power of peaceful protest and the impressive organization behind such large-scale events, including a comprehensive 17-page guide for rally hosts.
The discussion transitions to the broader theme of attacks on civil society, both domestically and globally. An article from Lawfare highlights how authoritarian regimes worldwide, including those in Nicaragua, Turkey, Hungary, and Russia, are suppressing civil society under the guise of national security. This pattern is mirrored in the U.S., where political rhetoric is increasingly used to justify crackdowns on nonprofits and civil liberties.
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This week on the Nonprofit Newsfeed by Whole Whale, George and Nick delve into the ramifications of the GOP’s newly proposed tax bill and its potential impact on the nonprofit sector. As the bill progresses from the House to the Senate, nonprofits face several looming challenges. These include the “foundation tax bomb,” which proposes a tiered excise tax on foundation assets that could drastically reduce grant-making capacities, and a disincentive for major donors, which might discourage wealthy contributions. Smaller nonprofits are particularly at risk due to a proposed 1% minimum giving threshold that could eliminate tax incentives for small businesses. This, coupled with increased taxes on nonprofit payrolls, paints a grim picture for nonprofit funding and operations.
In a shift from fiscal policies, the episode also critiques the College Board for allegedly straying from its nonprofit mission. Originally aimed at democratizing college access, the College Board is now criticized for operating like a corporation, heavily lobbying to maintain its monopoly over standardized testing. This raises broader questions about mission drift in nonprofits.
On a brighter note, the episode concludes with a feel-good story about the successful reintroduction of otters in New Mexico’s Rio Grande, thanks to a partnership between the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the nonprofit Amigos Bravos. This effort highlights the positive impact of public-nonprofit collaborations on local ecosystems.
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In this week’s episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed from Whole Whale, hosts Nick and George focus on significant shifts in nonprofit tech strategy and community recognition initiatives.
Main Topics:
Microsoft’s Software Grant Changes:
Microsoft announced the end of its decade-long grant program providing free Microsoft 365 business premium accounts and Office 365 E1 licenses to around 400,000 nonprofits. This change, effective for renewals on or after July 1, 2025, will require nonprofits to transition to paid licenses with only two months’ notice. The financial impact is notable, especially for smaller organizations with minimal revenue, where the cost could represent 1-2% of their operating expenses. George and Nick discuss the broader implications, including the risks of dependency on single tech solutions and the potential stifling of open-source development.
Whole Whale’s Foundation Study:
Whole Whale released its 2020-2024 foundation study, analyzing 1,600 US foundations with over $25 million in revenue. The study offers insights into grant distribution, advertising, and promotion expenses, highlighting sectors like arts, education, and legal aid as lower recipients of funding. The study is a valuable resource for nonprofits to understand funding landscapes and strategize accordingly.
Legislative Updates:
Recent developments in the GOP’s “one big beautiful bill” indicate the removal of a controversial provision that threatened nonprofit tax-exempt statuses. This provision allowed for revocation without due process and had raised significant concerns within the nonprofit sector. Advocacy efforts from organizations like the ACLU and the Council for Nonprofits were instrumental in this outcome, though vigilance remains necessary as the bill progresses.
United Way’s Courage Project:
The United Way launched a $5 million initiative to honor community heroes through grants of up to $50,000. Initial recipients include teachers who defended students against ICE agents and organizations supporting immigrants. This project underscores the importance of recognizing and supporting grassroots efforts that uphold community values and justice.
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Gates Foundation's Bold Plan and Legislative Challenges for NonprofitsIn this week's episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed, George and Nick dive into significant developments affecting the nonprofit sector. The discussion kicks off with Bill Gates' groundbreaking announcement regarding the Gates Foundation, the largest American foundation by asset volume. Gates revealed plans to dissolve the foundation by December 2045, aiming to spend down its entire endowment of over $200 billion. The foundation will focus on three key goals: reducing preventable maternal and childhood deaths, eradicating deadly infectious diseases, and alleviating poverty. This decision is driven by cuts in U.S. foreign aid and the pressing need for immediate action in health and human development.Gates' approach reflects a shift in philanthropy, emphasizing immediate impact over legacy preservation, reminiscent of Mackenzie Scott's philanthropic strategy. This move is seen as both radical and necessary, aligning with the current urgency in addressing global challenges.The episode also covers legislative developments that could impact nonprofits. A provision in the House budget bill, dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill," could grant the executive branch broad powers to revoke 501(c)(3) status from nonprofits without due process. This echoes past legislative attempts and raises concerns about potential executive overreach, particularly targeting organizations involved in immigration, gender rights, and other contentious areas.Additionally, the bill proposes taxing investment income from large endowments, affecting major foundations and universities. While intended to address equity issues, critics argue it could harm philanthropic efforts by redirecting funds away from charitable work.
Nonprofit News Podcast Recap: The Threat to 501(c)(3) Status and Social Media StrategiesIn this week's episode of Nonprofit News Feed, hosts George and Nick delve into critical topics affecting the nonprofit sector. The discussion kicks off with an exploration of the potential repercussions for nonprofits if they lose their 501(c)(3) status—a concern highlighted by recent political maneuvers and threats to organizations like Harvard and Wikipedia. They discuss the dire consequences of such a status loss, including becoming taxable entities, losing tax-deductible donation incentives, and facing new tax obligations.The conversation shifts to the concerning control of social media narratives by influential figures, specifically Elon Musk's manipulation of Twitter's algorithm (now X). The hosts unpack how this affects nonprofits' strategies on social platforms, emphasizing the need for organizations to reconsider their engagement and content strategies in light of these changes.Additionally, the episode addresses the alarming $400 million funding cut from AmeriCorps, impacting over a thousand organizations and thousands of volunteers. This move threatens the vital volunteer infrastructure supporting disaster relief and community projects across the nation.In a lighter segment, the hosts highlight a successful nonprofit initiative that rescued over 6,000 pounds of food from an NFL draft event, redistributing it to local shelters—a testament to the impact of food recovery programs.Key Takeaways:The potential loss of 501(c)(3) status could devastate nonprofits, affecting their financial viability and operational capabilities.Nonprofits must navigate social media platforms carefully, especially under the influence of unpredictable leadership like Elon Musk.Significant cuts to AmeriCorps funding underscore the precarious state of volunteer-driven initiatives.Positive initiatives in food recovery demonstrate the sector's ability to address food insecurity creatively.
The Corporate Capture of Carbon Footprints: A Nonprofit PerspectiveIn the latest episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed, hosted by George and Nick from Whole Whale, the discussion takes a thought-provoking turn towards the concept of "corporate capture" and the real origins of the term "carbon footprint." This episode delves into how corporations, particularly British Petroleum (BP), have strategically shifted the focus of environmental responsibility onto consumers. George Weiner reveals that the term "carbon footprint" was not coined by environmental activists but was part of a $200 million PR campaign by BP in the early 2000s. This revelation highlights the concept of "guilt washing," a tactic that deflects systemic environmental issues onto individuals, thus masking the broader corporate responsibility for climate change.Key Insights and Reflections:Corporate Influence on Environmental Narratives: The episode uncovers how major corporations have historically influenced environmental discussions to avoid regulatory scrutiny, using terms like "carbon footprint" to redirect blame.The Role of Individual vs. Systemic Change: George emphasizes the importance of understanding the systemic causes of environmental degradation, suggesting that while individual actions matter, they are not the sole solution.Pope Francis' Environmental Advocacy: The episode also pays tribute to the late Pope Francis, recognizing his significant contributions to environmental advocacy.Additional Stories:Revival of the Ice Bucket Challenge: The Ice Bucket Challenge has made a comeback, this time raising awareness for mental health issues through the #SpeakYourMind campaign by University of South Carolina students.Generational Shifts in Charitable Giving: A recent Associated Press poll reveals a potential "generosity crisis" with younger Americans giving less to charity, raising questions about cultural shifts in philanthropy.
In this week's episode of Nonprofit Newsfeed by Whole Whale, George and Nick dive into an engaging discussion packed with insights for nonprofit enthusiasts. AI in Fundraising: The conversation shifts to an intriguing experiment reported by TechCrunch, where Sage Future, backed by Open Philanthropy, tasked AI models with fundraising for charity. These AI agents, with human oversight, raised $270 for Helen Keller International by engaging in tasks like setting up social media accounts and creating promotional content. While AI's role in automating communication is acknowledged, the hosts caution against over-reliance due to potential brand risks, especially for sensitive issues.Environmental Advocacy: The episode touches on the historical narrative of leaded gasoline and its eventual phase-out in 2021, highlighting the critical role of governmental oversight in protecting public health. The hosts use this story to emphasize the importance of maintaining robust environmental regulations.USDA Grant Freeze Impact: A pressing issue discussed is the USDA's grant freeze, which has left nonprofits like Pasa Sustainable Agriculture in financial turmoil. With $3 million in unpaid reimbursements, the organization had to furlough most of its staff, underscoring the dire consequences of such funding disruptions on local communities and farms.Community-Driven Violence Prevention: The Circle of Brotherhood's innovative efforts in Miami's Liberty City are celebrated for their community-based approach to violence prevention. By providing unarmed, de-escalative security services, the organization works alongside local youth centers to foster a safer environment, demonstrating the power of community engagement over traditional security methods.
Navigating Nonprofit Challenges: Political Pressures, Greenwashing, and AI InnovationsIn the latest episode of Nonprofit Newsfeed by Whole Whale, hosts George and Nick delve into pressing issues affecting the nonprofit sector, from political pressures to environmental challenges and technological advancements.Key Topics and Insights:Political Attacks on Nonprofits:The episode highlights the increasing political pressures faced by nonprofits, particularly those involved in contentious issues like immigration. A recent New York Times story is cited, where Judge James Boasberg's daughter, involved with a nonprofit, faced online harassment due to her work. The hosts emphasize how nonprofits are becoming targets in broader political battles, drawing parallels to the Red Scare era's tactics of guilt by association.The Reality of Plastic Recycling:George Weiner discusses the misleading narrative around plastic recycling in the U.S., pointing out that less than 9% of plastic is actually recycled. He traces the history back to industry-funded campaigns that shifted responsibility onto consumers, labeling it as "greenwashing." This segment calls for nonprofits to focus on root causes rather than downstream solutions.AI in Nonprofit Management:The episode explores how AI is being integrated into nonprofit operations, particularly with Ministry Brands' adoption of AI for automating tasks in faith-based organizations. The discussion highlights the potential of AI to enhance efficiency while also considering the challenges it poses to traditional practices.Feel-Good Story:On a lighter note, the hosts share a story about a New Jersey nonprofit that created a miniature indoor town for children with disabilities. This initiative aims to teach kids about daily life in an accessible and engaging way.
In this episode of the Nonprofit News Feed by Whole Whale, hosts George and Nick delve into the financial turmoil facing Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind the beloved children's program, Sesame Street. The organization is grappling with the expiration of its HBO contract, which previously served as a significant revenue stream. This development coincides with broader challenges, including potential funding cuts to PBS and NPR and the impact of reduced U.S. foreign assistance on Sesame Workshop's humanitarian programs.
Main News StoriesGreenpeace LawsuitEnergy Transfer (owners of Dakota Access Pipeline) is suing Greenpeace for $300 million in damagesThe lawsuit claims Greenpeace orchestrated protests near Standing Rock, which Greenpeace deniesPotential damages could reach $800 million with punitive damages, potentially bankrupting Greenpeace USAGreenpeace maintains they only supported an indigenous-led movement (involving over 300 tribal nations)The hosts discuss concerns about this establishing a dangerous precedent for protest liability and potentially chilling environmental activismThe case is being heard in a conservative jurisdiction less favorable to activistsNonprofit Consultant Survey ResultsFourth annual survey by Nonprofit.ist and Nonprofit Times provides industry benchmarksAverage consultant rate: $151.19/hour (median: $126)Highest rates: consultants specializing in AI technology, fundraising, and coachingHigher education correlated with higher ratesUrban consultants earn significantly more than rural onesNew consultants with significant nonprofit experience tend to charge less despite deep knowledgeUSDA Cancels Local Food ProgramsUSDA cut two major local food programs worth over $1 billion in funding:$660 million for Local Food for Schools initiative$420 million for Local Food Purchase Assistant programCuts affect schools and food banksImpacts include increased food costs amid inflation and undermining community food systems
In this episode of the Nonprofit News Feed, George and Nick discuss recent challenges facing the nonprofit sector under the Trump administration. They examine two major concerns: changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program potentially excluding certain nonprofit employees, and federal agencies removing progressive terminology from government websites. The hosts share insights from a Center for Effective Philanthropy report indicating 90% of nonprofit leaders anticipate negative impacts from the current political climate, with funding uncertainty as their top concern. Despite these challenges, they find a silver lining in the sector's evident importance and highlight a feel-good story about Project 150, a Las Vegas nonprofit helping disadvantaged teens attend prom through their annual "prom closet" initiative.
In this episode, we focus on declining nonprofit website traffic due to AI search tools. Key points include:Nonprofit website traffic is declining as AI tools like ChatGPT and Google's AI overviews reduce the need for users to visit original content sources.Major content creators like HubSpot have lost up to 80% of their traffic due to these changes.We recommend:Adjusting traffic expectations (considering "break-even" the new growth)Focusing on conversion rate optimizationCreating original research and data that AI can't replicateUsing Google Search Console to identify which content triggers AI resultsAdditional stories covered:A discussion about nonprofit mergers based on Idealist.org's merger with VolunteerMatch.orgUSAID funding cuts affecting humanitarian aid organizations and their life-saving programsA success story about a Massachusetts movie theater saved by converting to a nonprofit model
Nonprofit NewsFeed Podcast: Trump Administration Impact & Philanthropy's ResponseEpisode SummaryIn this episode of the Nonprofit News Feed Podcast, host Nick Azulay is joined by Whole Whale COO and President Megan Anhalt to discuss the new Trump administration's impact on the social impact sector and philanthropy.The conversation covers the federal funding freeze affecting numerous nonprofit organizations, particularly highlighting the stop work order affecting unaccompanied minors in immigration proceedings and the devastating fallout from USAID funding cuts. As organizations struggle to fill these gaps, they examine the critical role philanthropy must play during this crisis.The hosts then do a deep dive into the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's (CZI) recent decision to end its social advocacy funding, including work on immigration reform and racial equity, and end its DEI efforts—a move that came shortly after Meta (formerly Facebook) made similar cuts. They analyze this as a case study of how even the most well-resourced philanthropic entities are yielding to political pressure.
Dissolution of USAID and Its Global Impact on Humanitarian AidIn this week's episode of the Nonprofit News, George Weiner and Nick Azulay from Whole Whale dive into the troubling developments surrounding the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). As the largest international development humanitarian donor, USAID's dissolution and potential absorption into the State Department is raising alarms across the nonprofit sector. The agency, responsible for 40% of global humanitarian funding, has seen mass layoffs and program freezes, affecting thousands of employees and contractors. The ripple effects are profound, with NGOs and international partners facing severe funding gaps.USAID's substantial contributions to the United Nations and its affiliates, such as UNICEF and the World Food Program, underscore the stakes involved. Despite criticisms of USAID's top-down approach, the abrupt halting of its operations is likened to pulling the rug from under life support systems globally. The discussion highlights the need for transparency and the catastrophic potential of cutting off essential aid without proper transition plans.Key Insights:USAID's role as a major funder of global humanitarian efforts is irreplaceable, making its dissolution a potential "philanthropic disaster."The agency accounts for a mere 1% of the U.S. federal budget but is heavily audited, contrary to some criticisms.The sudden program halts could irreversibly damage initiatives combating diseases, famine, and crises worldwide.Calls to Action:Nonprofits and stakeholders must advocate for transparency and continuity in humanitarian aid.Consider the broader implications of policy changes on global aid structures.Follow-Up:The episode also touches on the National Council on Nonprofits' legal victory against a U.S. executive order affecting funding, demonstrating the power of collective action.A Canadian postal strike serves as a case study for nonprofits on the importance of diversifying fundraising strategies.Closing Thought: The episode underscores the interconnectedness of global aid systems and the need for strategic planning and advocacy to navigate political changes that threaten humanitarian efforts.
Nonprofit News Feed: Navigating Policy Shifts and New OpportunitiesThis week on Whole Whale's Nonprofit News Feed, hosts George Weiner and Nick Azulay delve into the tumultuous changes impacting the nonprofit sector under the current U.S. administration. The episode kicks off with a discussion on the federal funding freeze and two executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and immigration policies. These orders have created a climate of fear and self-censorship among nonprofits, universities, and foundations, particularly those with assets over $500 million. The hosts emphasize the importance of adapting language on websites and communications to continue the essential work of social justice and diversity without drawing federal scrutiny.The conversation shifts to the potential consequences of rescinding protections for undocumented individuals in schools and churches, highlighting the chilling effect on immigrant communities and the nonprofits that support them. Despite these challenges, the hosts express admiration for nonprofit associations like the Council of Nonprofits, which are actively filing lawsuits to protect federal funding and advocating for the sector.In a lighter segment, the podcast explores the rise of a new AI player, DeepSeek, a Chinese startup offering open-source AI models that rival American counterparts at a fraction of the cost. George discusses the implications for the nonprofit sector, emphasizing the importance of understanding the biases and privacy concerns associated with using such models.The episode concludes with uplifting news about a partnership between Harvard and the nonprofit Westbridge, aimed at connecting high-achieving, low-income students to top colleges with full financial aid. This initiative is seen as a positive step towards maintaining diversity in higher education following recent Supreme Court decisions.Listeners are encouraged to engage with nonprofit associations and explore innovative solutions to continue their impactful work amidst policy changes. The episode wraps up with a feel-good story about the Southern Nevada Off Road Recovery (SNORR) nonprofit, which provides vital search and rescue services, and a classic dad joke to lighten the mood.
In this episode of Nonprofit Newsfeed, George Weiner, Chief Whaler at Whole Whale - a marketing and analytics agency for nonprofits, is joined by Leo Quintero, VP of Learning and Innovation. Together, they delve into the rare and exciting news of a merger between Volunteer Match and Idealist.org, two titans in the nonprofit sector. This merger promises to consolidate resources and enhance the ability to connect individuals with volunteer opportunities and nonprofit jobs across the globe.Main Highlights:Volunteer Match and Idealist.org Merger: This rare merger in the nonprofit sector aims to combine forces to better serve nonprofits and volunteers. With Volunteer Match's expertise in connecting nonprofits with volunteers and Idealist's broad reach in nonprofit jobs and internships, the merger is set to be a game-changer in the sector. The merger will maintain both platforms' existing functionalities while working toward greater integration by 2025.Implications for HR and Volunteers: Leo highlights the potential benefits for HR departments and nonprofits, suggesting that the merger will enhance the quality and reach of volunteer recruitment. The integration of platforms may lead to a richer pool of talent and volunteers, benefiting nonprofits in need of diverse skill sets.Compliance and Campaign Finance: A significant portion of the episode discusses the $300,000 fine levied on the New Georgia Project for campaign finance violations. This segment underscores the importance of compliance in nonprofit operations, especially when involved in lobbying and advocacy.Google Advertising Challenges for Nonprofits: The episode addresses recent changes in Google's advertising policies that allow other entities to use nonprofit brand terms in search ads, potentially driving up costs. George advises nonprofits to leverage Google Ad Grants effectively to maintain visibility without overspending.Community Engagement on MLK Day: The episode closes with a feel-good story about Vermont nonprofits honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day through community service and engagement, highlighting the power of community-driven initiatives.
In this episode of the Nonprofit News Feed by Whole Whale, hosts George Weiner and Nick Azulay delve into critical topics affecting the nonprofit sector, focusing on the response to the LA wildfires, the politicization of fundraising platforms, and innovative governance in nonprofit organizations.LA Wildfires and Nonprofit Mobilization The episode opens with a detailed discussion on the LA wildfires, where thousands of firefighters are battling blazes across 45 square miles, affecting 88,000 residents under evacuation orders. Local nonprofits like K Town for All and Covenant House have stepped up, creating supply chains and providing shelter for those displaced. Airbnb.org also announced emergency housing for over 25,000 people, highlighting the critical role of nonprofit and corporate collaboration in crisis response.George emphasizes the importance of nonprofits having a pre-established networked response plan for such disasters. He urges organizations to prepare coordinated fundraising strategies to capitalize on moments of compassion, ensuring sustained support for long-term recovery efforts.Politicization of Fundraising Platforms The conversation shifts to the controversy surrounding the use of ActBlue in fundraising for wildfire relief, highlighting how political narratives can complicate nonprofit efforts. Critics accused fundraiser organizers of profiting off the fires due to ActBlue's association with progressive causes. George and Nick stress the importance of nonprofits being aware of the political implications of their chosen platforms and maintaining transparency to avoid misinterpretation and backlash.Innovative Governance: The Ocean as a Board Member In a unique twist on nonprofit governance, the Scottish Association for Marine Science has named the ocean as a trustee on its board. This move aligns with legal innovations granting personhood to natural entities, aiming to incorporate environmental interests directly into decision-making. George envisions the potential of AI representing non-human stakeholders, offering a futuristic approach to stakeholder inclusion in governance.Mastodon's Nonprofit Restructuring The episode also covers Mastodon's restructuring to form a new nonprofit organization in Europe, differentiating itself from CEO-controlled networks. This shift towards decentralized control aims to enhance transparency and align with public benefit objectives, setting a precedent for social media platforms.Feel-Good Story: Greening Urban Spaces Concluding on a positive note, the hosts highlight the efforts of Denver-based nonprofit The Park People, which provides affordable trees to low-canopy areas, addressing environmental and socio-economic disparities. This initiative underscores the multifaceted benefits of urban greening, from reducing heat to improving community well-being.Final Thoughts The episode underscores the dynamic challenges and innovations within the nonprofit sector, from crisis response and fundraising complexities to pioneering governance models that prioritize environmental stewardship. Nonprofit leaders are encouraged to prepare for crises, consider the broader implications of their operational choices, and embrace innovative governance practices.
Navigating the Nonprofit Landscape in 2025: Tech Challenges and OpportunitiesIn this episode of Nonprofit News Feed, George Weiner, Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, and Nick Azulay, Digital Strategist, dive into the evolving tech landscape and its implications for nonprofits in 2025. As they welcome the new year, the duo highlights key tech stories that could significantly impact the nonprofit sector, focusing on the influence of tech CEOs on political narratives and the role of AI in shaping information dissemination.Key Topics Discussed:Tech Giants and Political Influence: Tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook are actively engaging with the upcoming administration, potentially aligning more with conservative policies. This shift may affect content moderation and misinformation on platforms, which historically frustrates progressive nonprofits.AI as a Knowledge Source: George emphasizes the growing importance of AI in information retrieval, urging nonprofits to adapt their content strategies to remain visible in AI-driven search environments. This shift could redefine how nonprofits convey truth and engage with the public.Platform Changes and Nonprofit Strategy: With Meta's shift to a community note-style fact-checking system, concerns rise over misinformation, especially in global contexts where Facebook's platform safety is underfunded. Nonprofits in health and immigration sectors are advised to monitor these developments closely.The TikTok Ban Debate: As the Supreme Court deliberates on TikTok's future in the U.S., nonprofits are encouraged to diversify their platforms and back up content in anticipation of potential bans.Spotlight on AccessNow: Featured in TechCrunch, AccessNow offers critical digital protection services to human rights defenders, showcasing the vital role nonprofits play in safeguarding digital rights.Humanizing Homelessness: A ProPublica story highlights the personal losses experienced during homeless sweeps, underscoring the need for empathetic policy discussions.Community Support in Winter: In Central Texas, the nonprofit Home is distributing emergency kits and offering shelter rides to support the homeless during extreme cold, exemplifying the sector's resilience and community focus.Closing Thoughts: As nonprofits navigate these tech and policy shifts, staying informed and adaptable is crucial. The episode underscores the importance of strategic planning and community engagement in addressing both challenges and opportunities in the nonprofit sector.
Exploring the Impact of a Four-Day Workweek on NonprofitsIn this week's episode of the Nonprofit News Feed by Whole Whale, George Weiner and Nick Azulay dive into the potential effects of a four-day workweek on the nonprofit sector. As digital strategists and nonprofit enthusiasts, they explore how this shift, gaining traction in places like Tokyo and parts of Europe, could influence volunteer availability and nonprofit operations.Nick highlights the growing trend towards shorter workweeks, noting that it could alleviate burnout among nonprofit staff, often overworked and underpaid. This change might also lead to an increase in volunteer hours, as people could have more free time to contribute to causes they care about. George adds that advances in AI and digital tools could streamline volunteer coordination, making it easier for nonprofits to manage their resources efficiently.The discussion also touches on the broader implications of a shorter workweek, such as a shift in how productivity is measured—focusing on outcomes rather than hours. This shift could open up new opportunities for nonprofits to fill the "purpose gap," engaging more people in meaningful work beyond traditional employment metrics like GDP.Legislative Update: Nonprofits Face Potential ThreatsThe episode also covers the reintroduction of HR 9495 in the Senate, a bill that could allow the U.S. Treasury to strip nonprofits of their tax-exempt status if deemed to support terrorism. The hosts express concern over the lack of due process in this legislation, which could expose nonprofits to abuse and harassment. With Congress's session ending soon, the bill's fate remains uncertain, but advocacy efforts continue to highlight its potential dangers.Challenges in Nonprofit Funding TransparencyAnother topic discussed is the financial struggles of OpenSecrets, a nonprofit dedicated to government transparency and tracking money in politics. Recent layoffs at OpenSecrets reflect a broader trend of dwindling support for transparency-focused organizations, posing a risk to public understanding of political finance.Mackenzie Scott's Continued Philanthropic ImpactEnding on a positive note, the hosts celebrate Mackenzie Scott's recent $65 million donation to Enterprise Community Partners, an affordable housing nonprofit. This gift underscores Scott's ongoing commitment to addressing critical societal issues through substantial philanthropic efforts.
Navigating New Social Media Frontiers and Celebrating Giving Tuesday SuccessIn this week's episode of the Nonprofit News Feed by Whole Whale, hosts George Weiner and Nick Azulay delve into the evolving landscape of social media for nonprofits and celebrate a major milestone in charitable giving. The discussion kicks off with an analysis of BlueSky, a burgeoning social media platform touted as a polite alternative to Twitter. Originally a Twitter project, BlueSky has gained traction with approximately 21 million active users. However, George and Nick caution nonprofits about a significant vulnerability in BlueSky's API, which allows extensive data access that could pose risks to brand identity and security in the context of AI data usage.Key insights include the importance of treating all social media posts as public and the need for nonprofits to establish clear social media guidelines and conduct AI risk audits to safeguard their brand reputation. The hosts emphasize that while BlueSky offers a promising platform, nonprofits should remain vigilant about data privacy and the potential implications of AI-driven content analysis.Shifting gears, the episode celebrates Giving Tuesday's impressive achievement, with donations reaching $3.6 billion, closely matching Whole Whale's prediction. This success signals a hopeful trend for increased investment in the nonprofit sector, driven by economic tailwinds and potential shifts in public funding.The episode wraps up with a feel-good story from Metro Detroit, where high school students raised over $146,000 for a children's charity through a creative public speaking program. This initiative highlights the impact of youth-led philanthropy and community engagement.Key Takeaways:Explore new social media platforms like BlueSky cautiously, ensuring data privacy and brand protection.Celebrate the continued growth of Giving Tuesday as a key moment in the nonprofit calendar.Encourage youth involvement in charitable activities to foster future nonprofit leaders.Reflection: As the nonprofit sector navigates new digital landscapes and celebrates philanthropic successes, it remains crucial to balance innovation with vigilance, ensuring that missions align with evolving opportunities and challenges.
Giving Tuesday and Nonprofit ChallengesIn this week's episode of the Nonprofit NewsFeed, George Weiner, Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, and Nick Azulay, Senior Digital Strategy Manager at Whole Whale, dive into the aftermath of Giving Tuesday and the ongoing debate about OpenAI's nonprofit origins.Main Topics:Giving Tuesday Predictions and Economic Context:The team discusses their prediction for Giving Tuesday donations, hoping to surpass $3.5 billion, a hopeful 11% increase from 2023's $3.1 billion.Despite the lack of immediate data, they highlight positive economic indicators like cooled inflation, high consumer confidence, and strong stock market performance as promising signs for nonprofit fundraising.Elon Musk vs. OpenAI: A Legal Battle Over Nonprofit Integrity:Elon Musk has filed an injunction against OpenAI, challenging its transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit model, which he claims violates its original mission.The conversation touches on the broader implications for tech companies exploiting nonprofit status and the ethical considerations of such transitions.Cautionary Tales in Fundraising: Cleveland's Balloon Fest Disaster:The episode revisits the 1986 Balloon Fest by United Way of Greater Cleveland, a well-intentioned fundraiser that turned disastrous, emphasizing the importance of aligning fundraising efforts with an organization's mission and relevance rather than spectacle.Critical Insights:Economic Indicators: The current economic climate, with rising consumer spending and a robust stock market, suggests potential growth in charitable giving despite previous stagnation.Nonprofit Integrity: The legal scrutiny of OpenAI's nonprofit-to-profit transition raises questions about the ethics of leveraging nonprofit status for financial gain.Fundraising Strategy: The Cleveland Balloon Fest serves as a reminder to prioritize meaningful engagement over attention-grabbing stunts in fundraising efforts.Calls to Action:Nonprofits should assess their fundraising strategies to ensure alignment with their mission and relevance to their audience.Stakeholders in the nonprofit sector need to remain vigilant about the ethical implications of organizational transitions and funding models.Closing Thought:The episode concludes with a reflection on the importance of authenticity and integrity in the nonprofit sector, especially in times of economic uncertainty and rapid technological evolution. As the landscape of philanthropy continues to shift, organizations must adapt while staying true to their core values and mission.
Navigating Nonprofit Growth Amidst Political Shifts: Insights from Whole WhaleIn this episode of the Nonprofit News Feed, George Weiner, Chief Whaler at Whole Whale, and Nick Azulay, Senior Strategy Manager, dive into the evolving landscape of the nonprofit sector. They discuss how historical trends might mirror the potential growth and challenges nonprofits face in light of political shifts and economic changes.Key Topics and Insights:Historical Context and Future Predictions:George Weiner draws parallels between the nonprofit boom of the 1980s and the anticipated growth in the 2020s, driven by government restructuring, workforce transformation through AI, and a significant wealth transfer.The conversation highlights the importance of nonprofits adapting to potential reductions in government social services and leveraging increased funding opportunities.Legislative Concerns:A critical discussion centers around the controversial bill HR 9495, which could allow the Department of Treasury to unilaterally revoke nonprofit status by labeling organizations as terrorist-supporting. This has sparked widespread opposition from major nonprofit coalitions due to concerns over executive overreach and lack of due process.Volunteerism Rebound:Encouraging news from AmeriCorps reveals a significant rebound in formal volunteering rates post-pandemic, with 75.7 million Americans participating in 2023, contributing nearly 5 billion hours of service.Philanthropic Movements:Mackenzie Scott's recent donation of Amazon shares signals another major round of charitable giving, emphasizing the importance of nonprofits telling compelling stories to attract such transformative funding.Community Impact and Seasonal Giving:The episode closes with a heartwarming story from Valley Santa in Pennsylvania, which is gearing up to provide Christmas gifts to thousands of children in need, showcasing the spirit of giving during the holiday season.Call to Action:Nonprofits are encouraged to prepare for upcoming changes by strengthening their storytelling, engaging with digital tools, and actively participating in advocacy efforts against potentially harmful legislation.Reflection: This episode underscores the resilience and adaptability required of nonprofits in navigating political and economic landscapes. It highlights the potential for growth and the critical role of strategic planning and community engagement in sustaining impact.
Nonprofit Sector Faces Legislative and Financial Challenges Amid Innovative SolutionsIn this episode of Nonprofit News Feed, George Weiner, Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, and Nick Azulay, Digital Strategist, delve into pressing issues and inspiring initiatives in the nonprofit sector. They begin with the failed U.S. House bill H.R. 9495, which sought to give the Treasury Department unilateral power to revoke nonprofits' 501(c)3 status if deemed to support terrorism. Although the bill was defeated, the discussion highlights concerns over due process and the potential for abuse, emphasizing the need for vigilance in protecting nonprofit rights.Next, the duo explores a Los Angeles Times story about nonprofits facing financial strains due to the city's mansion tax. Two organizations, the Motion Picture and Television Fund and Los Angeles Jewish Health, incurred significant taxes despite their missions aligning with affordable housing goals. This situation underscores the complexities of nonprofit tax laws and the need for legislative reform to prevent financial burdens that hinder mission-driven work.Shifting focus to solutions, the hosts discuss Bloomberg's report on Acumen's ambitious $1.5 billion investment in agricultural technology startups across developing nations. This initiative aims to enhance climate resilience and improve yields for small-scale farmers, marking a significant shift from traditional aid models to sustainable, systems-based approaches.Finally, a feel-good story from CBS News highlights "Adventures in Training with a Purpose," a nonprofit offering wellness services to veterans and first responders. Founded by former Pittsburgh Steelers player John Kalb, this organization provides comprehensive support to improve mental and physical health, celebrating its impact with a fundraising event featuring Steelers legends.Critical Insights:The defeat of H.R. 9495 demonstrates the power of civil society in protecting nonprofit rights, but ongoing vigilance is necessary.Legislative gaps, like those seen in the LA mansion tax, can impose unintended financial burdens on nonprofits, highlighting the need for reform.Acumen's investment exemplifies a strategic shift towards sustainable development in agriculture, addressing significant funding gaps in climate resilience.Call to Action: Nonprofit professionals and advocates are encouraged to stay informed about legislative developments and support initiatives that drive systemic change. Engaging in policy discussions and advocating for reform can help protect and empower the sector.Closing Thought: As challenges persist, the nonprofit sector's resilience and innovation continue to shine. By fostering collaboration and leveraging strategic investments, the sector can navigate obstacles and create lasting impact.
Leveraging Holidays for Nonprofit Fundraising: Insights and Strategies
In this week’s episode of the Nonprofit News Feed, George Weiner, Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, and Nick Azulay, Digital Strategist, delve into innovative fundraising strategies for nonprofits, focusing on leveraging holidays to boost donations. As the holiday season approaches, they highlight the potential of using cultural events like Halloween and upcoming festivities such as Thanksgiving and Giving Tuesday to engage donors and drive fundraising efforts. They cite examples like Trick or Treat for UNICEF and initiatives by organizations such as Operation Shoebox and Ronald McDonald House, which have successfully intertwined fundraising with holiday traditions.
Key Insights:
Holiday Fundraising Success: Historical campaigns like Trick or Treat for UNICEF have raised over $100 million by tapping into holiday traditions, demonstrating the effectiveness of aligning nonprofit activities with cultural events. Strategic Planning: Nonprofits are encouraged to plan ahead using resources like Whole Whale’s Causewriter AI to brainstorm and develop campaigns that integrate seamlessly with various holidays, making it easier to ride existing cultural waves rather than creating new ones.
Navigating Rising Costs Amid Revenue Declines
The episode also addresses the financial challenges nonprofits face due to rising benefit costs. George shares insights from an analysis of 33,000 organizations, revealing a 12.7% annual increase in employee benefit expenses, posing significant financial strain as revenue streams decline. This discussion highlights the urgent need for strategic financial planning and potential policy interventions to alleviate cost pressures on nonprofits.
Blood Donation System: A Nonprofit Model
An interview with Kurt Bailey, CEO of Bloodworks Northwest, offers a deep dive into the nonprofit-led blood supply system in the U.S. Bailey explains how the decentralized model, reliant on voluntary donations, provides essential flexibility and redundancy. The conversation underscores the critical role of nonprofits in maintaining a stable blood supply and the unique challenges they face in targeting younger donors.
Feel-Good Initiatives and Creative Fundraising Ideas
The podcast wraps up with feel-good stories like a Halloween costume 5K event supporting justice nonprofits and creative ideas for engaging communities in fundraising activities. They emphasize the importance of tapping into existing cultural moments, such as marathons and community events, to enhance nonprofit visibility and support.
Reflective Thought: As nonprofits navigate financial challenges and look for innovative fundraising strategies, leveraging cultural events and holidays presents a powerful opportunity to connect with donors and communities. By aligning their missions with existing traditions, nonprofits can amplify their impact and ensure sustainability in uncertain times.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Exploring ‘Extractive Empathy’ and the Dynamics of Nonprofit Fundraising
In this episode of the Nonprofit News Feed, hosts George Weiner, Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, and Nick Azulay, Digital Strategist at Whole Whale, dive into the intricacies of nonprofit news with a focus on the concept of “extractive empathy.” The episode begins with a discussion on the palpable anticipation in the social impact space surrounding upcoming elections, which could influence strategic planning and decision-making.
A key highlight of the episode is the introduction of “extractive empathy,” a term coined by Whole Whale to describe the use of emotionally charged personal narratives to drive donations on crowdfunding platforms. This approach, while effective in generating immediate financial support, often overlooks long-term community needs and sustainable solutions. The conversation references a study showing that individuals with higher incomes raise more funds due to expansive social networks, emphasizing the imbalance in crowdfunding dynamics.
The hosts critique this approach by pointing out how platforms like GoFundMe prioritize individual stories over systemic change, which can exacerbate inequities. They suggest strategies to mitigate these issues, such as implementing an “overflow” system where excess funds beyond a set goal are directed to designated charities.
In the latter part of the episode, George and Nick discuss a new report on U.S. charitable giving trends, highlighting an increase in donations from both individuals and institutions. However, they note that a small percentage of donors account for a significant portion of total donations, underscoring the growing influence of high-net-worth individuals in philanthropy.
The episode wraps up with a feel-good story about an Austin-based nonprofit providing free English lessons to Afghan refugee women, showcasing grassroots efforts to support displaced communities. Despite the heavy topics, the hosts inject humor and encourage listeners to engage with these critical discussions.
Key Takeaways:
“Extractive empathy” highlights the challenges of relying on emotional narratives for fundraising, which can divert attention from systemic solutions. The increasing role of wealthy donors in philanthropy necessitates tailored strategies to engage high-net-worth individuals effectively. Grassroots initiatives, like language classes for refugees, play a vital role in community support and integration.
Reflective Thought: As the nonprofit sector navigates these complex dynamics, it’s crucial to balance immediate fundraising needs with long-term, equitable solutions that address root causes rather than symptoms.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
In this week’s episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed by Whole Whale, hosts George Weiner, Chief Whaler, and Nick Azulay, Senior Digital Strategy Manager, delve into significant developments affecting the nonprofit sector. They kick off with an enticing offer from Whole Whale University, providing a substantial discount on their end-of-year course bundle, aimed at empowering nonprofit professionals with essential digital insights and strategies.
WordPress vs. WP Engine: A Tech Showdown
The episode’s main story unpacks the escalating tension between WordPress and WP Engine, a hosting service provider. The conflict, rooted in trademark disputes and accusations of unfair profit-making, has led to public legal threats and internal turmoil within WordPress. With WordPress powering over 43% of global websites, including many in the nonprofit sector, this drama has significant implications. George and Nick discuss how these tensions might affect nonprofits, especially those using WP Engine, and emphasize the importance of understanding the tech landscape that supports nonprofit operations.
Veblen Giving: A New Perspective on Philanthropy
George introduces the concept of “Veblen Giving,” a term he coined to describe donations made primarily for social prestige. This type of giving is becoming more prevalent as fewer individuals account for the majority of charitable donations. The hosts discuss the implications of this trend, highlighting the need for nonprofits to tailor their communication strategies to engage high-net-worth donors effectively. George’s innovative approach to redefining philanthropy in the context of AI and SEO strategies is also explored, illustrating how nonprofits can adapt to the evolving digital landscape.
Addressing Homelessness: Contrasting Approaches
The episode also covers contrasting strategies to tackle homelessness in San Francisco. The city’s aggressive homeless encampment sweeps, part of a broader revitalization plan, have faced criticism for lacking long-term solutions. In contrast, the nonprofit GLIDE advocates for a more compassionate approach, focusing on relationship-building and sustainable transitions to permanent housing. This segment highlights the critical role of nonprofits in addressing complex social issues through innovative and empathetic strategies.
Feel-Good Story: Broadway’s Philanthropic Impact
Closing on a positive note, the hosts celebrate the philanthropic efforts of Broadway, particularly the musical “Hell’s Kitchen,” which has donated over $1 million to Alicia Keys’ Keep a Child Alive organization. This gesture continues Broadway’s long-standing tradition of charitable giving, as exemplified by the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS initiative, which has raised over $300 million since 1988.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Nonprofit Ad Spend Trends and Disaster Relief Efforts: Key Insights from This Week’s Nonprofit News
In this week’s episode of the Nonprofit News Feed, George Weiner, Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, and Nick Azulay, Digital Strategist, delve into Whole Whale’s newly released 2024 nonprofit advertising study. This original research, in partnership with Cause IQ, analyzes advertising trends among 7,000 nonprofit organizations, comparing data from 2022-2023 with pre-pandemic data from 2018-2019. Key findings indicate a 12% increase in nonprofit ad investments, with an additional $21.3 million spent on advertising, and a 13% rise in average ad spend per organization from $26,000 to $29,000. Despite this increase, nonprofits have managed to reduce fundraising expenses by 5%, indicating a shift towards advertising as a larger portion of the fundraising budget.
George and Nick emphasize the importance of strategic ad spending, especially for smaller nonprofits with tighter budgets. They encourage nonprofits to explore boosting social media posts and applying for the Google Ad Grant to enhance their reach. The full report and database are available for free on Whole Whale’s website, offering valuable insights and benchmarks across various nonprofit sectors.
The episode also highlights the critical role of local nonprofits in disaster relief, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which severely impacted the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, and North Carolina. Organizations like Beloved Asheville have pivoted their operations to focus on disaster recovery, demonstrating the agility and responsiveness of nonprofits in times of crisis. With Hurricane Milton approaching, George stresses the need for proactive fundraising and messaging to maximize support.
Additionally, the podcast discusses a survey revealing that nonprofit workers continue to feel exhausted and overwhelmed, citing staffing shortages and budget constraints as ongoing challenges. George notes that these issues have been persistent in the sector and cautions against relying solely on AI as a solution.
Another significant topic is the “Silver Tsunami,” referring to the aging U.S. population and the increasing demand for services catering to older adults. George urges nonprofits to incorporate strategies for supporting the 65+ demographic into their long-term plans, highlighting opportunities in healthcare, digital literacy, and community engagement.
Finally, the episode concludes with a heartwarming story about a nonprofit providing service dogs to veterans at no cost, showcasing the profound impact of such initiatives on individuals’ lives.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Nonprofit News Roundup: Internet Archive’s Legal Battle, AmeriCorps Grants, and Addressing Child Malnutrition
Hosted by George Weiner and Nick Azulay of Whole Whale
Key Topics Covered:
Internet Archive’s Legal Challenges:
Discussion: The critical role of the Internet Archive in preserving web history and its recent legal challenges concerning copyright infringement. Key Insight: The U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against the Internet Archive in a case involving book digitization, raising concerns about the future of digital preservation.
AmeriCorps Grant Competition:
Announcement: AmeriCorps has opened applications for the 2025 State and National Grants Competition. Eligibility: Open to nonprofits, colleges, local governments, and other organizations. Focus Areas: Civic bridge building, climate resiliency, and youth mental health. Deadline: January 23, 2025, at 5 PM
Child Malnutrition and Mortality:
Source: Our World in Data. Statistic: Nearly half of all child deaths worldwide are linked to malnutrition. Progress: Child deaths due to malnutrition have decreased from 6.6 million in the 1990s to 2.4 million today. Insight: Malnutrition exacerbates other health vulnerabilities, making it a critical area for intervention.
Feel-Good Story:
Nonprofit Highlight: Face the Fight. Mission: Provides skincare routines and mental health support for cancer patients. Impact: Helps patients feel better about their appearance, potentially improving health outcomes and boosting confidence. Reflective Thought:
The Internet Archive’s legal struggles highlight the delicate balance between copyright protection and the preservation of digital history. As nonprofits, understanding these dynamics is crucial for safeguarding our collective digital heritage.
Call to Action: AmeriCorps Applicants: If your organization aligns with the focus areas, consider applying for the grant competition. Support: Visit https://911day.org/ to participate in a day of service and remembrance. Closing Reflection:
Every nonprofit, regardless of size or scope, contributes to a larger narrative of service and impact. Whether it’s preserving digital history, supporting community service, or addressing global health issues, each effort underscores the power of collective action.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Nonprofit News Feed: Highlights from Whole Well
Main Topics:
Candid’s 2024 Nonprofit Compensation Report California’s Homelessness Crisis AI Adoption in Nonprofit News Organizations Minnesota’s Backpack Giveaway and Child Tax Credit The 15 out of 10 Foundation for Dogs with Special Needs
- Candid’s 2024 Nonprofit Compensation Report: Candid has released its 2024 Nonprofit Compensation Report, marking the 24th edition. Based on IRS data from 130,000 organizations, the report reveals key findings:
Median CEO compensation increased in 2022. A persistent gender pay gap exists, especially in larger organizations. Science and technology research institutes offer the highest median executive pay. The Northeast leads in median executive compensation. Women are well-represented as CEOs in smaller nonprofits but underrepresented in larger ones, with less than 30% of CEO positions at large nonprofits held by women.
Critical Insight: The data underscores ongoing gender equity issues in nonprofit executive compensation, emphasizing the need for continued efforts to bridge the pay gap.
- California’s Homelessness Crisis: California is grappling with a pressing homelessness crisis, with cities and state government employing various strategies. Permanent supportive housing developments are emerging as potential solutions but face challenges such as high costs, long construction times, and NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) opposition.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s approach includes clearing encampments and temporary housing options. Tensions exist between immediate measures to clear streets and long-term housing solutions.
Critical Insight: Homelessness requires a multi-stakeholder approach with both immediate and long-term solutions. Political cycles often prioritize short-term visibility over sustainable impact.
- AI Adoption in Nonprofit News Organizations: A recent survey indicates that about a third of nonprofit news organizations currently use AI, with expectations for growth to over half within a year. AI applications include:
Personalized fundraising efforts Content translation Data analysis for investigations Enhancing audience engagement Streamlining administrative tasks
Critical Insight: Journalists are incorporating AI responsibly, maintaining rigorous standards while leveraging technology to increase efficiency and reach.
- Minnesota’s Backpack Giveaway and Child Tax Credit: A nonprofit in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, distributed over 3,000 backpacks to help parents with school supplies. Minnesota also offers tax relief programs, including the K-12 education subtraction and credit, which complement the state’s child tax credit, providing significant financial relief to families.
Critical Insight: State policies supporting nonprofit efforts can significantly ease financial burdens for families, showcasing a model for combining nonprofit initiatives with effective public policy.
- The 15 out of 10 Foundation for Dogs with Special Needs: Matt Nelson transformed his viral social media presence into the 15 out of 10 Foundation, raising over $3 million to cover medical costs for hundreds of dogs with special needs and placing them in foster care or adoptive homes.
Critical Insight: This initiative highlights the potential for social media-driven fundraising to support broader causes, ensuring equitable distribution of resources beyond single cases.
Closing Thought: These stories collectively underscore the importance of data-driven insights, compassionate policy implementation, and innovative technology adoption in addressing complex issues within the nonprofit sector. As nonprofit professionals, staying informed and leveraging these insights can drive impactful change.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Episode Overview:
In this episode, George and Nick dive into critical nonprofit news, including Elon Musk’s legal battle with a nonprofit advertising group, the financial struggles of tech nonprofits post-pandemic, and a wave of funding cuts impacting local nonprofits. They also share updates on the digital divide and a unique initiative in Kansas to claim unclaimed property for nonprofits.
Key Topics and Insights: 1. Elon Musk’s Legal Battle with GARM Story: The Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), a nonprofit advertising initiative, has ceased operations due to a lawsuit from Elon Musk’s social media platform, X. Impact: GARM’s shutdown underscores the immense legal pressures nonprofits can face, especially when challenged by well-funded entities like X. Quote: “It’s a tough time to be in journalism, especially for nonprofits trying to report on things… you can weaponize the legal system to file a lawsuit against things that you feel are damaging.” Reflection: This case highlights the vulnerability of nonprofits to legal intimidation and the need for financial resilience to withstand such challenges. 2. Tech Nonprofits Closing Post-Pandemic Story: Several tech-focused nonprofits, including Venture for America and Women Who Code, have shut down due to drastic revenue drops following a pandemic-induced surge. Insight: The fluctuation in funding and the inability to scale back effectively post-surge led to these closures. Quote: “There’s nothing sadder than actually going out of business because of that moment of success.” Reflection: The story serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of rapid, unsustainable growth and the importance of financial planning. 3. United Way Funding Cuts in Rochester Story: The United Way of Greater Rochester and Finger Lakes has drastically reduced funding, approving only $6 million out of $35 million in grant applications. Impact: Essential services like Foodlink, a local food bank, are severely affected, highlighting the ongoing challenges nonprofits face in securing steady funding. Quote: “The trickle-down effect is definitely being seen.” Reflection: This scenario underscores the broader economic pressures on nonprofits and the crucial role of consistent donor support. 4. Kansas Initiative for Unclaimed Property Story: Kansas State Treasurer Steven Johnson announced a week-long initiative to help nonprofits claim over $640 million in unclaimed property. Opportunity: Nonprofits have the chance to recover forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, and insurance proceeds. Quote: “Don’t leave money on the table… check your own stuff.” Reflection: This initiative is a reminder for nonprofits to explore all potential funding sources, including unclaimed property. 5. Bridging the Digital Divide in Atlanta Story: CompuDopt is working to provide technology access to families in need, addressing the digital divide exacerbated by the pandemic. Impact: Ensuring access to laptops and Wi-Fi is crucial for educational and economic opportunities. Quote: “Technology access is becoming more and more a differentiator.” Reflection: Efforts to bridge the digital divide are essential for equity and inclusion in the modern world.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Main Topics:
The rise of AI and LLMs in search engines Implications for nonprofit brand visibility and content strategy Governance issues in nonprofits National Make A Will Month and planned giving Nonprofit consultant cost and compensation survey
Special Guests:
George Weiner, Chief Whaler at Whole Whale Nick Azulay, Digital Strategist at Whole Whale
Critical Insights:
AI and LLMs in Search Engines: The podcast kicks off with a discussion about the growing importance of AI and large language models (LLMs) like SearchGPT. George and Nick highlight that nonprofits need to start thinking about LLM optimization (LLMO) in addition to traditional SEO. SearchGPT, unlike ChatGPT, dynamically pulls current information from the internet, making it a game-changer for how nonprofits need to manage their brand visibility and content strategy.
Brand and Content Strategy: George emphasizes the shift from static to dynamic information gathering. He stresses the importance of nonprofits ensuring that AI has accurate, up-to-date information about their brand. This involves rethinking how their websites function—moving from being static libraries to dynamic librarians that interact effectively with AI-driven search tools.
Governance Issues: The episode also covers a cautionary tale from San Francisco Safe, where former executive Kyra Worthy was charged with multiple felonies related to embezzlement and wage theft. This serves as a stark reminder of the importance of robust governance and oversight within nonprofit organizations.
National Make A Will Month: Highlighting the importance of planned giving, the hosts discuss the success of Free Will, which raised $370 million in bequest commitments. They encourage nonprofits to leverage National Make A Will Month to engage with donors about legacy giving.
Consultant Cost and Compensation Survey: Nonprofitist is gathering data for a comprehensive survey on nonprofit consultant costs and compensation. Participation is open to all nonprofit consultants, and results will help provide transparency and benchmarks for the sector.
Quotes:
George Weiner: “It doesn’t matter if you believe in gravity. Gravity believes in you. The same goes for AI.” Nick Azulay: “How is your organization perceived by the LLMs? This is a critical question nonprofits need to start asking.”
Calls to Action:
Nonprofits should audit their current digital presence to ensure it aligns with the emerging LLM-driven search landscape. Board members must take their governance roles seriously to prevent financial mismanagement. Nonprofits should actively promote planned giving during National Make A Will Month. Nonprofit consultants are encouraged to participate in the Nonprofitist cost and compensation survey.
Closing Thought: The digital landscape is rapidly evolving with AI and LLMs at the forefront. Nonprofits must adapt to these changes to maintain their visibility and effectiveness. Proper governance and strategic planning, especially in areas like planned giving, are crucial for long-term success.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Universal Basic Income Pilot and Nonprofit Trends: Insights and Implications
Hosts: George Weiner (Chief Whaler, Whole Whale) and Nick Azulay (Senior Strategy Manager, Whole Whale)
Main Topics:
Sam Altman’s UBI Test Results:
Overview: Open Research, backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, conducted the largest UBI pilot in the U.S., providing $1,000 monthly to low-income participants in Illinois and Texas over three years. Key Findings: Recipients used the money primarily for essential needs, improved living situations, and personal goals. However, there was a notable reduction in workforce participation. The study emphasized the flexibility and agency cash transfers provide, though they didn’t solve all underlying problems. Discussion: The hosts debated the broader implications of UBI, considering the nuanced impacts on health, mental well-being, and the economy. They highlighted the potential for both positive and negative outcomes, depending on the scale and implementation of such programs.
Nonprofit Trends Report by Salesforce:
Cybersecurity Concerns: Only 35% of nonprofits have adequate data handling policies. AI Adoption: Only 12% have officially adopted AI, though 65% are open to it. The hosts noted that many employees might be using AI tools informally, which could pose risks. Recommendations: Nonprofits should develop clear AI strategies and cybersecurity protocols to safeguard their operations and leverage new technologies effectively.
Cybersecurity Incident in Columbus:
Incident: A cyberattack forced the shutdown of IT services, affecting various nonprofits, including See a Brilliance, which faced payroll issues due to delayed city grants. Implications: The incident underscored the vulnerability of nonprofit IT infrastructure and the need for robust cybersecurity measures. The hosts also discussed the importance of financial planning and bridge financing to mitigate cash flow issues caused by delayed funding.
Financial Irregularities in North Carolina Nonprofit:
Case: Balanced Nutrition, Inc., led by the wife of North Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor, was ordered to repay $132,000 in federal funds due to improper billing. Discussion: The hosts emphasized the importance of transparency and proper accounting in nonprofit operations. Publicizing such cases can serve as a deterrent against misuse of funds.
Feel-Good Story:
Big Beautiful Life: A charity in Essex, Vermont, founded in memory of 12-year-old Addie Carroll, prepares for its annual fundraiser. The organization provides joy kits and financial support to children with medical crises and their families.
Closing Thought:
The hosts reflected on the importance of proactive measures in nonprofit management, from adopting new technologies responsibly to ensuring financial stability and transparency.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Supreme Court Ruling Criminalizes Homelessness
In a controversial decision, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 vote that the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, did not violate the Eighth Amendment by criminalizing homelessness. This ruling has far-reaching implications, allowing cities to enforce ordinances that penalize behaviors associated with being unhoused, such as sleeping or camping on public property. Justice Sotomayor, in her dissent, emphasized the cascading harm this decision could cause to the already vulnerable homeless population. The ruling has been met with shock and dismay by advocates for the homeless, who argue that it is both unconstitutional and inhumane.
Los Angeles Public Schools’ AI Chatbot Fails
The Los Angeles Public School District’s $6 million investment in an AI chatbot named Ed has come to a sudden halt. Developed by the startup All Here, the chatbot was intended to assist students with academic and mental health resources. However, the company faced financial difficulties, leading to the CEO’s departure and staff furloughs. This incident raises significant concerns about the sustainability of AI startups and the ethical implications of using AI in sensitive educational contexts.
Nonprofit Sector Faces Burnout and Staffing Issues
The Center for Effective Philanthropy’s 2024 report highlights ongoing challenges in the nonprofit sector, particularly burnout and understaffing. A staggering 95% of nonprofit leaders cited burnout as a major concern, with many organizations struggling to retain staff due to budget constraints. Despite these challenges, the sector shows signs of financial stability, with most nonprofits experiencing balanced budgets or surpluses. However, leaders facing budget deficits are contemplating difficult trade-offs that could exacerbate burnout.
Nonprofit Buys Building for Migrant Housing
Breaking Ground, a nonprofit organization, has purchased a building in East Harlem for $172 million to create housing for migrants. The building, currently used as a temporary migrant shelter, will be renovated to provide 261 units for people transitioning out of homelessness and additional units for low-income families. This initiative addresses the urgent need for physical space and infrastructure to support migrants in New York City.
Feel-Good Story: In Tandem Cycling Expands Programs
In Tandem Cycling, a New York nonprofit that pairs sighted riders with blind and low-vision riders on tandem bikes, is expanding its programs. These activities offer not just exercise but also socialization, mental health benefits, and teamwork for participants. The organization’s efforts highlight the positive impact of community sports and inclusive activities.
Closing Thought
The stories covered in this episode underscore the complex and interconnected challenges facing the nonprofit sector, from legal battles and technological missteps to staffing issues and innovative housing solutions. As always, the resilience and creativity of nonprofits continue to shine through, offering hope and inspiration.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Nonprofit News Feed Podcast Recap: Trust in Nonprofits Rises, Local Journalism Fund, and Innovative Solutions Main Host Update
This week’s episode is a special solo edition hosted by Nick Azulay. George, CEO and founder of Whole Whale, is on paternity leave after welcoming a new baby. Congratulations to George and his family!
Key Topics Covered:
Increase in Nonprofit Trust:
Independent Sector Report: After four years of decline, trust in nonprofits has increased by 5%, now at 57%. Comparative Trust: Nonprofits are more trusted than media and government, especially in bridging social and political divides. Challenges: Despite this, 74% of respondents believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, and 94% worry about increasing division. Nonpartisan Advocacy: There’s growing wariness about nonprofits’ involvement in nonpartisan advocacy and political engagement.
AP Fund for Journalism:
Associated Press Initiative: Launching a $100 million fund to boost local journalism, addressing the financial strain on local news outlets. Impact: This fund aims to support local journalism through financial aid and knowledge sharing, essential for combating misinformation and fostering informed communities.
Rebuild Paradise Foundation:
Innovative Solution for Fire Victims: Offering grants for building gravel buffers around homes in Paradise, CA, to prevent fire spread. Insurance Premiums: Aims to help homeowners negotiate lower insurance premiums by making homes more fire-resistant.
Cafe Momentum’s Expansion:
Nonprofit Restaurant in Atlanta: Employs justice-involved youth, providing them with skills and opportunities to reduce recidivism. Impact: Highlights the importance of empowering youth through practical skills and supportive environments.
Nonprofit Theater Highlights:
Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Receiving rave reviews for its interpretation of “Much Ado About Nothing.” Public Theater in NYC: Renovating the Delacorte Theatre, home to Shakespeare in the Park, with free streaming of past performances available on PBS. Critical Insights and Quotes: “Nonprofits are seen as more reliable when it comes to providing solutions to bridging social and political divides in America.” “Transparency and third-party certifications are key to building trust with donors.” Calls to Action: For Nonprofits: Emphasize transparency and trustworthiness through clear communication, financial transparency, and third-party certifications. For Listeners: Check out the Independent Sector report and support local journalism and nonprofit theaters. Closing Thought:
In a time of widespread distrust, nonprofits hold a pivotal role in fostering community trust and bridging divides. Their ability to remain transparent, nonpartisan, and community-focused is essential for their continued impact.
Feel-Good Story: Nonprofit Theater Excellence: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s innovative take on a classic play and the Public Theater’s upcoming renovations and free streaming options highlight the vital role of nonprofit arts in enriching communities. Joke of the Week: What do you call a nonprofit theater spamming your email inbox with ticket promotions? Spamlet
Stay tuned for more updates and special guest appearances from the Whole Whale family in upcoming episodes!
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Nonprofit News Feed: AI Transparency, Environmental Impact, and Ethical Tech Shifts
Hosted by George Weiner and Nick Azulay of Whole Whale
Main Topics:
Adobe’s AI Controversy:
Adobe faces backlash over changes to its terms of service, sparking fears that user data might be used to train its generative AI models without consent. Adobe clarified it does not train its AI models on customer content and committed to updating its terms by the end of June. The Department of Justice has filed a suit against Adobe for its opaque subscription models, adding to the company’s woes.
Transparency Issues with OpenAI-Backed Nonprofits:
Nonprofits backed by OpenAI, like Open Research and UBI Charitable, have stopped disclosing financial statements and internal policies, breaking previous transparency pledges. George emphasizes the importance of transparency in research, especially in universal basic income (UBI) studies to maintain credibility and trust.
Environmental Impact of AI:
AI’s significant compute power demands are leading to increased carbon emissions and higher operational costs. Google’s new AI search feature, rolling out to a billion users, is estimated to use 30 times more energy than traditional search methods. The conversation touches on the broader implications of AI’s energy consumption and the potential for more efficient models in the future.
Ethical Concerns in Tech Infrastructure:
The discussion extends to the physical infrastructure required for AI, including the ethical implications of mining precious metals. George notes the importance of monitoring the human rights impacts of resource extraction and the need for innovative solutions to mitigate these effects.
Feel-Good Story:
ProtonMail’s Shift to Nonprofit Foundation: Proton, known for its secure email service, is transitioning to a nonprofit foundation model, prioritizing mission over profit. This move echoes Patagonia’s shift and reinforces trust in nonprofit tech companies’ commitment to user privacy and data security.
Critical Insights:
Transparency and ethical considerations in AI and tech are paramount to maintaining user trust and ensuring sustainable practices. The shift of tech companies to nonprofit models can offer a more trustworthy alternative, free from shareholder pressures.
Call to Action:
Stay informed about changes in terms of service from tech providers and advocate for transparency and ethical practices. Consider supporting and using tech services that prioritize privacy and nonprofit values.
Closing Thought:
The nonprofit sector continues to lead by example in prioritizing ethical practices and transparency, underscoring the importance of mission-driven work in tech and beyond.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Are These Organizations Still Nonprofits? A Deep Dive into Nonprofit Status and the Blurring Lines Overview
This week on the Nonprofit Newsfeed, George Weiner, Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, and Nick Azulay, Senior Manager of Digital Strategy at Whole Whale, delve into the complex and evolving landscape of nonprofit status. They question whether certain large organizations still meet the true spirit of what it means to be a nonprofit.
Key Topics and Highlights
NCAA’s Historic Settlement:
The NCAA, a nonprofit with nearly $1 billion in revenue, recently settled to pay college athletes $2.7 billion. This raises questions about whether the organization still aligns with its original nonprofit mission of fostering amateur sports.
PGA Tour and Saudi Investment:
The PGA Tour, another nonprofit, announced a merger with the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s LiveGolf. This billion-dollar deal casts doubt on whether taxpayer dollars should support such ventures.
OpenAI’s Nonprofit Status:
OpenAI, which started as a nonprofit, now controls a highly profitable LLC valued at $80 billion. This shift has led to legal scrutiny and questions about whether it still adheres to its nonprofit mission.
The Linux Foundation:
With $177 million in revenue and high executive salaries, the Linux Foundation faces scrutiny about its contribution to the public good and whether it still qualifies as a nonprofit. Critical Insights and Quotes George Weiner: “When you cross that line toward profiting off the community you’re trying to protect, it’s time to review that.” Nick Azoulay: “Should your tax dollars be subsidizing the Saudi investment into American golf influence? That’s a hard pill to swallow.” Calls to Action For Nonprofits: Reflect on whether your organization still aligns with its original mission and the broader public good. For Donors and Volunteers: Scrutinize the nonprofits you support to ensure they adhere to their stated missions and use funds responsibly. Closing Thought
The conversation highlights the need for a national discussion about what truly constitutes a nonprofit. As organizations grow and evolve, it’s crucial to revisit their missions and ensure they continue to serve the public good.
Additional Stories Universal Analytics Data Deletion: A reminder for organizations to download their data from Universal Analytics before it is permanently deleted. Robin Hood AI Poverty Challenge: An exciting opportunity offering up to $1 million for innovative projects addressing poverty in New York City. National Foundation for Transplant Closure: The closure of this organization leaves many organ transplant patients without critical funds. Feel-Good Story: The Growhaus nonprofit in Denver is planting vegetable gardens in food deserts, providing fresh produce and empowering families.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Hosts: George Weiner (Chief Whaler, Whole Whale), Nick (General Strategies, Whole Whale)
This week’s episode of the Nonprofit Newsfeed dives deep into the growing influence of AI in the nonprofit sector. George Weiner and Nick discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities, highlighting key stories and developments.
Main Topics
AI in Nonprofits:
Featured Article: Chronicle of Philanthropy’s June cover story on AI nonprofits. Key Organizations: Quill.org: Uses AI to provide interactive exercises and personalized feedback in classrooms. Khan Academy: Partnered with OpenAI to create generative AI tools for personalized student learning. Justice Lab: Developed AI-powered chatbots and translation tools to assist immigrants with legal processes. FairBio: Uses AI for antibiotic research. The Contingent: Employs AI in foster parent recruitment.
Ethical Considerations and Risks:
The importance of ethical AI deployment to avoid potential harms, such as the misuse of deepfakes by students. The balance between leveraging AI for educational benefits and addressing the digital divide.
OpenAI’s Nonprofit Pricing Tier:
OpenAI introduces a new pricing tier for nonprofits at $20 per seat per month. Encouragement for nonprofits to adopt paid, trusted AI tools to avoid data leaks and ensure security.
Google Search Overview Controversy:
Google’s new AI feature generates bizarre and inaccurate responses, raising concerns about the safety and reliability of AI in search. The discussion on the implications of these errors and Google’s response to public backlash. Critical Insights AI in Education: AI can revolutionize education by providing personalized learning experiences, but it must be implemented ethically to avoid widening the educational gap. Nonprofit AI Adoption: Nonprofits are encouraged to adopt AI tools cautiously, ensuring data security and ethical use. Google’s AI Challenges: The rollout of Google’s AI search feature highlights the need for careful oversight and accurate information dissemination in AI applications. Quotes George Weiner: “AI allows students to learn at their own pace in a way I don’t really think has ever quite been possible like now.” Nick: “With any new technology, there’s tremendous upside, but there are also tremendous risks.” Calls to Action Nonprofits interested in AI tools should explore OpenAI’s nonprofit pricing tier and consider the ethical implications of AI use. Listeners are encouraged to stay informed about AI developments and advocate for responsible AI implementation in their organizations. Closing Thought
The episode underscores the transformative potential of AI in the nonprofit sector, while also emphasizing the need for ethical considerations and responsible implementation. As AI continues to evolve, nonprofit professionals must navigate these changes thoughtfully to maximize positive social impact.
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Would you like to round-up for charity?
Point-of-sale donations, especially “round-up” campaigns, have seen a significant surge in recent years, raising millions of dollars for various charitable causes. In 2022, these campaigns brought in $749 million, a 24% increase from 2020. A recent survey conducted by Binghamton University faculty revealed that 53% of Americans give impulsively to charities at the checkout, with certain demographics being more likely to donate. Women, Black respondents, and middle-class individuals under 50 who have not attended college were found to be the top-giving demographics, contrasting with traditional donors who are usually older, higher-earning college graduates.
The success of round-up donations can be attributed to several factors, including the perceived lower “pain” of donating spare change, the human preference for round numbers, and the subtle guilt induced by declining a low-cost request. Taco Bell Foundation, for example, doubled its annual fundraising by switching from asking for $1 donations to a round-up strategy. Similarly, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals raised $138 million in 2022 through point-of-sale campaigns, accounting for a third of its total fundraising.
However, the ubiquity of these requests may lead to donor fatigue, and some consumers express concerns about the transparency of where their donations are going. Despite these potential drawbacks, the success of round-up campaigns is undeniable, and they have become a significant source of funding for many nonprofits, raising the profile of local organizations doing fantastic work in customers’ own communities.
Melinda French Gates says she’s donating $1B to women’s rights | NBC News
Melinda French Gates is committing $1 billion over the next two years to support women’s rights, including reproductive rights, through her organization Pivotal Ventures. This decision comes amid growing political violence against women and maternal health issues, with Gates highlighting that only a small fraction of charitable giving supports women-focused organizations. Her initiative aims to improve mental and physical health for women and girls and includes a $250 million grant for grassroots groups. How might this significant funding shift the landscape for women’s rights globally?
Slack users horrified to discover messages used for AI training | Ars Technica
Slack users were shocked to find out their messages were being used to train AI models, sparking a backlash that has the company scrambling to clarify its policies. Despite reassurances from Slack engineers that customer data isn’t used for training large language models, the existing policy’s ambiguity has left users uneasy. Salesforce, Slack’s parent company, promised to update privacy principles to better explain data usage, but the lack of an easy opt-out mechanism adds to users’ frustrations.
Current Policy: Privacy principles: search, learning and artificial intelligence | Legal | Slack
Updated AI statement: How Slack protects your data when using machine learning and AI
How to opt-out
Contact slack to opt out. If you want to exclude your Customer Data from Slack global models, you can opt out. To opt out, please have your org, workspace owners or primary owner contact our Customer Experience team at feedback@slack.com with your workspace/org URL and the subject line ‘Slack global model opt-out request’. We will process your request and respond once the opt-out has been completed.
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This week on the Nonprofit News Feed: Join George Weiner, Chief Whaler at Whole Whale, and Nick Azulay, Digital Strategist, as they dive into the latest developments affecting the nonprofit sector.
Special Guest: Get insights from Seth Godin on raising over $70,000 through positive auctions with GoodBids.org. AI Advancements: Discover the implications of OpenAI’s GPT-4.0 and Google’s new AI-driven search overviews for nonprofits. Fundraising & Tech: Learn about Whole Whale’s latest rollout of GPT-4.0 for Omni and Gemini image generation with DALL-E 3. Google Ad Grant Cohort: Hear about the clever foundation that secured 10 seats for their grantees and the upcoming hands-on learning session. Policy Alert: Understand the potential impacts of House Republicans attempting to cut funding for LGBTQ nonprofits. Fraud Prevention: Minnesota Attorney General shuts down 17 sham nonprofits defrauding the federal child nutrition program. Feel-Good Story: Celebrate the success of Habitat for Humanity’s Veterans Build in Charlotte, NC, providing a home for veterans George and Karen.
Transcript:
This week on the nonprofit news feed. Well, my name is George Weiner. I’m the chief whaler of Whole Whale. And we have Nick Azulay, the digital strategist at Whole Whale. We’re excited. You know, we bring you nonprofit news, of course, but we also want to start talking a little bit about what’s going on at Whole Whale.
I’m excited because this week we are also dropping our interview with Seth Godin and His work with good bids. org and how they just in their pilot raised over 70, 000 with positive auctions, all of that to come on this feed on our YouTube channel. Also had a busy week last week because we rolled out GPT 4 0 0 for Omni across all cause writer customers.
And also rolled out the Gemini image generation alongside DALI three. So we’re always pushing the newest and best models to give access to the folks in our cause writer AI. Also, it was pretty funny. There was somebody who reached out for our Google ad grant cohort, a very clever foundation that bought up 10 seats of the ad grant cohort for their grantees and, you know, snapped up all of the early birds.
Very, very smart play by them for our Google ad grant cohort hands on learning coming in July. We have seven seats available as of this recording and you know, they are certainly valuable and going quick and hopefully we can help everyone interested in joining that hands on Google ad grant cohort.
All right, Nick. About Whole Whale, what about the news? George, this is a big one. And I think that, you know, we’re not on just a, any tech podcast, right? We care about nonprofits and tech and digital, but I think last week’s announcement, announcements are too important not to talk about because they will have major implications for nonprofits.
So last week, both. Open AI and Google and then later Microsoft made various announcements about AI offerings. So open AI released its new GPT 4. 0 model. That was the big announcement from them. The big announcement from Google, at least from our perspective is the rollout of search overviews.
You heard us mentioning just last week on the podcast that SGE was coming, search generated experience. Lo and behold, 48 hours later, it was here. So users across the continent of the United States are now seeing AI generated results on their search engine result pages, or SERPs, for a multitude of searches.
We write, as we talk about now we don’t yet
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Episode Summary: Navigating Google’s Core Update and Nonprofit Impacts
In this episode of the Nonprofit News Feed, George Weiner, Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, and Nick Azoulay, Digital Strategist at Whole Whale, delve into the recent Google core update and its implications for nonprofits. They also cover other significant news, including personnel changes at the Gates Foundation and new grant opportunities from Amazon Web Services.
Main Topics:
Google’s March 2024 Core Update:
Impact on Nonprofits: George and Nick discuss how the recent Google core update has led to a substantial decline in organic traffic for many nonprofits, including a 40% drop in some cases at Whole Whale. This update prioritizes content quality and credibility over links, which could disadvantage smaller nonprofits. Search Generated Experience (SGE): The anticipated rollout of Google’s SGE will prioritize AI-generated answers over traditional search results, potentially reducing visibility and engagement for nonprofit websites.
Melinda French Gates Resigns from Gates Foundation:
Transition: Melinda French Gates steps down from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to focus on her personal philanthropic efforts, particularly around women and families. The foundation will now be chaired solely by Bill Gates and renamed the Gates Foundation. Implications: This significant change could impact the foundation’s strategic direction and funding priorities.
Amazon Web Services Imagine Grants for Nonprofits:
Grant Details: AWS is offering grants to nonprofits to leverage cloud technology for mission-critical projects. Categories include Pathfinder Generative AI Award and Go Further, Faster, with awards ranging from $50,000 to $200,000. Application Window: Open from May 3rd to June 3rd, these grants provide financial support, promotional credits, and implementation guidance.
Black Lives Matter vs. Tides Foundation:
Lawsuit: The BLM Global Network is suing the Tides Foundation for allegedly diverting $33 million meant for them. The case raises questions about fiscal sponsorship and fund allocation. Fiscal Sponsorship: George explains the benefits and potential pitfalls of fiscal sponsorship for nonprofit organizations.
Feel-Good Story: Arizona Champions of Change:
Awards: Arizona Big Media announces finalists for the Champions of Change awards, highlighting visionary nonprofit leaders in the state. This initiative underscores the importance of recognizing local heroes in the nonprofit sector.
Critical Insights:
Google’s Update: Nonprofits must closely monitor their organic traffic and adapt their SEO strategies to maintain visibility. Regular traffic reports and proactive adjustments are essential. Philanthropic Shifts: Changes in leadership at major foundations like the Gates Foundation can have wide-reaching effects on funding and strategic priorities. Grant Opportunities: Nonprofits should explore tech-centric grants like AWS Imagine Grants to innovate and modernize their operations.
Call to Action:
Nonprofits should review their organic traffic metrics and SEO strategies in light of Google’s core update. Explore grant opportunities and consider applying for AWS Imagine Grants to boost tech infrastructure. Recognize and celebrate local nonprofit leaders through community awards and initiatives.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Episode Highlight: Adapting to Google’s Algorithm Updates and the Power of AI in Nonprofit Marketing
In the most recent episode of Whole Whale’s nonprofit news feed, George Weiner, Chief Whaler, alongside digital strategist Nick Pazerle, embarked on a comprehensive discussion beginning with the pressing challenges presented by Google’s recent core updates. These updates, particularly those in October 2023 and March 2024, have significantly impacted organic traffic, leading to a 40% drop for Whole Whale. The key takeaway? Google’s shift towards prioritizing content that offers genuine value, pushing nonprofits to rethink content creation strategies in the AI era.
Deep Dive into Deepfakes: A Call for Nonprofit Vigilance
The conversation took a critical turn towards the alarming rise of deepfake technology. A highlighted incident involved a Maryland high school principal falsely accused through deepfake audio, illustrating the urgent need for nonprofits to educate and protect their communities against the misuse of AI. This segment underscores the importance of media literacy and the role of nonprofits in fostering a discerning and informed public.
Highlighting Horse Racing’s Dark Side: A Nonprofit’s Crusade
The episode also shone a light on Horse Racing Wrongs, a nonprofit advocating against the cruel realities of horse racing. With a focus on the protest at the 150th Kentucky Derby, the discussion emphasized the ethical considerations and the push for more humane practices within the sport, reflecting on the broader implications for animal rights and welfare.
Google’s Bold Move: Addressing Homelessness with Direct Financial Support
An innovative approach to tackling homelessness and poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area was also a topic of discussion, courtesy of Google.org’s All Ads Up program. This initiative, which provides up to $1,000 a month to homeless families, is a part of a larger $4.5 billion commitment to improve housing availability. The program’s potential to offer a fresh perspective on universal basic income and its impact on housing stability, income, and mental health was highlighted.
A Feel-Good Finale: The Office-Themed 5K Race for Community Improvement
The episode wrapped up on a lighter note with the story of an Office-themed 5K race in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Organized by the nonprofit Valley in Motion, the event not only celebrated the beloved TV show but also brought together over 1,500 participants globally to support local community improvements, showcasing the power of creativity and community in nonprofit initiatives.
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Whole Whale Podcast Episode: Innovations, Advocacy, and the Future of Nonprofit Strategy
In this enlightening episode of the Whole Whale Podcast, George Weiner, alongside digital strategist Nick Azoulay, unravels a series of compelling updates and discussions that span the gamut of nonprofit innovation, legal advocacy, and strategic insights aimed at navigating the dynamic landscape of the nonprofit sector.
Whole Whale’s Google Ad Grant Cohort Announcement
George Weiner kicks off the episode with exciting news about Whole Whale’s Google Ad Grant Cohort. Despite initial hesitance due to a busy schedule, the overwhelming interest from nonprofits has led to the program’s return this summer, starting July 17th. Limited to 25 organizations, with priority given to internal clients, this initiative has been pivotal in advancing nonprofits’ capabilities in managing the $10,000 a month Google Ad Grant. The cohort is designed to significantly boost participants’ proficiency in digital advertising, akin to training them as members of the Whole Whale ads team.
Supreme Court’s Examination of Homelessness Criminalization
The conversation shifts to a critical legal development as the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) scrutinizes the criminalization of homelessness, spotlighting a contentious case from Grants Pass, Oregon. This case challenges anti-camping laws under the Eighth Amendment, questioning the constitutionality of penalizing the unsheltered when no adequate shelter options are available. Activists and major advocacy organizations argue that such laws exacerbate the homelessness crisis, urging for more humane and inclusive solutions. This discussion underscores the complex, systemic issues surrounding homelessness, with George and Nick expressing deep concerns over the punitive approach and its implications.
FCC Restores Net Neutrality
The episode then delves into the FCC’s landmark decision to restore net neutrality, a move that has sparked debate across political and business spectrums. This reinstatement ensures that broadband providers are classified as common carriers, promoting a free and open internet. While some critics fear it may hinder innovation and increase regulatory burdens, George and Nick highlight the broad support for net neutrality among nonprofits and advocacy groups, emphasizing its importance for equitable access to information and digital rights.
M&R Benchmarks for 2024
George and Nick analyze the latest M&R Benchmarks report, revealing trends in nonprofit marketing and fundraising. Key findings include a slight decline in online revenue, a significant increase in monthly giving, and the continued dominance of desktop devices for larger donations despite the prevalence of mobile traffic. The data presents a mixed bag of challenges and opportunities, with a notable shift towards increased advertising investments, particularly in radio spending. This segment offers valuable insights for nonprofits looking to refine their marketing and fundraising strategies.
The Pitch: A Philanthropic Spin on Shark Tank
Ending on a high note, the episode highlights “The Pitch,” an innovative event hosted by the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas in North Texas. This philanthropic twist on Shark Tank sees five local nonprofit startups competing for $275,000 in funding, presenting their solutions to community issues before celebrity judges and a live audience. George and Nick applaud this creative approach to fundraising and awareness, recognizing its potential to foster community engagement and spotlight the impactful work of nonprofits.
In closing, the episode not only informs but also inspires, urging nonprofits to embrace innovation, advocate for justice, and strategically navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead. With a blend of humor and heartfelt discussion, George and Nick provide a comprehensive overview of the latest developments affecting the nonprofit sector.
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Legislation Impacting Nonprofits: A Mixed Bag of Pros and Cons
This week’s focus begins with a dive into the Kids Online Safety Act (COSA), legislation aimed at enhancing online protections for minors. Despite its bipartisan support and backing by over 200 organizations, COSA has sparked controversy among nonprofits, with debates centering around free speech concerns and the subjective nature of “harmful content.” Critics, including ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, fear the act could lead to censorship, especially of LGBTQ+ content, under the guise of protecting minors. The conversation underscores the delicate balance between safeguarding youth online and maintaining freedom of expression.
From Climate Anxiety to Action: The Lumisphere Project
In a refreshing shift from policy to action, the Lumisphere project emerges as a beacon of hope in addressing climate anxiety. As part of Visions 2030, this initiative leverages AI and technology to inspire communities towards sustainable futures. By focusing on positive, high-energy engagement, the Lumisphere experience represents a critical pivot in environmental advocacy, moving from despair to actionable solutions. This approach not only motivates current generations but also paves the way for future activists to envision a thriving planet.
Nonprofits Face Legislative Challenges: A Call to Action
The Chronicle of Philanthropy highlights the increasing challenges nonprofits face due to inconsistent regulations and crackdowns on civil liberties. With organizations in the realms of immigration, racial justice, and environmental causes feeling the brunt of state-led restrictions, the need for legal support and strategic board composition has never been more apparent. Nonprofits are encouraged to bolster their defenses by seeking pro bono legal assistance and diversifying board expertise to navigate these turbulent legislative waters effectively.
The TikTok Ban Debate: Navigating Digital and Political Landscapes
As the House votes on a potential TikTok ban, nonprofits and users alike are urged to consider the implications of such sweeping legislation. While concerns about data privacy and foreign influence are valid, the broad powers granted by the ban raise significant free speech and policy issues. Nonprofits relying on TikTok for outreach and engagement should heed the call for diversification, preparing for a future where digital platforms may face increased scrutiny and regulation.
Feel-Good Finale: Kevin Bacon Joins Utah Students for Charity Event
In a light-hearted conclusion to the roundup, Kevin Bacon’s visit to Pace and High School in Utah underscores the power of celebrity influence for charitable causes. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of “Footloose,” Bacon’s participation in packing resource kits for local nonprofits demonstrates the positive impact of blending nostalgia with philanthropy. This event not only brought joy to the community but also provided valuable resources to those in need, proving that sometimes, bringing the bacon back can make all the difference.
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NonprofitNewsfeed.com
This Week’s Highlights: Tax Deductions and Corporate Philanthropy Shifts
Welcome back to the Nonprofit News Feed with your hosts, George Weiner, Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, and Digital Strategist Nick Azulay. This week, we dive into the misconceptions surrounding charitable donations and tax deductions, and explore the evolving landscape of corporate philanthropy.
Myth-Busting Tax Deductions in Charitable Giving
Despite popular belief, the majority of donors do not make charitable contributions solely for tax benefits. With most people opting for the standard deduction over itemizing their taxes, the tax incentive for charitable giving is not as significant as presumed. Research indicates that charitable giving is more influenced by economic growth and personal income levels rather than tax deductions. This revelation prompts a reevaluation of how nonprofits emphasize tax benefits in their fundraising appeals, suggesting a pivot towards showcasing impact and building donor trust instead.
Corporate Philanthropy Undergoes Transformation
In a notable shift, major Minnesota companies like 3M, General Mills, and Thrivent are moving their philanthropic efforts in-house, away from separate charitable foundations. This transition raises concerns among nonprofit leaders about potential declines in funding and reduced transparency, as internal company-controlled organizations are not obligated to disclose as much information as traditional foundations. Despite assurances from these corporations about their ongoing commitment to community support, the move signals a broader trend in corporate social responsibility focusing on sustainability, diversity, and employee volunteerism.
Insights and Implications
These discussions underscore the importance of transparency and the true motivators behind charitable giving. For nonprofits, the emphasis should be on the tangible impact of donations rather than tax benefits. Meanwhile, the corporate sector’s pivot towards in-house philanthropy invites a closer examination of how these changes will affect the future of nonprofit funding and accountability.
Final Thoughts
As we navigate these evolving narratives in the nonprofit sector, it’s crucial to stay informed and adaptable. Whether debunking myths about tax deductions or understanding the implications of new corporate philanthropy models, the goal remains to foster a more transparent, impactful, and responsive nonprofit ecosystem.
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Headline: AI’s Impact on Nonprofit Sector: Language Translation, Education, and Philanthropy Trends
This week on Nonprofit News Feed, George Weiner and Nick Azoulay of Whole Whale discuss the potential implications of AI-powered language translation for the nonprofit sector, survey data on AI adoption in nonprofits, and optimistic predictions for philanthropic giving in the coming years.
The conversation kicks off with reflections on an article from The Atlantic pondering the future of foreign language education in light of AI advancements. The Whole Whale team acknowledges the incredible potential AI has for bridging language barriers, particularly in the context of nonprofits that serve communities with English as a second language. They explore the possibilities of using AI to increase accessibility to services and information, while also considering the cultural nuances and emotional aspects that AI may not fully capture.
George and Nick transition to discussing a Google survey revealing that while nonprofits recognize AI’s transformative potential for marketing, many lack familiarity and in-house education on the technology. Despite the challenges, they underscore the importance of AI in increasing nonprofit employee productivity and the need for further education in the sector.
In a positive turn, the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University forecasts a rise in nonprofit giving over the next two years, attributing this growth to factors such as personal income, net worth, and stock market performance. George and Nick express cautious optimism, emphasizing the importance of such forecasts in boosting sector morale.
The duo also touches on Canada’s nonprofit sector, which contributes a significant 8.2 percent to the country’s GDP, highlighting the sector’s role in the economy and society. They note the high percentage of women on nonprofit boards and the reliance on individual donations, comparing sector contributions between Canada and the U.S.
The episode concludes with a feel-good story about a local nonprofit in Milwaukee delivering 4,500 meals to seniors during Easter, showcasing the spirit of volunteerism and community support in the nonprofit world.
George and Nick’s discussion paints a picture of a sector that is both excited and cautious about the rapid advancements in AI, aware of the potential benefits and the need for education and cultural sensitivity. As technology continues to evolve, nonprofits are encouraged to embrace AI tools while staying true to their missions and the communities they serve.
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Transcript of NonprofitNewsfeed.com summary by CauseWriter.ai
Nonprofit News Roundup: Mackenzie Scott’s Millions, Catholic Charities Under Fire, and the Battle for DEI
Mackenzie Scott’s Philanthropic Impact and the Nonprofit Lottery
In this episode of the nonprofit newsfeed, your hosts George and Nick from Whole Whale dive into Mackenzie Scott’s latest philanthropic move, where she donated a staggering $640 million to 361 nonprofit organizations, chosen from 6,353 applicants. This round of giving emphasizes supporting grassroots organizations tackling systemic challenges. The donations are “no strings attached,” which, while beneficial, also present pressure for the organizations to use the funds wisely without the guarantee of ongoing support. The hosts explore the significance of Scott’s approach to giving, which contrasts the traditional methods of philanthropy and her commitment to immediate impact.
Catholic Charities Facing Harassment Amid Political Tensions
The conversation shifts to a troubling trend highlighted in America Magazine: Catholic Charities staff are experiencing increased harassment, accused of aiding illegal immigration. Despite the challenges, Catholic Charities remains steadfast in their humanitarian mission to serve those in need. The hosts discuss the broader implications of such threats, not just for Catholic Charities but also for nonprofits working in politically sensitive areas.
The Legal Battle Over Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives
The episode also touches on a critical issue reported by Nonprofit Quarterly – the rising tide of anti-DEI lawsuits that threaten to reshape the nonprofit sector. Legal experts caution that affirmative action and race-conscious practices are under scrutiny, and nonprofits must navigate these challenges while staying true to their social justice missions. The hosts advise organizations to consult with legal experts to ensure they have diverse processes rather than rigid quota systems that could lead to litigation.
Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Against Nonprofit Dismissed
In another segment, George and Nick discuss a dismissed lawsuit by Elon Musk against the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The judge’s decision underscores the protection of free speech and the importance of nonprofits in standing up to bullies and misinformation. This victory for free speech reaffirms the rights of organizations to conduct research and make findings without fear of retaliation.
Feel-Good Story: Rescued Horses Helping Veterans
To end on a high note, the hosts share a heartwarming story from Redding, California, where the Caring Heroes Ranch is making a difference by pairing rescued horses with veterans coping with PTSD and high-stress jobs. This intersection of animal welfare and community service exemplifies the unique ways nonprofits can create positive change.
Final Thoughts and Dad Jokes
The episode wraps up with a bit of humor, including a punny joke about “prime mates” in light of Mackenzie Scott’s donations, which originate from her Amazon wealth. The hosts also mention CauseWriter.ai, a tool for creating nonprofit-themed jokes, showcasing the lighter side of the nonprofit world.
Engage with the Conversation
Listeners are encouraged to reflect on the implications of these stories for the nonprofit sector and to consider how their organizations might respond to similar challenges. For more insights and to keep up with the latest nonprofit news, make sure to subscribe to the nonprofit newsfeed email.
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Inside the Movement to Ban Lab-Grown Meat | Mother Jones
Nonprofits like the Good Food Institute are stepping into the fray, advocating against bans on cell-cultured meats and pushing for progress in alternative proteins, arguing that stifling this nascent industry could hinder innovation and fails to advance health or safety. These organizations emphasize the potential environmental benefits of lab-grown meats, considering the significant methane emissions from livestock, and seek to safeguard the freedom of consumers and businesses in the food system. Their involvement underscores the critical role nonprofits play in shaping food policy and promoting sustainable solutions in the face of legislative challenges that could impact the future of food and the environment.
Tax exemption on catered fundraiser meals for nonprofits
Michigan House Bill 5596 is on the legislative menu, and it’s serving up potential savings for your next big event. This bill is all about dishing out a tax exemption for catered meals at nonprofit fundraisers, which could slice a nice piece off the costs of hosting those grand soirees. If this bill gets the legislative thumbs-up, nonprofits could find themselves plating extra cash towards their mission-critical programs instead of forking it over in taxes. It’s a fiscal move that could have nonprofits saying “Bon Appétit” to more effective budgeting and amplified community impact.
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George Weiner and Nick Azulay of Whole Whale discuss various topics including a milestone for Whole Whale’s YouTube account, the first nonprofit-backed satellite launched into space, election concerns for nonprofits, and a nonprofit initiative to eliminate medical debt. The Environmental Defense Fund’s MethaneSAT, the first nonprofit satellite, aims to map methane emissions globally. Nonprofits are preparing for the upcoming election season and its impact on communications and fundraising. Legal challenges faced by the Annunciation House, a nonprofit supporting migrants, highlight the political pressures on nonprofits. RIP Medical Debt’s partnership to alleviate $700 million in medical debt in Wayne County is celebrated.
Critical Insights, Statistics, and Quotes:
MethaneSAT is a game-changer, providing high-resolution data on methane emissions to the public, which could hold industries and governments accountable for climate change mitigation. Methane, though less discussed than CO2, is a potent greenhouse gas responsible for 20% of global warming from human activities. Nonprofits are both concerned and optimistic about the upcoming election; they must navigate a political climate that could overshadow their messaging. Legal battles such as the one faced by Annunciation House underscore the intersection of nonprofit work and political agendas. The collaboration between nonprofits and municipalities, as seen in the partnership with RIP Medical Debt, showcases innovative approaches to solving pressing social issues.
Calls to Action:
Nonprofit professionals should consider how their messaging may align or conflict with political narratives in the upcoming election season. Organizations might explore partnerships similar to RIP Medical Debt to amplify their impact.
Closing Thought: The nonprofit sector continues to innovate and push boundaries, from space missions to social justice, demonstrating the power of focused efforts and strategic partnerships on Earth and beyond. Let’s celebrate these milestones and brace for the challenges ahead, always remembering the core mission of serving communities and the planet.
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The episode covers the Open AI lawsuit filed by Elon Musk, the NYPD mandated to change protest response tactics, the rise of anti-DEI bills in several states, the history of Women’s History Month, and ends with a lighthearted dad joke. The hosts also discuss the behind-the-scenes tactics of editing and adapting content for YouTube and share their thoughts and insights on various nonprofit-related topics.
The Clash Over Nonprofit Promises and Silicon Valley Profits (Musk vs. OpenAI)
Elon Musk is suing OpenAI, alleging it has strayed from its nonprofit roots to chase profits, according to reporting from Axios and others. The heart of the dispute lies in Musk’s claim that OpenAI, which he helped found, reneged on a commitment to operate as an open-source entity under its original 501(c)3 nonprofit status.
The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of becoming a secretive, profit-driven organization under Microsoft’s influence (with the initial ability to leverage tax-deductible donations). The lawsuit alleges this is an egregious shift from OpenAI’s original mission, and highlights how the 501(c)3 could serve as a vehicle to abuse by commercial businesses. (See also how IKEA is owned by a nonprofit!)
“If this business model were valid, it would radically redefine how venture capitalism is practiced in California and beyond,” says Musk. He adds that “competing against an entity employing the new OpenAI business model would be like playing a game of basketball where the other team’s baskets are worth twice as many points,” in reference to the pre-tax benefits of OpenAI’s initial funding model.
Though, it is worth noting is that Musk might also be interested in slowing down OpenAI so his Grok competitor can catch up…
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Title: Nonprofit News Highlights: IVF Information, NRA Verdict, and Deforestation Crisis
In this week’s edition of Nonprofit News Feed, we dive into three major stories that are making headlines in the nonprofit sector. From the legal implications of IVF to the NRA’s guilty verdict, and the alarming increase in deforestation, these stories highlight the ongoing challenges and opportunities for nonprofits in our society. Join us as we explore the key details and implications of each story.
IVF Information: A Legal Debate with Nonprofit Ramifications
In Alabama, a recent ruling by the Supreme Court has put multiple IVF clinics on edge. The court’s decision defines frozen embryos as legally “unborn children,” raising concerns and potential criminal repercussions for clinics offering IVF treatments. This ruling has sparked a heated debate, with house Republicans and other political figures coming out against it.
Beyond the political debates, non-profit organizations like Planned Parenthood are advocating against the ruling, fearing its consequences on abortion rights and personhood laws. Planned Parenthood highlights the potential ripple effect of such rulings across the country, emphasizing the need for continued advocacy and support for reproductive rights.
The NRA Verdict: Implications for Gun Rights Advocacy
In a high-profile civil corruption trial led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, the NRA and its executives, including Wayne LaPierre, have been found guilty of violating their duties and causing monetary harm to the organization. The verdict could potentially result in permanent barring from charity board service for the defendants, signaling a new era of oversight in the NRA’s financial affairs.
While the NRA remains a powerful lobbying group for gun rights, with significant policy implications, the verdict raises questions about its future impact. The long-term consequences of the barring from charity board service in New York remain uncertain, with potential repercussions on the organization’s ability to operate and mobilize resources.
Deforestation Crisis: A Global Challenge for Climate Change
The world’s efforts to curb deforestation have hit a snag, with a 4% increase in global deforestation in 2022. This alarming trend surpasses the annual target set to eliminate deforestation by 2030 by 21%. The majority of deforestation occurs in tropical regions, posing significant challenges in the battle against climate change.
The political and economic challenges faced by these countries make it difficult to protect the environment while addressing other pressing issues. Adequate funding for forest conservation falls short of requirements, hindering progress in eradicating deforestation. The need to balance economic development and environmental preservation necessitates a nuanced approach to find sustainable solutions.
Khan Academy’s AI Integration: Transforming Education
In a feel-good story, Khan Academy, the renowned education platform, has leveraged AI to create an innovative tool called Con Amigo. This AI tutor integrates with Khan Academy’s educational resources, offering personalized learning experiences and meeting students where they are in their educational journey.
Con Amigo addresses the challenge of differentiation in the classroom, providing specialized attention to individual students’ needs. With proper guardrails and a commitment to responsible AI integration, Khan Academy’s Con Amigo has the potential to transform how students learn and improve access to quality education.
In conclusion, these four stories represent crucial developments in the nonprofit world. The IVF ruling raises critical questions about reproductive rights and the implications of personhood laws. The NRA verdict highlights the consequences of mismanagement within nonprofit organizations and its impact on advocacy efforts. The deforestation crisis demands urgent action to address climate change and
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Nonprofit News Digest: Honoring Jimmy Carter, ESG & B Corps Scrutiny, and a Homeless Advocacy Victory
This week’s episode of the Nonprofit News Feed, hosted by George Weiner, Chief Whaler of Whole Whale, and Digital Strategist Nick Azulay, celebrates President’s Day with a tribute to former President Jimmy Carter’s legacy in the nonprofit sector. The conversation also delves into current challenges facing ESG frameworks and B Corps, and highlights a legal victory for a homeless advocacy organization in Houston.
Jimmy Carter’s Enduring Nonprofit Legacy
– Jimmy Carter, now 99, has made significant contributions to the nonprofit world through his involvement with Habitat for Humanity and his own Carter Center, focusing on peace, democracy, and development.
– The Carters’ hands-on work in building homes showcases their commitment to affordable housing.
– Reflecting on Carter’s life reminds us of the importance of political figures in the nonprofit sector, especially in times of division.
ESG and B Corps Under Fire
– ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and B Corps face backlash, with financial firms like JP Morgan and State Street Global Advisors withdrawing support from climate initiatives.
– Greenwashing, the use of environmental certifications to improve public reputation without meaningful change, is a growing concern.
– Scrutiny of ESG and B Corps certification processes calls for a reevaluation of how businesses are held accountable for sustainable and ethical practices.
– The discussion emphasizes the importance of setting norms and improving transparency in corporate behavior.
Food Not Bombs Wins Legal Fight in Houston
– The organization Food Not Bombs achieved a legal win when a federal judge ordered the city of Houston to stop ticketing members for feeding the homeless.
– The case raises first and fourteenth amendment rights issues, balancing the organization’s free speech rights against the city’s public health and safety concerns.
– The ruling is a positive step, but it also highlights the problematic criminalization of aid to the homeless.
The episode closes with a light-hearted joke about SpaceX’s matching donation program, bringing a bit of humor to the discussion of giving atmospheres.
This episode of the Nonprofit News Feed underscores the significant impact individuals and organizations can have in the nonprofit sector, while also reminding us that accountability and integrity are crucial in upholding the values of social responsibility and advocacy for those in need.
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Nonprofit Gets Their Feet Wet With Jesus-Themed Super Bowl Spots
A 60-second ad spot and an additional 15-second spot for the ad campaign “He Gets Us” made a stir for being among the largest ad buys for a registered charity. The ads featured images of people washing the feet of others within diverse circumstances and environments and closed with an acknowledgment of Jesus’ non-discriminatory feet washing.
The nonprofit behind the campaign is named “Come Near,” an organization formerly named “Servant Foundation,” which has rebranded under new leadership. The organization previously ran spots in 2023 but continued this year with a campaign that the marketing agency director said aimed to ” show people demonstrating what it looks like to love your neighbor”.
Ad spots for the Super Bowl this year cost approximately $7 million for 30-seconds of airtime. The organization has loose ties with religious right Hobby Lobby founder David Green, though the campaign states on its website that “Jesus loves gay people and Jesus loves trans people.”
Additionally, the foot-washing theme seems to have confused and creeped out some audiences causing many follow-up jokes this week.
As DEI policies come under legal attack, philanthropic donors consider how to adapt
AP News
Philanthropic donors are gearing up for a legal tussle as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives come under fire, with lawsuits challenging programs like grants for Black women entrepreneurs. Foundations are responding by providing legal support, while some are subtly changing their language to avoid controversy. Despite the challenges, major players like the MacArthur Foundation remain committed to supporting DEI efforts, viewing philanthropy as the last stand for independent action in society.
Meet the woman running Sam Altman’s universal basic income study to find out how cash payments can mitigate AI-related jobs losses
Yahoo Finance
Elizabeth Rhodes is the trailblazing research director behind OpenResearch (formerly YC Research), spearheading a significant universal basic income (UBI) study initiated by Sam Altman, the AI visionary and OpenAI CEO. The study, which concluded its cash transfers to 3,000 participants in two states, aimed to explore UBI as a solution to potential job losses due to AI advancements, with findings set to be released later this year. Rhodes, with her social work acumen, led the project with a meticulous approach, and the forthcoming results are poised to shed light on UBI’s impact on various aspects of life, from health to social attitudes, in one of the largest privately funded studies in the U.S. Will these insights pave the way for a cash-rich future in an AI-driven world? Stay tuned!
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How The Nonprofit Sector Lost Out On $17 Billion In The Soon-To-Lapse Charitable Deduction ActIn a giving season when many smaller and medium-sized nonprofit organizations wonder about how to retain and expand their small-dollar donors in relation to stagnant donations, perhaps one of the more salient solutions is about to expire. House Resolution (H.R.) 3435, better known as the “Charitable Act,” (see also S. 556) is soon to meet its demise via legislative purgatory. The Charitable Act, which organizations such as Independent Sector cites as a valuable opportunity to spur increases in giving, will soon expire with a less than 1% chance of passing, according to GovTrack. The bill would have increased the standard deduction for tax filers that do not itemize taxes to approximately $4,000, giving the 85% of U.S. taxpayers who do not itemize their tax returns access to the same benefits of donating to charity that wealthy donors employ. For now though, the standard deduction remains at $300/$600 as the standard deduction for charitable giving. Let’s put this another way, when Warren Buffett donated $51 billion last year, and because he has access to expensive tax experts who could itemize his return, he got the full deduction in his taxes for charitable giving. But Buffy (not a real person but a heck of a vampire slayer) who donated $1,000 and didn’t itemize their return (just like the overwhelming majority of Americans), only got $300 of the donation taken off their tax bill. In a tax system that intentionally perpetuates complexity, this inequitable access to deductions is particularly painful for a nonprofit sector desperately trying to maintain their grassroots donors. This Bay Area school district spent $250,000 on Woke Kindergarten | San Francisco Chronicle In a bid to tackle systemic racism and improve student engagement, Glassbrook Elementary in Hayward splurged $250,000 on Woke Kindergarten, a program designed to empower teachers to disrupt racism and oppression. Despite the hefty investment, funded by a federal grant aimed at aiding underperforming schools, Glassbrook's test scores in English and math have seen a worrying drop, with less than 4% of students proficient in math and under 12% at grade level in English. Hayward Superintendent Jason Reimann noted a subsequent improvement in student attendance, with 44% of students considered chronically absent last year, down from 61% the year prior. Though, the Chronicle pointed out that a similar improvement was seen districtwide, suggesting this improvement was due to a larger trend. Additionally, anti-semitic concerns have been raised by other news outlets pointing out that that Woke Kindergarten states on their site that: “One place that people are demanding a permanent ceasefire for is in Palestine because they are being occupied, or controlled, by a made-up place called Israel that has settlers called Zionist who are harming and killing the Palestinian people who have always live on the land.” While many champion the need for confronting historical biases in education, critics argue that such programs divert attention and funds from proven academic interventions, as seen in the success of targeted math programs elsewhere. Sadly, this one narrative is now racing around right leaning news outlets as an example of why not to teach about the history of racism all together, rather than a balanced ‘in addition to, not instead of’ approach. OpenAI partners with Common Sense Media to collaborate on AI guidelines | TechCrunch OpenAI has partnered with Common Sense Media, a nonprofit ratings organization, to develop AI guidelines aimed at kids and families. The collaboration will focus on creating AI guidelines and education materials for parents, educators, and young adults, as well as curating "family-friendly" GPTs based on Common Sense's rating and evaluation standards. The partnership aims to ensure that families and teens can use AI tools with co...
Nonprofit Newsfeed Highlights: GoFundMe's Charitable Gap, Ocean Cleanup Concerns, and AI's Role in Preserving Indigenous LanguagesGoFundMe's Charitable Chasm Exposed In this episode, George Weiner delves into the disparities in GoFundMe's distribution of disaster funds. A New York Times analysis revealed that households with incomes over $150,000 received 28% more aid than those under $75,000 after the 2021 Marshall fire. This gap highlights a broader issue of equity in crowdsourced fundraising, where the wealthier benefit from stronger, more affluent networks.The Dark Side of Ocean Cleanup The podcast also touches on the potential negatives of ocean cleanup efforts. An article from Slate magazine suggests these initiatives might harm marine life and destroy habitats that have formed within the plastic debris. While there's a valid concern for micro-ecosystems, George argues that removing plastic remains crucial as it ultimately enters our food chain, with Americans consuming the equivalent of a credit card's worth of microplastics weekly.Christian Rock Dominance on Radio Another interesting point discussed is the Educational Media Foundation's (EMF) success in using a network of radio stations to spread Christian rock. Their strategy has effectively amplified uplifting music and messages, serving as a potential model for other nonprofits seeking to broaden their impact through radio.Student Loan Forgiveness for Nonprofit Workers In a win for nonprofit employees, over 793,000 borrowers are set to receive student loan forgiveness, with public sector workers benefiting significantly. This comes as part of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, emphasizing the value of nonprofit and government jobs.AI's Promise for Indigenous Languages Finally, the podcast highlights an inspiring use of AI in preserving native languages. The Lakota AI code camp is a three-week program aimed at teaching indigenous youth coding skills to help protect and steward their culture, including endangered languages. This innovative application of technology offers hope for the preservation of these vital cultural touchstones.As always, you can stay updated with the latest nonprofit news by subscribing to the free weekly email at nonprofitnewsfeed.com. And if you're enjoying the content on YouTube, don't forget to like and subscribe to support the channel as it approaches the 10,000 subscriber milestone.
Free weekly news summary: NonprofitNewsFeed.com Billionaire Philanthropy Shifts and EU GreenwashingCrackdown: Nonprofit News Feed Insights In this episode of the Nonprofit News Feed, George Weiner, Chief Whaler, alongside Nick Azulay, delves into the philanthropic strategy shifts at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) and the broader influence of high-net-worth individuals in the nonprofit sector. Amidst CZI's pivot towards science and technology initiatives, there's a debate on whether this is a strategic move or a case of chasing shiny objects. The discussion also touches on the Open Society Foundations' internal changes and the implications for NGOs relying on their support. Key insights emerge from the European Union's crackdown on greenwashing, with new directives banning misleading environmental claims based on carbon offsetting. This legislative move aims to empower consumers with accurate information, promoting genuine sustainability efforts. The conversation also highlights a groundbreaking partnership between New York City and RIP Medical Debt, aiming to abolish $2 billion in medical debt for 500,000 New Yorkers. This innovative approach showcases the power of cross-sector collaboration in addressing systemic issues within the healthcare system. Finally, a feel-good story from Michigan features a nonprofit providing 'snuggle sacks' to the homeless, offering essential items during the harsh winter months. This initiative reflects the ongoing commitment within the sector to support the most vulnerable populations. The episode wraps up with a glimpse into the Nonprofitist's consultant outlook for 2024, hinting at potential price increases among nonprofit consultants, and ends on a lighter note with a playful discussion on the challenges of crafting nonprofit elevator pitches. Calls to Action: Reflect on the potential impacts of billionaire-led philanthropy shifts within your organization. Consider how EU's anti-greenwashing measures could influence your nonprofit's environmental claims and practices. Explore innovative ways to mitigate systemic challenges, inspired by NYC's collaboration with RIP Medical Debt. Support or initiate programs that provide direct aid to vulnerable populations within your community. Closing Thought: As the nonprofit sector navigates the complexities of influential donors, legislative changes, and societal needs, it's crucial to remain adaptable while staying true to the core mission. This episode underscores the importance of strategic focus, transparency, and compassion in driving positive change.
Nonprofitnewsfeed.com Nonprofit Sector Confronts International Aid Challenges and Navigates Donor DynamicsIn this week's episode of the Nonprofit News Feed by Whole Whale, hosts George and Nick delve into pressing issues within the nonprofit world, including the complexities of the USAID food program, philanthropic trends in New York City, and the unpredictable nature of billionaire-backed philanthropy.USAID Food Aid Under Scrutiny The episode kicks off with a critical look at the U.S. international food aid program. An NPR investigation revealed that Catholic Relief Services discovered rotting grain intended for Haiti, spotlighting inefficiencies in non-emergency food aid delivery. Current legislation requires non-emergency aid from USAID to be sourced from U.S. suppliers, but experts argue for more regional and direct cash assistance approaches. The Biden administration is pushing for reforms in the upcoming farm bill to address these stringent restrictions, highlighting the tension between international development professionals and American farmers.Wealthy Donors Pulling Back in NYC The conversation shifts to New York City, where wealthy donors are reportedly hesitating to contribute to the city's escalating problems, including homelessness and the migrant crisis. Mayor Eric Adams' emphasis on the severity of these issues without federal aid is speculated to be discouraging donors, underscoring the need for hopeful messaging to inspire philanthropic investment. The hosts reflect on the importance of nonprofits in the city and the potential impact of donor withdrawal on their operations.Schmidt Futures: A Cautionary Tale of Philanthropic Instability The episode also examines the case of Schmidt Futures, the philanthropic arm of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, as reported by Forbes. The organization's sudden program shifts and leadership changes exemplify the volatility that can arise when nonprofits rely heavily on individual billionaire donors. The hosts discuss the broader implications for the sector and the necessity of recognizing these dependencies as potential risks.GLAAD's Emmy Recognition for LGBTQ+ Advocacy Ending on a positive note, the hosts celebrate GLAAD's recognition at the Emmys for its advocacy work in the LGBTQ+ community. Amidst challenging times for trans rights, the Academy's accolade highlights the influence of media representation and GLAAD's critical role in shaping narratives.Closing Thought: The Power of Nonprofits in Shaping Narratives The episode concludes with a reflection on the power of nonprofits, not only in addressing immediate needs but also in influencing societal perspectives through storytelling and media consultation. The joke shared between the hosts adds a light-hearted touch, reinforcing the community spirit that underpins the nonprofit sector.In Summary: This episode underscores the complex relationship between policy, philanthropy, and nonprofit impact, offering a nuanced perspective on current challenges and the evolving landscape of aid and donor engagement.
Nonprofit Digital Marketing: What to Watch for in 2024Nonprofit Newsfeed & Whole Whale Podcast Episode SummaryEpisode Title: Navigating Nonprofit Digital Marketing Trends for 2024In this insightful episode, hosts George Weiner and Nick Azulay of Whole Whale discuss essential digital marketing trends that nonprofit professionals should be aware of in 2024. The episode is a treasure trove of predictions, strategies, and updates crucial for nonprofits navigating the ever-evolving digital landscape.Key Digital Trends and Strategies:- Google Analytics Transition: Universal Analytics was deprecated in July 2023, and historical data will be deleted after July 1, 2024. Nonprofits should archive their data before this deadline.- Google Chrome Cookie Deprecation: The removal of third-party cookies will impact ad targeting and analytics, emphasizing privacy over hyper-targeted ads.- Consent Mode and Predictive Analytics: As users opt out of cookies, Google's consent mode and GA4 will fill in the gaps, leading to more cookie-less consent options.- Crypto Giving: A predicted resurgence in cryptocurrency could lead to an increase in crypto donations. Nonprofits are encouraged to develop a crypto giving strategy.- Email Marketing Compliance: Google is imposing strict penalties for spam, particularly for list buying. Nonprofits should nurture authentic relationships instead of relying on purchased lists.- Trust in Nonprofits: Maintaining and increasing donor confidence is crucial. Transparency, financial disclosures, and demonstrating impact are key to fostering trust.- SMS Marketing: SMS text message marketing is expected to rise, with platforms like MailChimp integrating it into campaign strategies.- Search Generated Experiences (SGE): AI will change how search queries are answered, potentially reducing clicks to websites. Nonprofits should adapt their content strategies accordingly.- AI and Ethical Content Creation: Nonprofits should develop policies for ethical AI usage, including content creation and public disclosure.Global and Political Context:- 2024 is set to be a chaotic year with significant global events and national elections worldwide, leading to heightened engagement in political advocacy and human rights.- Nonprofits must find ways to cut through the increased noise and remain relevant.Emerging Communication Trends:- Video-First Communication: Short-form video content is being prioritized across social platforms. Nonprofits should incorporate this into their communication strategies.- Alternative Social Platforms: With the instability of platforms like Twitter, nonprofits should explore emerging social platforms and localized community tools like Telegram and WhatsApp.Closing Thoughts:The hosts emphasize the importance of adapting to these trends and adjusting strategies to stay ahead in the nonprofit sector. They encourage listeners to embrace these changes and prepare for a busy and transformative year.Final Joke:George leaves us with a light-hearted joke about colds being "easy to catch," adding a touch of humor to the episode's conclusion.****
Conversation Summary:Teen Social Media Usage:Pew Research Center study highlights that nearly half of US teens are online almost constantly, a steep rise from 24% in 2014-2015.Smartphone Access: 95% of teens have or can access a smartphone.TikTok Usage: 58% of teens use TikTok daily; 17% nearly constantly.Role of Nonprofits: Organizations like The JET Foundation address the risks and benefits of social media use among teens.Nonprofit Digital Strategy Insights:Social Media in Teens' Lives: Essential for youth engagement, education, and sports.YouTube's Dominance: Used by 93% of teens, making it a critical platform for nonprofits.Content Strategy: Emphasis on short-form videos and visual content across major platforms.Role of AI in Content Creation: Importance of human elements in digital communication.Crypto Donations:The Giving Block Report: Notable growth in crypto donations.Crypto Market Trends: Predicted increase in donations aligned with market trends.Advice for Nonprofits: Prepare for potential crypto donation surges.Reassessment of Tree Planting Initiatives:Thomas Crowther's Shift: From advocating massive tree planting to halting it.Concerns: Biodiversity, misuse by businesses to offset emissions.Nonprofit Response: Need to explore diverse, effective climate solutions.CO2 Emissions Data Visualization:Our World in Data: Shows per capita CO2 emissions trends.US Emissions: Decrease in per capita emissions since the 1960s.Hopeful Outlook: Progress in emissions reduction indicates potential for further improvement.Social Enterprise Spotlight:Greensland Bakery: Founded by Carolyn Johnson to help women recover from trauma.Earned Revenue Model: Combines business operations with social change.Key Takeaways:Digital Engagement: Nonprofits must adapt to the digital habits of younger generations.Video Content Priority: Shift towards video content, especially on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.Crypto Philanthropy: Potential for growth in crypto donations requires preparedness by nonprofits.Complexity in Climate Solutions: Reevaluation of strategies like tree planting, exploring diverse approaches.Data-Driven Decisions: Using data visualizations for informed strategies.Social Enterprises: Combining business models with social impact.Resources Mentioned:Pew Research Center (Teen Social Media Usage Study)The JET Foundation (Mental Health)The Giving Block (Crypto Donations Report)Our World in Data (CO2 Emissions Visualization)Nonprofit Quarterly (Greensland Bakery Story)
Meet the Faces of Crypto Philanthropy | The Giving BlockBased on the "Faces of Crypto Philanthropy" article by The Giving Block, the most generous donor appears to be Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum. He has donated cryptocurrencies valued at over $1 billion to various causes, including COVID-19 relief, medical research, and Ukraine humanitarian aid. This level of giving places him at the forefront in terms of the scale of crypto philanthropy. For more detailed information about Vitalik Buterin's and others' contributions, please visit The Giving Block's article. The ACLU will legally represent the NRA. Its NY affiliate isn’t happy about it. | GothamistThe ACLU's decision to represent the NRA in a Supreme Court case over alleged free-speech violations by New York state has led to a rift with its New York affiliate, the NYCLU. NYCLU's Executive Director Donna Lieberman contends that the ACLU's role as counsel is unnecessary, given the NRA's significant legal resources and differing principles. The case centers on whether New York's actions against financial institutions working with the NRA constitute state censorship, a situation the ACLU argues could set a dangerous precedent for silencing advocacy groups. A Tale of Two Billionaires: Scott Versus BuffetPhilanthropist MacKenzie Scott outlined the details of the almost $2.1 billion she donated in the last year, bringing the total amount of donations up to almost $16 billion since 2019. In a blog update, Scott outlines the nonprofits that have directly benefited from her gifts. This contrasts with the announcement of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who committed donations in the form of shares, with a release from his Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate detailing that 1.5 million shares are going to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, as reported by CNN. The contrast between Scott’s direct donations and Buffets donations (via shares) to a family foundation is particularly underscored by potential generation changes in giving. Is a gift always a gift? We asked the audience about whether giving to your own family foundation really counts. Read more > >2024 is the biggest election year in history | The Economist In 2024, a pivotal year for global democracy, 76 countries are set to hold elections, yet the quality and fairness of these elections vary significantly. Major democracies like Brazil, India, Indonesia, and the United States, labeled as "flawed democracies," face significant elections, with America's political culture scoring lowest in democratic aspects. Europe and Africa present contrasting democratic landscapes, with Europe scoring high in the Democracy Index and Africa facing challenges, while the scheduled Ukrainian election stands as a potential act of defiance amid ongoing conflict.
Today's podcast delves into several significant topics in the non-profit sector. The U.S. has pledged $3 billion to the Climate Action Fund at COP28, highlighting efforts to help nations most affected by climate change, like island nations at existential risk. The discussion acknowledges the importance of this funding, even as it's debated whether it's sufficient. The Inflation Reduction Act is also mentioned as a major clean energy initiative by the Biden-Harris administration.Next, the podcast discusses GivingTuesday, noting a marginal increase in donations but a concerning 10% drop in donor engagement. This decline is attributed to various factors, including economic trends and political disengagement. Despite the setback, there's hope that future events, especially during election years, might boost participation.Another important topic covered is the report from the Washington Area Women's Foundation on Black women in leadership roles. The study reveals significant strains on these women, including health impacts and limited career progression, indicating a need for systemic changes in workplaces.Lastly, the podcast touches on a study by Give.org and the Better Business Bureau, showing a shift in public trust among different charity categories. Religious organizations have notably lost trust, while veterans and nonprofit hospitals are now viewed more favorably. This shift suggests changing public perceptions and priorities in charitable giving. The podcast concludes with a feel-good story about Apopo, an international charity using African giant pouched rats to detect landmines and tuberculosis. This innovative approach has made significant impacts in mine-ridden areas like Laos and Cambodia, exemplifying creative solutions in the non-profit sector. Nonprofitnewsfeed.com
The Associated Press reports on the increasing importance of GivingTuesday for nonprofits, especially amid concerns of declining donations. GivingTuesday, which began as a hashtag in 2012, has grown into a significant fundraising event where many nonprofits leverage matching campaigns to maximize donations. The end of the year traditionally sees a surge in charitable giving. The AP notes that organizations like Fidelity Charitable are optimistic about end-of-year donations, contrasting with the National Council of Nonprofits' concerns over falling support and a general decline in the number of Americans donating. Whole Whale, the publisher of this newsletter, predicts approximately $3.45 Billion in predicted donation revenue for nonprofits this Giving Tuesday, based on an analysis of historical trends and movements in search volume. In addition to traditional fundraising vehicles, observers are acutely paying attention to trends in alternate forms of giving, especially crypto donations, like those fueled by platforms such as Whole Whale partner The Giving Block. Warren Buffett donates $870 million to charities ahead of Thanksgiving | CNNBillionaire Warren Buffett has donated approximately $870 million in Berkshire Hathaway shares to four family-run foundations, continuing his annual philanthropic tradition. The donation, echoing last year's gesture, is part of his long-standing commitment against dynastic wealth and in support of societal benefits through capitalism. Despite being 93, Buffett remains at the helm of his company, which is thriving with robust earnings and a record cash reserve. Who Are the New OpenAI Board Members and What's Changed?Tech.coOpenAI recently underwent significant changes in its board composition following a tumultuous period marked by the firing and subsequent rehiring of CEO Sam Altman. This upheaval led to the dismissal of three board members: Ilya Sutskever, Tasha McCauley, and Helen Toner, with the latter two being the only women on the board. Their departure was a consequence of a failed board coup against Altman. In their place, Bret Taylor and Larry Summers have been appointed. This shift represents a notable change in the board's gender diversity and reflects the broader dynamics at play within the company and its controlling interests. One Love Foundation: Major donor sues citing founder's opposition to minority, LGBTQ outreachThe Baltimore BannerA major donor is suing the One Love Foundation, claiming that the Baltimore-based nonprofit, which has educated 2 million young people about relationship violence, has breached an agreement and is in “disarray” due to the actions of one of its founders.The lawsuit asserts that Sharon Love, who created One Love after her daughter, University of Virginia senior Yeardley Love, was killed by an ex-boyfriend in 2010, fought against One Love’s “outreach to LGBTQ and minority communities” and threatened to fire board members who disagreed with her, prompting nearly all board members and the organization’s CEO to resign earlier this year.
Nonprofit Board Fires Sam Altman At OpenAI In High-Stakes Drama So, what happens when a nonprofit board meets with a Silicon Valley CEO? The two factions of OpenAI clashed like the resistance fighting the empire in a scene from Star Wars but with fewer special effects. Here’s what we think is happening based on reports… OpenAI, initially a non-profit dedicated to beneficial AI development, has undergone a significant transformation via high-speed drama this weekend. After former CEO Sam Altman was ousted, executive Greg Brockman decided to quit OpenAI, with Twitch's ex-CEO Emmett Shear stepping in. Microsoft's Satya Nadella announced Altman and Brockman, along with others, would join Microsoft. This move represents a substantial gain for Microsoft, which already holds a perpetual license to OpenAI's intellectual property, and now acquires key talent without financial or antitrust risks. This shift signals a loss for OpenAI, heavily reliant on Microsoft for funding and resources. OpenAI's flagship product, ChatGPT may face uncertainties given these developments.Some observers critique the evolution of OpenAI's non-profit model, originally aimed at advancing AI for humanity's benefit without financial constraints. However, financial pressures led to the creation of OpenAI Global, LLC, with Microsoft as a minority owner, altering OpenAI's commitment to openness and non-profit principles. The release of ChatGPT, while a massive success, exacerbated internal ideological rifts within OpenAI that contributed to Altman's ouster. Microsoft, heavily invested in OpenAI technology, finds itself in a more advantageous position, now directly acquiring the talent and technology it was partnered with. Analysts suggest this to mean a consolidation of AI advancements under large, well-funded corporations, with OpenAI's original non-profit vision and structure becoming increasingly untenable. So for this episode the score is: nonprofit ethos 1, Silicon Valley CEO 0- but this is definitely not the end of this saga, expect many sequels and prequels. Billionaires including Eric Schmidt plow $300 million into a non-profit that is France's latest push to catch up in AI | FortuneThe new French AI research lab Kyutai, backed by a budget of nearly €300 million (around $330 million), is set to make significant strides in artificial intelligence. Spearheaded by French billionaire Xavier Niel and supported by figures like Rodolphe Saadé and Eric Schmidt, Kyutai aims to be a nonprofit hub for artificial general intelligence research, collaborating with researchers and PhD students on open-source projects. The lab boasts considerable compute power, including a thousand Nvidia H100 GPUs, and is led by a team of seasoned AI experts. It distinguishes itself by encouraging researchers to publish their work, a practice increasingly rare in big tech firms. This initiative aligns with France's broader strategy on AI, as articulated by President Emmanuel Macron, focusing on open source development as a national asset and advocating for regulations that ensure safety and innovation in AI applications. Rosalynn Carter, mental health activist, humanitarian and former first lady, dies at 96 | CNNRosalynn Carter, who passed away at 96, was a trailblazing First Lady, redefining the role by actively championing mental health reform and advocating for human rights. Her tireless work set a new precedent for presidential spouses, emphasizing social impact and public service. Rosalynn's enduring legacy is highlighted by her efforts to destigmatize mental health issues and her pivotal role in The Carter Center's humanitarian initiatives. Her commitment to these causes and her influence as First Lady have left a lasting mark on social advocacy and the evolving role of presidential spouses in public service. Donor-Advised Fund Report: Grants to Charities Increase 9%, Hitting a New Record High | nonprofit
Pew Research Center Finds Broad Data Privacy Concerns & DistrustThe Pew Research Center's study on American perspectives towards data privacy highlights growing concerns and confusion about personal data usage. Most Americans are uneasy about how their information is handled by companies and the government, with a significant 67% admitting they understand little about what is done with their personal data. This concern extends to social media, where 77% of Americans distrust social media CEOs to responsibly manage user privacy. 70% of Americans also distrust companies to make responsible use of AI in their products. The study underscores the national relevance of data privacy, influenced by ongoing debates over regulating AI and protecting online data, emphasizing its impact on everyday life through choices in passwords, privacy policies, and personal data security measures. Read more ➝ Regulator vows crackdown on ‘squeamish’ charities rejecting donations| the GuardianOrlando Fraser, head of England's Charity Commission, criticizes charities for rejecting donations on moral grounds, urging them to consider the impact on service provision to beneficiaries. He emphasizes that decisions to refuse funds should not be based on trustees' personal biases but on substantial justifications, amidst growing concerns about accepting unethical donations. This stance has sparked debate about the balance between ethical funding and operational needs, with the Commission updating guidelines on lawful and reputational considerations in donation acceptance. The Ukraine Airbnb initiative and the weaknesses of ‘disintermediated’ giving | Blog - Alliance magazineThe Ukraine Airbnb initiative, a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlights the complexities of modern philanthropy. As an alternative to traditional donations to nonprofits, which raised £420 million through the Disasters Emergency Committee, this initiative involved booking but not occupying Airbnb rooms in Ukraine. This approach directed £15 million directly to property owners in just one week. Celebrated as a democratization of philanthropy, it allowed donors to bypass charities, though it faced criticism for potentially excluding the most needy and exacerbating economic issues like inflation. This form of *disintermediated giving raises important questions about efficiency, direct impact, and the ethical complexities of modern charitable efforts. Announcing Kiva’s Bold New Impact Strategy: The Nonprofit Microfinance Pioneer Shares its Refined Approach — And Unveils the Process Behind its Development | NextBillion Kiva, a pioneer in nonprofit microfinance, has announced a new impact strategy, marking a significant evolution in its approach. Since its inception in 2005 as one of the world's first crowdfunding platforms, Kiva has enabled over 2.2 million lenders to fund over $2 billion in loans to more than 5 million entrepreneurs globally. Key to its strategy is the formation of deep, values-aligned partnerships with nearly 600 organizations in 95 countries, allowing for a significant local impact on a global scale. Innovations such as social-underwriting in the U.S., partnerships with community organizations, and the establishment of Kiva Capital for larger loans have been instrumental in extending support to underserved entrepreneurs, including refugees.
Nonprofitnewsfeed.com DOJ Going After Ebay For “Coal Rolling” DevicesThe Department of Justice has filed a complaint against Ebay alleging that the company let over 343,000 after-market “coal rolling” devices be purchased on the platform, according DOJ paperwork filed in Brooklyn federal court. CBS News reports that Ebay claims the complaint by the DOJ “unprecedented” and that the ecommerce giant regularly works with law enforcement to remove millions of illegal products. The DOJ’s action comes with environmental concerns about the environmental impacts of “coal rolling” and other devices (which allow the bypass of vehicles’ exhaust systems to spew smoke) shows a willingness to address environmental concerns at the source — including pursuing large companies with meaningfully large fines. Read more ➝ SummaryMrBeast: American YouTuber builds 100 wells in Africa, attracting praise – and some criticism | CNNPhilanthropist and YouTuber MrBeast has garnered both acclaim and criticism for his initiative to build 100 wells in Africa, aiming to provide clean drinking water to half a million people. His acts have highlighted the inaction of local governments, especially in Kenya, drawing contrasting sentiments from activists who praise the aid while others criticize the perpetuation of stereotypes. Beyond water, MrBeast extended his generosity by donating school supplies, building infrastructure, and enhancing education and healthcare access in African communities. While some accuse him of exploiting his philanthropic work for views, MrBeast remains committed to using his platform for social good and dedication to humanitarian efforts. NYC’s “Right to Shelter” Under Threat Amid Migrant Influx | Non Profit News New York City's decades-old "Right to Shelter" policy, which provides temporary shelter to anyone without housing, is under threat as Mayor Eric Adams seeks to modify it to address migrant influx. Advocates fiercely defend the unique policy as a moral stance against homeless encampments and say needs of migrants and the homeless shouldn't be pitted against each other. The outcome of this conflict over Right to Shelter in NYC has national implications as a bellwether for progressive homeless policies. Engage For Good Acquired by Corporate Social Impact Expert Muneer Panjwani | csrwire.com Expert in corporate-nonprofit partnerships Muneer Panjwani has acquired Engage for Good, a leading company that empowers corporate and nonprofit professionals to create mutually beneficial social impact partnerships, with support from Berkshire Bank. Panjwani plans to build on Engage for Good's 22 years of bringing together corporations and nonprofits, expand its educational offerings and events, and provide more strategic guidance on social impact campaigns. The acquisition comes as businesses and nonprofits are the most trusted institutions and consumers increasingly support brands that demonstrate social commitment. Founder David Hessekiel will stay on as an advisor through May 2024 and continue to own the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum.
PSLF Program Eliminated $51 Billion In Student Debt For Public & NPO As reported by Philanthropy.com, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, initiated in 2007, was designed to alleviate student debts for those dedicating a decade to nonprofits or government roles. However, the program was largely unknown and challenging to secure until recent rule changes and promotion. The Biden administration's reforms in October 2021 breathed new life into the program, erasing an astounding $51 billion in student debt for over 700,000 public service workers. Yet, only about 15% of the 9 million eligible workers have applied. Despite earlier bureaucratic challenges and a high rejection rate, recent changes like loan consolidation and credit for past payments have transformed the lives of many by freeing them from significant student debt. As the cost of higher education skyrockets, nonprofit organizations should be actively promoting this program both to its employees as well as future employees. Read more ➝ SummaryNonprofit Funded by Crypto Billionaire McCaleb Buys $500 Million in Nvidia Chips for AI Computing | Reuters A new nonprofit called Voltage Park, funded by cryptocurrency billionaire Jed McCaleb, has purchased $500 million worth of advanced AI chips from Nvidia. Voltage Park plans to set up AI computing clusters in multiple data centers and lease capacity to companies for artificial intelligence projects. This comes as demand for AI hardware has surged following the release of chatbot ChatGPT, with chip shortages plaguing businesses. By providing low-cost access to powerful Nvidia H100 chips, Voltage Park aims to make AI computing more accessible. The tax-exempt nonprofit is a subsidiary of McCaleb's Navigation Fund, meaning any profits will be donated to the philanthropic fund. St. Louis nonprofit director stole millions from child nutrition program, feds say | STLtoday.com The former head of a St. Louis nonprofit has been charged with fraudulently spending $20 million in federal child nutrition funds on luxury homes and goods. Connie Bobo of New Heights Community Resource Center allegedly falsified records to net $11 million in bogus meal reimbursements. If convicted on the wire fraud, identity theft and obstruction charges, Bobo faces up to 22 years in prison and forfeiture of illicit purchases. The indictment follows reporting on questionable practices by Missouri nonprofits administering pandemic aid, as authorities crack down on abuse of the loosened oversight. Nature Conservancy Bets on Startups to Boost Climate Mission and Returns |FastCompany The Nature Conservancy is now investing part of its $3 billion endowment directly into climate tech startups, leveraging its scientific expertise to support companies like Overstory and Yard Stick. The nonprofit sees an opportunity to back high-impact startups aligned with its conservation mission that also have potential for strong financial returns. Direct investing represents a shift beyond TNC's past practice of relying on outside managers and index funds for its endowment. The approach shows how nonprofits with sizable endowments could strategically deploy capital to advance their mission as well as financial goals.
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Goodwill is trying to grow its online sales in order to generate more revenue to fund its job training and employment assistance programs. The nonprofit is facing increasing competition from for-profit resale sites like ThredUp and Poshmark. Goodwill recently launched GoodwillFinds, an ecommerce site where 14 Goodwill locations sell donated items, but it has challenges in competing with other sites. Successfully growing online sales is crucial for Goodwill to continue its charitable mission of helping provide jobs for those in need.Read more ➝👋 Did someone share this email with you? Consider subscribing for weekly updates. The News Feed is also a podcast: Subscribe on iTunes | Spotify ✅ Quick Summaries...Quick summaries written by CauseWriter.ai - custom-build AI tools for nonprofits.Blackbaud Pays $49.5M Over 2020 Data Breach | AP NewsThe software company Blackbaud will pay $49.5 million to settle a data breach case brought by 49 states, in which sensitive donor information was exposed in 2020. The breach contained health data, Social Security numbers, and financial information from Blackbaud's nonprofit, university, and hospital clients. Blackbaud previously settled separate charges with the SEC for misleading investors about the breach. The large settlement demonstrates the serious legal risks nonprofits face regarding donor data security and notification procedures.Sham Nonprofits Ripped Off Kids' Meal Funds in Shocking Pandemic Scheme | Twin Cities BusinessMinnesota's top attorney dropped a bombshell this week, filing 23 lawsuits against fraudulent nonprofits accused of stealing from a federal program meant to feed needy children during the pandemic. An explosive investigation found these shady groups falsely claimed to open locations serving meals, when in reality, they had zero legitimate nonprofit activities. The attorney general is seeking to permanently dissolve the fake nonprofits in the wake of the jaw-dropping $250 million child nutrition fraud scandal involving a different Minnesota charity last year. This stunning development proves oversight of nonprofit pandemic aid remains critical to protect taxpayers and vulnerable youth.Elon Does Childish Elon Thing | The HillBillionaire Elon Musk offered Wikipedia $1 billion to change its name to "Dickipedia" for one year minimum, posting the proposal after criticizing the free online encyclopedia's fundraising appeals. Musk's offer came with the condition that Wikipedia cannot change the name back for at least a year, adding he is "not a fool." Claiming the site does nothing - Wikipedia responded that it handles “over 25B page views per month and over 44M page edits a month, requiring substantial operating costs.”
Ouster of GOP Speaker Hampers Ability of Congress To Function Amid Looming ShutdownThe ouster of House GOP Speaker Kevin McCarthy nearly two weeks ago continues to hamper the ability of the legislative branch to advance policy, even as the spectre of a government shutdown continues to loom large. Nonprofits like the National Low Income Housing Coalition say that the shutdown (which would go into effect on November 17th) as well as the current political standstill and dysfunction threaten what they percieve as must-pass legislation related to HUD and housing assistance, which advocates say need to increase every year as the cost of living goes up. The volatility of the status of the government (a shutdown would pause non-essential government services) has put nonprofits on edge. Food banks can expect increased demand as hundreds of thousands of government workers and contractors go without pay, and programs like WIC and SNAP are at operational risk in long shutdowns. The Chronicle of Philanthropy also cites domestic violence shelters as also vulnerable to shutdowns because many rely heavily on government grants.
Nonprofitnewsfeed.com Russia Pulls Out Of Black Sea Initiative Risking Global Grain Price & Supply Shock The Black Sea grain export deal, which has facilitated the safe export of grain from Ukraine for the past year and played a significant role in easing a global food crisis, is set to expire after Russia announced it would suspend its participation, as reported by Reuters and other outlets. The United Nations-brokered deal has enabled Ukraine to export approximately 32 million metric tons of corn, wheat, and other grains amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports. The end of this deal could have considerable ramifications for global grain prices, which had soared due to Russia's invasion in February 2022. A key Russian demand has been to reconnect the Russian Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT international payments system, which the EU had severed in June 2022 due to Russia's invasion. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, run by the Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul, has seen over 32 million tonnes of food commodities exported from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports to 45 countries across three continents in the last year, significantly helping to reverse global food prices that had hit record highs shortly before the agreement's inception. Ukraine is a key supplier of grain on international markets and is relied on heavily by humanitarian organizations and NGOs, which had previously warned of dire consequences of a grain shortage for their operations.Read more ➝ Summary NYC nonprofits struggle to help existing clients, migrants | New York 1 UK charity foundation to abolish itself and give away £130m | the Guardian New York’s Public Theater Lays Off 19 Percent of Staff, Citing Reduced Audiences and Rising Costs | The Hollywood Reporter by Caitlin Huston
Earth Repeatedly Sets Record For Hottest Day Ever Recorded, Underpinning Urgency of Protecting Vulnerable Communities Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Maine show that the period of July 3, 2023 through July 6, 2023 are the four hottest days ever recorded on Earth. Thursday, July 6, set the newest record when the global average temperature climbed to an unprecedented 17.23°C (63.02°F), 1.02°C (1.8°F) above the average for the date, according to NOAA data reported by Axios. Among higher temperatures, increased climate-related disasters, and other extreme weather phenomena, rights organizations note the disparate effect of such emergencies on people with disabilities and the elderly. While urban centers like New York City operate cooling centers, community environmental organizations criticize them as inadequate. The World Health Organization estimates that extreme heat in Europe is estimated to have killed over 15,000 people in Europe last summer. The Coalition for the Homeless provides a guide on helping vulnerable neighbors stay safe during extreme heat. Climate change has also exacerbated climate-related emergencies like drought and famine in humanitarian contexts around the world. Read more ➝
Supreme Court Delivers Landmark Rulings On Affirmative Action & Student Loans The Supreme Court recently made two significant rulings, one striking down affirmative action in college admissions and the other rejecting President Biden's plan to discharge federal student loan debt. The affirmative action decision mandates that colleges and universities seek alternate means to achieve diversity within student bodies, overturning a precedent of 45 years. This landmark 6-3 ruling, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, was criticized by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who argued that the decision "rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress." The ruling indicated that while students may write about how race has impacted their lives, institutions may not apply a regime that establishes a race-based preference for admissions, a verdict that has prompted institutions to reassess their commitment to diversity. In a separate ruling, the court struck down President Biden's plan to forgive some or all federal student loan debt, arguing that the administration exceeded its authority under a 2003 law. This 6-3 decision means that the HEROES Act does not grant the Secretary of Education the ability to forgive $430 billion of student loan debt. These rulings have deep implications for higher education and financial policies while reflecting the increasing conservatism of the Supreme Court. Read more ➝ Summary Open Society Foundation announces cuts | Alliance magazine Nonprofit files civil rights complaint challenging legacy admissions at Harvard | PBS NewsHour The Supreme Court’s Decision on Affirmative Action Will Harm Youth Mental Health | The Jed Foundation Nonprofit Consultant Survey - How much should you pay? | Nonprofit.ist
PGA Tour’s Nonprofit Status Complicated By LIV Merger Concerns have been raised regarding the future of the nonprofit PGA Tour following its proposed merger with for-profit LIV Golf, supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, as reported by The Nonprofit Times and The Washington Post. Despite its intentions to maintain its nonprofit status, this proposed merger has led to an inquiry from the U.S. Senate into potential indirect benefits for a foreign government from U.S. tax provisions designed for nonprofits. H.R. 3908, or the No Corporate Tax Exemption for Professional Sports Act, was introduced by Rep. John Garamendi (D-California) to exclude such organizations from tax-exempt status in the future, as reported by The Nonprofit Times. The PGA Tour, a 501(c)(6) organization, primarily serves its member's benefits, generating a revenue of $1.6 billion in 2021 against liabilities of $3.3 billion, with a notable share going toward player payouts and charity. The proposed merger aims to "unify the game of golf" globally by creating a new commercial entity encompassing the golf-related businesses of both the PGA Tour and the PIF, including LIV. However, the precise impact on the nonprofit's operations remains uncertain, particularly given the substantial investment promised by the PIF, even though the PGA Tour is set to appoint the majority of the new entity's board, with its current commissioner, Jay Monahan, expected to become the CEO. Overarching concerns about the merger raise serious questions about the susceptibility of American and other international sports leagues to sport-swashing efforts by countries with poor human rights records. Summary Shootings on Juneteenth weekend leave at least 12 dead, more than 100 injured | cbsnews.com IRS Chief Counsel Memorandum Places Nonprofit NIL Collectives at risk...| Lexology DOE Sets Aside $45 Million in Grants For Nonprofit Building Energy ... |The NonProfit Times
Nonprofitnewsfeed.com Fight Over Phonics Forces Curricula Revisions In Number Of U.S. Schools Lucy Calkins, an education professor and creator of the popular “Units of Study” curriculum used by a quarter of U.S. elementary schools, has significantly revised her approach to early reading instruction, as reported by The New York Times. In response to mounting criticism from parents and educators who promote the “science of reading” and an increased focus on phonics, Calkins has overhauled her curriculum to include daily structured phonics lessons and more rigorous texts, swapping out light reading assignments. The revised curriculum, due for release this summer, also includes a 20-page guide summarizing 50 years of cognitive research on reading. Calkins has traditionally championed “balanced literacy,” which emphasizes thematic exploration and personal choice in reading, over phonics-focused approaches. Her shift reflects a growing consensus on the importance of phonics in early reading education, with brain science and educational policies increasingly favoring this method. Critics of Calkins suggest that her previous approaches have contributed to a literacy crisis in America and critique her singular influence on literacy education, although assessments of her methods' effectiveness have been mixed. Read more ➝ Summary Turned Away and Left at Sea | nytimes.com ProPublica Adds More Than a Million New Records to Nonprofit Explorer For the First Time Ever, Human Rights Campaign Officially Declares ‘State of Emergency’ for LGBTQ+ Americans; Issues National Warning and Guidebook to Ensure Safety for LGBTQ+ Residents and Travelers | Human Rights Campaign
Sponsor: Nonprofit.ist Request for Conversations (RFCs) can save a TON of time in figuring out the type of project you need done and experts at Nonprofit.ist love to have those conversations. Nonprofit.ist is trusted by over 4k nonprofits and is a network designed specifically for nonprofits like you. At Nonprofit.ist, we understand the pain of finding the right expert to help with your specific needs. Endless searching and sifting through irrelevant information can be frustrating and time-consuming. This is why for 5 years we have built up experts across a breadth of areas for the sector: Accounting & Finance Human Resources Board Development Leadership Development Coaching Legal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Marketing and Communications Evaluation and Learning Organizational Assessment Executive Transition Strategic Planning Fundraising Technology Web Design Ad Grants
SWAT Raid On Cop City Bail Fund Organizers Criticized By Activists The Atlanta Solidarity Fund, a nonprofit that offers bail and legal support to activists, has seen three of its board members arrested on charges of "money laundering" and "charity fraud," according to reporting by The Intercept and others. The arrests were carried out by the Atlanta Police Department SWAT and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The fund, part of the registered nonprofit Network for Strong Communities, also provides grants for anti-repression work in Atlanta. This incident marks the first time bail funds and legal support groups, traditionally important in social justice movements, have been targeted in this manner. The impact of these arrests on the operation of the fund and the larger legal ramifications for similar organizations remain uncertain, but the arrests, which involved armored vehicles and a helicopter, were seen as an attempt at intimidation by activists. Read more ➝ AI chatbot for National Eating Disorder Association taken offline | Fortune Well Churchill Downs, Home Of The Kentucky Derby, Shutting Down In Wake Of Horse Deaths – Deadline Big companies from PepsiCo to GM still backing Pride | Fortune
Debt Ceiling Compromise Means Cuts to Assistance
The recent debt ceiling deal in the US Congress includes a significant shift in the funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program’s funding will move from a contingency fund to the regular budget, potentially providing more stability. However, some advocates worry that this change could make it easier for Congress to cut SNAP funding in the future. The deal also alters the way SNAP benefits are calculated, which may lead to some households receiving less assistance. Additionally, the agreement will gradually increase age limits for work requirements, reaching a maximum age of 54 by 2025, but this provision will expire in 2030. The article highlights the importance of the SNAP program shift as a result of the debt ceiling deal.
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Summary
Democratic Inputs to AI | openai.com Microsoft Reveals New AI Capabilities For Nonprofits | Nonprofit Technology News US charges two over China-backed plot against Falun Gong | l Jazeera
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
New Bill Could Increase Nonprofit Charitable Donations
“The Charitable Act,” a new bill in Congress, was introduced on January 24, 2023, by Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Chris Coons (D-DE). As reported by The Nonprofit Times explains that the bill would allow anyone who donates to a charity to benefit from both the standard deduction and the charitable deduction. This would be a significant change from the current tax code, which only allows taxpayers who itemize their deductions to claim a charitable deduction.
The bill has the support of a number of nonprofit organizations, including the National Council of Nonprofits and the Charitable Giving Coalition. If the bill is passed, it could lead to increased charitable giving, which would benefit all nonprofits.
The bill is currently being considered by the Senate Finance Committee. If the bill is passed by the Senate, it will then go to the House of Representatives for consideration. The bill has a good chance of passing both chambers of Congress and being signed into law by President Biden.
The passage of “The Charitable Act” would be a major victory for nonprofits and would help them to continue their important work in communities across the country.
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Summary
Adidas to sell Yeezy shoes and donate proceeds months after Kanye West split | AP NEWS Nonprofits Endaoment.org, GlobalGiving Strike A Crypto Deal | The NonProfit Times Former Urban League president files lawsuit against nonprofit alleging retaliation | WHAS11.com
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
New York Times Investigation Finds Nearly $89 Million Raised Via Robocall Self-Enriching Scheme
A New York Times investigation has found that a circle of conservative nonprofits, consultants, and shell companies together formed a self-enrichment scheme. Nonprofits loosely construed around conservative causes including The American Police Officers Alliance used aggressive robocall tactics to solicit small-dollar donors that raised $89 million. However, the investigation uncovered that a mere $826,904 of the amount raised went to the organizations’ purported campaigns—the rest went to the companies and consultants that ran the robocalls. The detailed investigation zeroed in on 3 Republican political consultants who together appeared to be the glue that kept the machine going. The organizations in question were registered IRS 527 groups and as such had a responsibility to file with the IRS. Multiple groups used human-sounding robocalls that, with the burgeoning consumer AI industry, may become even more realistic and responsive.
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Summary
F.D.A. Eases Ban on Blood Donations From Gay and Bisexual Men | Nytimes.com Elon Musk Defends MrBeast Against Criticism for Helping Deaf People | Insider 2023 World Press Freedom Index – journalism threatened by fake content industry | rsf.org Bard by Google is live – be aware… wholewhale.com/ai Coastal Duck Derby supports local nonprofit | Port City Daily
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Request for Conversations (RFCs) can save a TON of time in figuring out the type of project you need done and experts at Nonprofit.ist love to have those conversations. Nonprofit.ist is trusted by over 4k nonprofits and is a network designed specifically for nonprofits like you.
At Nonprofit.ist, we understand the pain of finding the right expert to help with your specific needs. Endless searching and sifting through irrelevant information can be frustrating and time-consuming. This is why for 5 years we have built up experts across a breadth of areas for the sector:
Accounting & Finance Human Resources Board Development Leadership Development Coaching Legal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Marketing and Communications Evaluation and Learning Organizational Assessment Executive Transition Strategic Planning Fundraising Technology Web Design Ad Grants
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PETA Issues Strong Statement Re: Kentucky Derby Horse Deaths
Animal rights activist group PETA offered a strong statement as the news of now 7 horse deaths leading up to the Kentucky Derby made waves. PETA’s Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo issued the following statement: “Churchill Downs is a killing field. Freezing Point is the latest casualty. He’s the second horse to die today at the track, making it an appalling seven deaths in advance of the Kentucky Derby.” Bleacher Report says that two horses were euthanized on Saturday, adding to the five that were put down earlier in the week. While PETA is often criticized for aggressive marketing stunts and extreme points of view, the conditions that lead to the deaths have been roundly criticized in the mainstream sports world.
Summary
Blackbaud agrees to pay $3m to settle SEC ransomware probe | The Register Learning nonprofit Khan Academy thinks AI has a big place in …| Fast Company What Chat-First Search Means for Organic & Ad Grant Traffic for Nonprofits? | Whole Whale Ben & Jerry’s Cofounder Gets Fully Baked With New Nonprofit Cannabis Company | Forbes
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Pantheon Heroes Depart as Platform Faces Backlash for Hosting Hateful Websites
In recent weeks, controversy has erupted over website operations platform Pantheon hosting websites for influential anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigration organizations including Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), as reported by ARS Technica. The backlash began on LinkedIn, where several developers and Pantheon supporters voiced their concerns, including customers seeking alternative hosting services and developers known as “Pantheon Heroes” who announced they would stop assisting Pantheon’s open source projects and leave the program. Pantheon co-founder Josh Koenig confirmed that the platform would continue hosting the controversial websites, citing their commitment to being an open platform. Despite Pantheon’s terms of service prohibiting abusive or offensive content, the company’s position on content states that they generally refrain from moderating customer content. Pantheon Heroes, a program launched in 2019, brought together some of the best open-source developers in the world to empower open web development. However, following Pantheon’s decision to continue hosting the websites, several developers have quit the Pantheon Heroes program, expressing disappointment and feeling conflicted about supporting the platform.
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Summary
News for the powerful and privileged: how misrepresentation and underrepresentation of disadvantaged communities undermine their trust in news | Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism Nonprofit group looks to buy most newspapers in Maine | NewsCenterMaine.com House bill would give FTC authority over nonprofit hospitals | Becker’s Hospital Review Encouraging Animal Sentience laws around the world | WAP
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Nonprofit Suit Before Supreme Court Could Upend Affirmative Action In Higher Education
The nonprofit organization Students for Fair Admissions’ case against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, currently before the Supreme Court of the United States, may end the ability for institutions of higher education to engage in race-conscious admissions decisions. However, the motives and outcomes of this suit are wide-reaching. ProPublica and the Yale Daily News report that Students for Fair Admissions received money from many different conservative dark-money nonprofit vehicles, including DonorsTrust, Searle Freedom Trust, and the Sarah Scaife Foundation. Foundations, DAFs, and other money-maneuvering operations also have direct ties to Leonard Leo and The Federalist Society. Six of the nine sitting Supreme Court Justices are current or former members of the Society, according to the Yale Daily News. Among recent reporting alleging Clarence Thomas’s potentially unethical acceptance of expensive trips from conservative donor Harlan Crow, include photographs of Thomas enjoying cigars with current Federalist Society co-chairman Leonard Leo.
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Did someone share this email with you? Consider subscribing for weekly updates. The News Feed is also a podcast: Subscribe on iTunes | Spotify The Summary… Having trouble reading these articles with popups? Use the Feedly Boards linked at the bottom to quickly go through curated articles. Supreme Court protects access to abortion pill | CNN Politics | CNN California Volunteerism Plummets, Leaving Nonprofits Scrambling …| The San Francisco Standard Independent Sector Releases New Value of Volunteer Time of $31.80 Per Hour | Independent Sector ‘Appalling’ Earth Day greenwashing must not detract from message, says protest founder | the Guardian
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A Decade+ Investment Pays off with Parkinson’s Biomarker Discovery
In 2010, the Michael J. Fox Foundation made a BIG bet on investing in researching a biomarker for Parkinson’s Disease (PPMI project). On April 12th it was announced that the bet paid off.
Researchers announced that with the α-synuclein seeding amplification assay (αSyn-SAA), they now have a tool capable of detecting abnormal alpha-synuclein, a key pathology in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The breakthrough marks a significant shift in understanding, diagnosing, and treating PD. The assay was validated with 93% accuracy and promises to enable earlier diagnoses, targeted treatments, and more efficient drug development. Efforts are underway to develop αSyn-SAA for the widespread use and optimize it to measure the amount of alpha-synuclein present, potentially through blood draws or nasal swabs. This development holds tremendous potential for transforming research and care for those living with Parkinson’s disease.
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Summary
Nonprofit praises automatic expungement program that aims to help millions | FOX 17 Donations Decline for the First Time Since 2012, Fundraising Effectiveness Project Data Shows | NonProfit PRO These startups and nonprofits are keeping the abortion pill accessible | Fast Company
Sponsored: Looking for trusted nonprofit consultants in New York – or California? Nonprofit.ist has you covered.
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Activists & Nonprofits Mobilize In Response To Shooting & Increase In Child Gun Deaths
In Nashville, Tennessee, student activists from March For Our Lives and Students Demand Action (associated with Everytown for Gun Safety) have been protesting for gun reform and school safety, following a school shooting on March 27 that killed three children and three adults, as reported by Mashable. Their protests have intensified after the state’s Republican majority voted to expel two young representatives of color, Reps. Jones and Pearson. This comes amidst a recent Pew Research Center analysis of CDC data, which found that gun deaths among children and teens in the U.S. increased by 50% from 1,732 in 2019 to 2,590 in 2021. The gun death rate for minors also rose by 46%, reaching its highest point since 1999, according to reporting from Pew Research Center.
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Summary
Lauders give $200M to ADDF, the nonprofit’s largest gift ever | Fierce Biotech Americans know very little about charities, new poll finds | WTOP Clarence Thomas Secretly Accepted Luxury Trips From Major GOP Donor | ProPublica
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“Please Pause AI” Open-letter from Future of Life Institute
The Future of Life Institute has come out with a letter about AI systems with human-competitive intelligence that may pose risks to society and humanity calling for a pause on the training of such systems more powerful than GPT-4 for at least six months. During this time, AI labs want independent experts to collaborate to create shared safety protocols for advanced AI development, which should be rigorously audited and overseen by independent outside experts. They also call for policymakers to develop robust AI governance systems that include regulatory authorities dedicated to AI, oversight and tracking of highly capable AI systems, a robust auditing and certification ecosystem, liability for AI-caused harm, and well-resourced institutions for coping with the dramatic economic and political disruptions caused by AI. The purpose of this pause is to ensure that AI is developed in a way that is safe and beneficial for everyone.
Summary
Government Hasn’t Justified a TikTok Ban | Electronic Frontier Foundation 2023 Best Nonprofit Winners Found A Way To Connect | The NonProfit Times Alberto Ibargüen to retire as president of Knight Foundation | Miami Herald The Jed Foundation (JED) Announces New Neon Nights Mental Health Event | The Jed Foundation
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Scott Announces “Open Call” For No-Strings Grants
MacKenzie Scott is launching a $250 million open call for community-focused nonprofits through her organization, Yield Giving, as reported by the Associated Press and others. The initiative aims to provide unrestricted $1 million donations to 250 selected nonprofits with operating budgets between $1 million and $5 million. This marks the first time nonprofits can directly apply for funding from Scott, who has previously donated over $14 billion to 1,600 organizations. In partnership with the nonprofit Lever for Change, the open call process seeks to empower and strengthen communities often overlooked and reduce disparities in health, education, and economic outcomes. Applicants need to register by May 5 and submit their applications by June 12. After peer review, up to 1,000 finalists will be chosen, and a publicly named panel will select the 250 winners, who will be announced in early 2024.
Summary
A Nonprofit Wants Your DNA Data to Solve Crimes | WIRED Nonprofit delivers coolers to Mississippi tornado victims | WJTV The New Humanitarian | Four ways ChatGPT could help level the humanitarian playing field | The New Humanitarian
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State of California Partners With Nonprofit Drugmaker To Produce Affordable Insulin
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced a $50 million, 10-year contract with nonprofit drugmaker Civica Rx to produce the state’s own line of affordable insulin, CalRx, according to reporting from NPR and other sources. Upon FDA approval, these insulins, which are expected to be interchangeable with popular brand-name insulins, will be priced at no more than $30 per 10ml vial and $55 for a box of five pre-filled pen cartridges, potentially saving out-of-pocket patients up to $4,000 per year. The move is part of California’s broader CalRx initiative to manufacture generic drugs under the state’s label and disrupt the pharmaceutical industry, with plans to produce generic naloxone next.
Summary
Factbox: What is the Willow project in Alaska, and why do green activists oppose it? | Reuters People Are Dragging MrBeast For His Shoe Donation Video | BuzzFeed New NPT Salary & Benefits Report Shows 6% Salary Hikes | The NonProfit Times
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NGOs Call On U.N. To Advocate For Reproductive Rights In United States
Nearly 200 human rights organizations, including major international NGOs like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have sent an “urgent appeal” to the United Nations (UN), calling for the international body to intervene and ensure that the United States protects reproductive rights, as reported by The Washington Post. The appeal follows the Supreme Court ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which overturned the constitutional right to an abortion. At least a dozen states have since moved to ban or heavily restrict abortions. The organizations argue that the US is violating its obligations under international human rights law, and they are calling on UN mandate holders to take action, including communicating with the US, requesting a visit to the country, and calling for private companies to protect reproductive rights.
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Summary
Silicon Valley Bank Collapse Puts New Affordable Housing in Limbo | The San Francisco Standard New Kentucky tax laws impacting local nonprofits | | WPSD Local 6 Peabody EDI Office responds to MSU shooting with email written using ChatGPT | The Vanderbilt Hustler
AI Resources
GPTzero.me Purpose-built AI tool for nonprofits
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EleutherAI Seeks To Make Open-Source AI Research a Nonprofit Enterprise
As reported by TechCrunch, The EleutherAI community research group is starting a nonprofit research institute, the EleutherAI Institute, which could have significant implications for safe and ethical AI development. The institute will be funded by donations and grants from various sources, including AI startups and former tech CEOs, allowing the organization to engage in longer and more involved projects than previously possible. By formalizing as a nonprofit, EleutherAI will be able to build a full-time staff and focus on large language models similar to ChatGPT, as well as devote more resources to ethics, interpretability, and alignment work. Importantly, the foundation aims to remain independent despite donations from commercial entities, demonstrating the potential for nonprofits to contribute to AI development while avoiding conflicts of interest. This announcement is particularly significant given the mixed results of previous nonprofit initiatives in AI research, highlighting the need for continued efforts to ensure the responsible development of AI.
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Summary
OpenAI prices leaked, no longer a nonprofit | TechHQ ESG Investment Returns Getting Questioned | The NonProfit Times White House Declares March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month | Fight Colorectal Cancer | Fight Colorectal Cancer Most innovative companies not for profit 2023 | Fast Company How 12-year-old’s night light nonprofit helps foster kids: Good news | USA TODAY
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Train Derailment & Environmental Fallout In East Palestine Leads To Political & Legal Frenzy
The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio has led to a frenzy of political activity, criticisms, lawsuits, investigations, advocacy demands, and conspiracy theories as the fallout from the derailment continues to maintain prominence in the national conversation. The derailment has prompted criticism of both the Biden and former Trump administrations, ensnarled politicians like Gov. WeWine and Secretary Buttigieg, and has led to numerous lawsuits, criticism of the EPA, and many other activities. One nonprofit law firm We The Patriots USA (WTP USA), a nonprofit public interest law firm, “will host a press conference in Akron to discuss litigation against the Environmental Protection Agency” according to local reporting from WKYC. Americans are increasingly sensitive to environmental disasters and this incident could refocus public scrutiny on environmental regulation, and potentially spur increasing attention toward nonprofit environmental advocacy and intervention efforts.
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Summary
Many Ukrainian refugees in US are sponsored by ordinary Americans | USA TODAY IRS working with nonprofit New America to deliver online direct file tax system study | FedScoop The nonprofits accelerating Sam Altman’s AI vision | TechCrunch Together We Rise becomes Foster Love
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Project Veritas CEO Ousted By Board Of Directors
James O’Keefe, founder and CEO of the conservative organization Project Veritas has been ousted by the group’s board of directors, according to reporting from The Washington Post and other outlets. O’Keefe was ousted on concerns that his antics threatened the organization’s IRS 501(c)3 tax-deductible status, according to a memo released by the board. O’Keefe alleges that he was unfairly ousted in what, according to reports, might be a power struggle within the organization. Regardless, O’Keefe has been called “cruel” by some former employees and has been alleged to spend money in lavish ways that threaten the organization’s longevity. Project Veritas is known for its aggressive “sting operation” videos against targets—usually progressive, liberal, or otherwise mainstream organizations, campaigns, or media outlets. The organization’s 501(c)3 status prohibits political operations or the use of operational expenses for private benefit. Project Veritas raised $21 million in donations according to its most recent filing. O’Keefe allegedly spent $14,000 on a private chartered flight and upwards of $150,000 for private drivers over the previous 18 months in a letter released by the board.
Mormon church, affiliated nonprofit to pay $5 million to settle SEC charges alleging disclosure failures | CNBC Former FTX Executive’s Charity Generated Profits From Employee Token Prices | WSJ A Christian Ministry Promised An Obamacare Alternative. The FBI Says Its Leaders Pocketed $4 Million And Left …| Forbes How Sean Penn’s Charity CORE Became a Money Mess | Bloomberg.com
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Devastation In Turkey & Syria As Earthquake Exacerbates Ongoing Crises In Region
A devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria last Wednesday, in a region already at the center of the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises. As of writing, the Associated Press reports a death toll surpassing 33,000. The New Humanitarian reports that the region has already been torn apart by war, conflict, economic crises, and a refugee crisis as the Syrian civil war has left much of Northwest Syria without a functioning government, instead controlled by militias, rebel factions, and other groups including Turkish and Kurdish forces. The on-the-ground reality has made moving aid and emergency response resources across the border extremely difficult. Yet, in some areas, NGOs and aid groups are the only form of search and rescue and disaster response resources available. Freezing temperatures and already haphazard infrastructure for those in Syria have made already dire situations worse. Across the border in Turkey, the government’s response has been seen as lackluster as the death toll rises. Experts warn the region will need substantial, long-term, ongoing aid and resources beyond that of typical natural disasters. Consider supporting relief efforts through organizations like Americares. Read more ➝
Summary
Jesus Super Bowl Commercial Connected to Anti-LGBTQ, Anti-Abortion Group | Newsweek Why The Pat Tillman Super Bowl Segment Made People Angry | BuzzFeed News S.F. nonprofit scandal: Lawsuit alleges head of troubled homeless provider spent funds on lavish lifestyle | San Francisco Chronicle
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Hot Take Debate: Was Mr. Beast’s Cataract Surgery Video charitable?
Adam Faircloth joins the debate. https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfaircloth/ Context: MR Beast made content around paying for 1k eye surgeries, is this charitable. the video has 95million views and was sponsored by Experian. At a rate of $2.13 per CPM, the video has generated at least $200k. does it matter that it isn’t a nonprofit? what if it was a nonprofit? how does this compare to flies in the eyes videos of african children that used to be used for fundraising does it matter if Mr Beast made a profit on this? what difference is there between actors being paid to perform in a video and people getting their surgeries covered to perform in a video Is this actually a potential earned revenue model? Other NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary World Cancer Day Promotes Advocacy, Awareness, & Early Detection
World Cancer Day, which was this past Saturday, emphasizes the importance of awareness around cancer, its potential symptoms, and the importance of an early diagnosis. The BBC acknowledged the day of advocacy by highlighting stories of young cancer patients who were misdiagnosed, acknowledging that young people can get cancer too. Many nonprofits, including Whole Whale client LCFA, advocates for research, awareness, and community on behalf of those impacted by cancers of various type. Many hospitals and other medical centers launched advocacy campaigns themselves, including the Georgia Cancer Center. Read more ➝
Late Subway Cofounder Donates 50 Percent Ownership to Nonprofit | QSR magazine Local nonprofit cleans up 36,000 pounds of trash along American River | CBS News World’s biggest YouTuber paid for 1,000 people to get eye surgery but is slammed for ‘making content out of people who can’t see’ | Fortune Gorillas, militias, and Bitcoin: Why Congo’s most famous national park is betting big on crypto | MIT Technology Review
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FDA To Further Ease Restrictions On Gay Men & Blood Donation Eligibility
On Friday the FDA proposed new policy revisions that demonstrate a shift toward more inclusive regulations surrounding blood donation for members of the LGBTQ community and those of various sexual orientations, according to reporting from CNBC and others. In 2015, the lifetime ban on gay men from donating blood was eased to allow those who abstained from sex for one year to donate blood, but Friday’s announcement proposed easing those restrictions further. The restrictive blood donation rules have long been criticized as discriminatory. As CNBC reports, “the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest organization that advocates for LGBTQ rights, said the FDA proposal is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to remove restrictions.” The new rules would allow monogamous gay and bisexual men to donate blood, while folks engaging in sex with new or multiple partners must wait three months. Read more ➝
Summary
PEPFAR Celebrates 20 Years of Unprecedented Global Impact in the Fight to End HIV/AIDS United States Department of State How Nonprofit Hospitals Put Profits Over Patients | nytimes.com SNAP ‘food stamp’ payments are about to get smaller. NJ lawmakers want to fund the difference. | Gothamist 10th Annual High Country K9 Keg Pull raises money for local nonprofit | Watauga Democrat
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Amazon Sunsets AmazonSmile Amid Cost-Cutting
The AmazonSmile will be ending by February 20th, according to a statement from the company, as reported by NPR and others. While the program dispersed nearly $449 million to nonprofits globally, the company says that the donations were spread too thin, minimizing impact. Amazon pointed to other efforts, such as its Housing Equity Fund, which supports affordable housing efforts near its headquarters, as an example of a social impact program receiving investment. However, smaller nonprofits that received AmazonSmile donations say that the donation were helpful and would be missed. The move comes after Amazon announced 18,000 layoffs, amid a winter defined by tech layoffs across the industry.
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Time’s Up to halt operations, shift resources to legal fund | ABC News People are only just realising what happens to the money IKEA makes – and it’s blowing their minds | The US Sun Founder of Seattle West African immigrant nonprofit accused of embezzling millions | king5.com What if school was all outside, every day? N.J. ‘nature schools’ take class outdoors, rain or shine. NJ.com The Eagles thought their Christmas album would fund a toy drive. It ended up doing much more. | https://www.inquirer.com
Rough Transcript
[00:00:00] George: This week on the nonprofit news feed. Well, we are talking about turning that Amazon smile upside down. I was first off, really happy to be able to come up with that subject line. Um, not as happy that this program is ending. Uh, Nick, how’s it going?
[00:00:42] Nick: It’s going good. George, this is, I think, gonna be one of those weeks where we are just focused on, on one-liners and, and puns. But alas, I’ll take us into the top story, which you alluded to, which is that Amazon Smile. The program that donated a PORs, uh, portion of the proceeds from purchases on Amazon to nonprofits will be coming to a close on February 20th.
[00:01:07] This comes via reporting from NPR and other outlets. And in the history of the program, it dispersed nearly 449 million to nonprofits globally. However, the company says that the donations were spread too thin, minimizing impact. That’s in quotes. Um, Amazon pointed in their statement to other efforts such as its Housing equity fund to support affordable housing.
[00:01:34] Here its headquarters as an example. Of a social impact program it was investing in. However, in the articles, smaller nonprofits said that Amazon SMILE donations were helpful and would be missed. And this comes amid broader economic headwinds that the industry is facing. Amazon has announced 18,000 layoffs.
[00:01:57] Tech layoffs are now commonplace across the board. Amazon Smile more like a frown these days.
[00:02:06] George: I’m sad to see a CSR corporate social responsibility program of this magnitude get sunset in this way in short order. I’ve been looking on LinkedIn, um, the reactions, and some folks are saying, you know, good riddens, this was a distraction for nonprofits because it sort of baits an organization into becoming an affiliate marketer.
[00:02:30] Meaning you get a portion of the sales based on a trackable link and you’re pushing product as opposed to your purpose. , I hear that. I also see 449 million, uh, across nonprofits being something meaningful now. Yeah. You spread peanut butter too thin and it turns into nothing. Right. If I were to donate that, but like, that’s still just, that’s a lot of money.
[00:02:55] You know, there’s, um, 1.5 ish million nonprofits, so I don’t, I don’t know that I buy that full narrative of like, it was too
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Nonprofits Energize & Give Back To Communities On MLK Day
Nonprofits across the country worked to engage and give back to communities this MLK Day. Virginia nonprofit Rise Against Hunger worked to fill 50,000 bags of food to serve communities in need. The article notes that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke often about hunger, and was a catalyst for this organization to focus on emergency food relief. In Charlotte, communities are finding assistance from nonprofits like Promise Youth Development, which serves to educate youth about Dr. King’s legacy while advocating for social justice. In addition to providing kids with education and exposure to Dr. King’s teaching, the nonprofit also fosters healing and relationship-building between students and police.
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Summary
Allegations that the charity George Santos claims to have run was fake highlight how scams divert money from worthy causes | yahoo.com Anchorage nonprofit’s use of $750K in federal funds investigated | alaskasnewssource.com 118th US Congress most racially and ethnically diverse in history | Pew Research Center Greta Thunberg detained by police at German coal protest | Axios Local nonprofit celebrates helping black entrepreneurs on MLK day – KLAS | 8 News Now
Rough Transcript
[00:00:00] audio1555325285: This week on a nonprofit newsfeed. We’re talking about some of the events that went on during M l k day as we’re recording this the day after. And Nick I hope you had a great weekend and we’re able to celebrate in your own way. , yes, it was a brisk but lovely weekend here in New York. We hope you’re staying dry and safe out in California.
[00:00:27] But to your point, yes, we want to talk about nonprofits giving back to communities on MLK Day. So yesterday it was MLK Day in Peas, United States and nonprofits across the country are. To give back to communities. One nonprofit in Virginia named Rise Against Hunger Work to fill 50,000 bags of food to serve communities in need.
[00:00:50] Noting that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Himself spoke frequently about the issue of hunger which catalyzed this organization to focus on emergency food relief and in Charlotte. Communities were finding assistance from organizations like Promise Youth Development, which serves to educate kids and young people about Dr.
[00:01:11] King’s lead legacy while advocating for social justice. And recently they started providing kids with healing and relationship, building support between students and police during the ongoing conversation. Police and community relations in America. So I think that M l K Day is a point of reflection, a catalyst to service, and an opportunity for nonprofits to show how they are making their communities safer, more inclusive, and more just.
[00:01:46] Yeah, it’s great to see how the holiday evolves with the times and how it. Be used to spark those types of conversations and social impact activities. And just knowing that people are more primed to, to volunteer and have have those dialogues around this time. And of course moving into, in, in short order Black History Month coming up next month.
[00:02:09] It is good to see also the amount of coverage in the news that we saw.
[00:02:15] Absolutely. All right. Shall I take us into the summary? Yeah. What do we got? All right, George, I’m so excited for this story, not because the main antagonist of this story shares your name, no relation. , but we are talking about . George Santos, famed Republican congressperson from Long Island. Parts of Queens, but , his, George Santos has been in the news recently for as it turns out, fabricating almost the entirety of his resume, professional
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Thousands of NYC Nurses Go On Strike As Hospital & Union Talks Fall Apart
A dramatic, last-ditch effort to avert a strike failed this weekend, leading nurses at two major NYC hospitals to go on strike, according to reporting from Politico and others. Approximately 7,000 nurses at Montefiore Medical Center and Mount Sinai Hospital went on strike at 6 a.m. Eastern on Monday, demanding increased staffing levels for nurses who say the staff shortage creates unsafe conditions for patients. While other hospitals successfully negotiated with the New York State Nurses Association to continue operations as normal, the strike at these two hospitals is the culmination of longstanding grievances of nursing staff who feel unfairly treated, burnt out, and chronically understaffed. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s push for binding arbitration in the last hours of negotiations was not accepted by the nursing union. Medical professionals working in nonprofit hospital systems across the country will be paying close attention to how this is resolved—the result of which may have wide-reaching implications.
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Summary
Woman sentenced to three years in state prison for collecting $400,000 in viral GoFundMe scam | CNN Aid operations hit as Taliban bars Afghan women from working for NGOs | The New Humanitarian From Nonprofit to $29 Billion Valuation – The Promise and Danger of … | IPWatchdog.com A 72-year-old congressman goes back to school, pursuing a degree in AI | Washington Post
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Mastodon Embraces Nonprofit Status As Potential Industry Model
Mastodon, an open-source microblogging site, has rejected offers from more than five US-based investors in recent months, according to reporting from Ars Technica. The platform’s non-profit status is “untouchable,” according to its founder Eugen Rochko. Mastodon has similar features to Twitter but is made up of many decentralized, independently moderated servers. Users join one server but can connect with people on other servers throughout the so-called “federated” system. Mastodon has seen a surge in users since Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in October amid concerns over the billionaire’s running of the social media platform. Amid increasing concerns about social media platforms’ stability, privacy, and ethics issues, the nonprofit model may increasingly find salience in an industry plagued by a decrease in public trust in for-profit social media companies.
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Summary
America’s Top 100 Charities 2022| Forbes Bank freezes Portland nonprofit Brown Hope’s account, delaying donations | OregonLive Revisiting Pope Benedict’s thought on reason and faith | Philanthropy Daily Fans raise more than $3 million for Damar Hamlin’s toy drive | NPR.org Coney Island Polar Bear plunge raises money for nonprofits | WABC-TV
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Scott Releases Comprehensive List Grant Recipients
MacKenzie Scott has released a comprehensive database of all the nonprofit organizations that have received grants from her over the past several years. Scott has in many ways upended the philanthropy sector with the sheer volume and size of the grants, as well as their “no strings attached” nature. The database denotes the name of the organization, the size of the gift, and the organization’s focus area, geographic location, and stated mission statement. The new website’s “Process” page hints at the potential for future open calls for prospective grant recipients. According to reporting from The Guardian, the donations totalled over $14 billion and were disbursed to over 1,600 nonprofit organizations.
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Summary
22 Most Charitable Companies in 2022 | Yahoo When Nonprofit Health Care Behaves Badly: The Case For Mission … | healthaffairs.org Big Tech Laid Off Thousands. Here’s Who Wants Them Next | WIRED Common Man For Ukraine delivers presents to 1,300 orphans | WMUR Manchester
Transcript
[00:00:00] This week on the nonprofit news feed. Well, we’re talking about a big release by Mackenzie Scott. She’s been giving away money now she’s giving away data, a comprehensive database actually, of all of the nonprofits. So we’ll jump into that. And also we had, uh, our, our end of year celebrations at Whole Whale.
[00:00:45] And there’s an internal video that Nick put together where he is a washed up British rock. Talking about a success. They, they definitely took the whole well adage of taking it too far and making it way too hilarious. Um, we can’t release any of it, but if you worked here, you’d see. Uh, impetus to, to keep us on your, your, your job postings, uh, going into the new year.
[00:01:07] Should we be hiring? Yes. Uh,
[00:01:10] video is released. Super fun. I got to live out my alter ego being a washed up British rocker for our annual holiday music video. Here’s what I’ll say. If you leave us a review and then you message me, I will share that video with you cuz it is unlisted on. I feel like that’s, I think that’s a fair trick.
[00:01:30] Cool. It is chaotic, good , chaotic, festive, let’s say , chaotic, festive. Um, I, I agree. Amazing. Well, we, in the spirit of giving and festivities and holidays and all that, our top story is of course Mackenzie Scott releasing a comprehensive list of grant recipients. So, Mackenzie Scott has started a new website, yield giving.com, and the website essentially serves.
[00:02:06] Just kind of like a, a holding a place to hold all the information about the recipients of Scott’s Enormous generosity over the past couple years. So a downloadable database of all the organizations that have received money from Mackenzie Scott. So it’s estimated that Don. On this list totaled over 14 billion and were dispersed to over 1600 nonprofits.
[00:02:36] The donations and grants were no strings attached in nature, and the database denotes the name of the organization, the size of the gift, and the organization’s focus area, geographic location, and mission statement. So we are getting. Full and total transparency from Mackenzie Scott on where those donations are going.
[00:02:59] and important to note on the website’s process page where they talk about how they found these donations. There is a hint at an open call for grant recipients, um, at some kind of process that organizations going forward might be able to apply for grants. Um, that seems to be an in the works type thing.
[00:03:20] But it is the first time that Mackenzie Scott
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CVS Shows “Pledges” Do Not Equal Direct “Donations”
In November 2021, US pharmaceutical giant CVS’s social responsibility team announced a $10 million commitment to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to be delivered over three years, as reported by Quartz. However, what CVS omitted is that the donations collected from customers through in-store fundraising weren’t going to be in addition to the initial pledge. Rather, they would be used in lieu of donations coming from CVS’s coffers. Customers subsidized CVS’s generosity without knowing it, as their donations were part of a larger pledge that CVS had made to the ADA. A new lawsuit, which is seeking class-action status, claims that by failing to disclose the exact way in which the funds raised would be used, CVS committed fraud. Nonprofits (and donors) interested in better understanding corporate partnerships should heed the word “pledge” as merely marketing lingo until actual monetary donations are received by the NPO organizations such corporations purport to support.
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How a Hotel Was Converted into Housing for Formerly Homeless People | nytimes.com Stacey Abrams’s Georgia Nonprofit Could Face Criminal Investigations for Unlicensed Fundraising | Washington Free Beacon Crain’s 2022 Notable Women in Nonprofits | Crain’s Detroit Business Santa Clarita Nonprofit Organization Unveils ‘Horseless’ Carriages – NBC Los Angeles | NBC Southern California
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
2022 Giving Tuesday Predictions: Search Is Down, Hope Is Up
Whole Whale, the publishers of this newsletter, predict a record-setting $3.2 billion will be donated for Giving Tuesday this year. The prediction is the result of an analysis based on an adjusted linear regression, trends in Google Search terms around “Giving Tuesday,” and national giving trends. This method predicts an 18% or $500 million increase over 2021’s total amount raised. While this is an optimistic prediction, several negative indicators might give nonprofits more caution heading into the season of giving, including decreased Giving Tuesday search volume, narratives around inflation and economic pains, a public drained of giving after an election cycle, and a potential return to post-pandemic giving patterns. Yet, elections can lead to heightened social engagement, and online shopping trends continue to be strong despite economic worries. (2022’s Black Friday set a record for online giving.) Whatever the final tally of donation revenue comes in during #GivingTuesday, remember to thank your donors!
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Nonprofit Uses Zillow to Help Homeless | Nonprofit Technology News Charities funded by Sam Bankman-Fried may be asked to return donations: ‘I had assumed FTX to be a reputable company’ | MarketWatch Pablo Eisenberg, a fierce critic of nonprofits and philanthropy, died at age 90 | NPR
Rough Transcript
[00:00:00] This week on the nonprofit News Feed for November 28th. This week we, uh, we have our big day, the day of the Tuesday of Giving, giving Tuesday. We’re excited to talk about this and what’s going on. Nick, hope you had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed family time. I know you had a massive amount of, uh, of humans eating Turkey.
[00:00:26] We had a massive amount of humans eating Turkey. Multiple turkeys I should say, but it was super fun and happy giving Tuesday. George, I sorry I didn’t get you anything. Um, but what I do have for you is some predictions. Uh, we are starting out with our 2022 Giving Tuesday predictions, and we’re going with the headline.
[00:00:51] Search is down, hope is up. We’re seeing some. Conflicting factors. So Whole Whale, which is US , we write the nonprofit newsfeed, whole letter, uh, newsletter. And we as in you predict a record setting $3.2 billion to be donated for giving Tuesday this year. And our prediction is the result of an analysis based on an adjusted linear regression.
[00:01:17] But we also take a peak at things like Google Search terms around giving Tuesday and broader. Giving trends. So using this method, we have officially predicted an 18% or 500 million increase over 2020 ones total amount raised. So this is an optimistic prediction, but there are several negative indicators, uh, that could potentially, uh, be pushing down this increase in including headlines regarding, uh, inflation and economic pains.
[00:01:53] We just came off an election cycle. Maybe folks are tired of giving, um, and we’re potentially returning to kind of a post pandemic social engagement. That being said, we’re seeing online shopping trends from Black Friday set new records. So it seems that even though we’re all talking about the economy, the consumer, uh, sector, particularly on Black Friday did real well.
[00:02:21] So, George, what’s, what do you make of this as the, the, the predictor himself? The, the Chief Guesser and Chief Waer? Yeah. I am excited. 10 years of giving Tuesday. I mean, this is the 10 year anniversary, uh, of how it’s come up and, you know, it is pretty steadily in terms of donations, uh, increased at a, at a decent clip.
[00:02:45] One of the things though that
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of hundreds of news sources.
Qatar World Cup Centers International Human Rights Issues, Corruption, And Sportswashing The 2022 FIFA World Cup is underway in Qatar in a climate marred by years of controversies related to human rights issues, corruption, and influence peddling. While this is the first time the games will be held in an Arab country, Qatar’s bid was a remote possibility until it shockingly won the bid back in 2010. FIFA, the international governing body of football, is considered one of the most openly corrupt institutions in sports, where bribery, corruption, and influence campaigns are rampant. Since winning the bid, Qatar has faced sustained criticism for labor rights abuses since the country began luring low-income workers (largely from Asia) to work on construction projects in what international human rights groups have labeled dangerous and exploitative conditions. The country has faced renewed criticism of its internal human rights issues, particularly around women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights since fans have started to arrive. International NGOs have been long calling for accountability over the games’ human cost, and teams have been put in the awkward position of navigating complex disagreements between the Qatari government, FIFA, and the general public. Read more ➝ Summary Meta Spending $7 Million To Stoke Recurring Donations | The NonProfit Times Jeff Bezos plans to give away most of his fortune: Why 'it’s a big deal,' from a philanthropy expert | CNBC When 10M meals aren't enough: Childhood hunger nonprofit struggling to meet demand | kare11.com Survey: Nearly 1 in 4 American Donors Increased Giving Due to Rising Inflation | NonProfit PRO
Rough Transcript [00:00:00] This week on the nonprofit news feed, well we're talking about a little thing called the World Cup and unfortunately, how it is mired in a number of issues of human rights and corruptions, so we'll get to that in just a bit. I'm back from Hawaii, uh, on a trip with my family. It was fun. Lot of sand everywhere. [00:00:49] Kids love the beach. Uh, but it's, it's, uh, much appreciated. Nick, that you and Matt handled last week, I, uh, I was a little jealous. I did wanna share a few words on the FTX collapse, but we'll, we'll get to that in the future. Something tells me those dominoes are not done falling. Yeah. George, I'm sure, I'm sure that story will be making a comeback as we talk about crypto philanthropy and the fallout from that. [00:01:16] To your point this week we wanted to talk about QAR and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. So the World Cup began this weekend in Qatar in a climate marred by, let's say, years of controversy related to human rights issues, corruption in. FIFA and influence paddling across the board. So this is the first time that the World Cup is being held in a Arab country, but Qatar's bid was considered just a remote possibility until it somehow shockingly won the bid back in 2010. [00:01:55] And fifa, the international governing body of football. Is widely considered to be one of the most openly corrupt institutions in sports, uh, accusations of bribery up and down the whole chain. It's essentially assumed Qatar bought this bid. Um, but now this is coming full circle because since the bid was awarded to guitar, the country has consistently faced criticism for pretty egregious labor rights abuses. [00:02:26] Uh, human rights issues, uh, workers working in extreme and deplorable conditions on the massive construction projects. And now that the World Cup itself is underway, a focus not only on the labor issues, but of just human rights issues more broadly in the country related to women's rights, um, LGBTQ plus rights, and the country's facing. [00:02:51] Criticism from international NGOs calling for accountability and the whole thing's kind of a mess. But it's a complex situation. So, George, what, what are your thoughts on this one? This brought to you by the public service announcement that not all nonprofits are good.
What The FTX Collapse Does & Does Not Mean For Crypto Philanthropy & Effective Altruism Crypto-exchange FTX, one of the largest such exchanges, collapsed last week, leaving the cryptocurrency world in disbelief as stakeholders try to piece together what happened and what comes next. The company’s founder Sam Bankman-Fried (known by the moniker SBF) was a visible proponent and donor to the effective altruism movement, as well as someone who built a personal brand as a prominent crypto-philanthropist. As noted by The New York Times, SBF was perhaps one of the most visible supporters of Effective Altruism, a community underpinned by a utilitarian approach to giving where donors focus on giving only to the most impact-efficient charitable causes. Created by Oxford philosopher William MacAskill, the Effective Altruism movement faces serious reputational trust issues as supporters worry it was a cover for the reckless FTX founder. It was also revealed by The New York Times that the two largest FTX Foundation grants went to nonprofits where MacAskill was on the board or directly supported the work of Effective Altruism. Bankman-Fried, who has also spoken frequently of his crypto giving, may have abused the crypto-philanthropy space to shield himself from questioning, but nonprofits should still understand that 38% of millennials own crypto and represent a major (and growing) potential source of donation revenue. (Editor’s Note: The above link is a blog post written by Whole Whale CEO George Weiner, the publisher of this newsletter. The Giving Block is a proud partner and client of Whole Whale.) Read more ➝ Former executives of nonprofit indicted in alleged $10.7 million fraud scheme | KLBK California expected to partner with nonprofit Civica Rx to produce its own low-cost insulin, sources say | NBC News New York City nonprofits stepping up to help asylum seekers find jobs | CBS New York
Reality of Recycling Comes To Forefront As Environmental Concerns Peak Nonprofit Greenpeace has released a new report acknowledging the gross inefficiencies and near futility of recycling, as reported by Grist. The report highlights that even while the use of plastics across the world surges, the amount of plastic that gets recycled has decreased, a symptom of a solution no match for the scale of a problem it hopes to address. Greenpeace states that “U.S. households generated an estimated 51 million tons of plastic waste in 2021, only 2.4 million tons of which was recycled.” Because of the complexities of sorting, the chemical hazards of the process, and the use of low-grade plastics, the U.S.’s recycling infrastructure is abysmally short of where it needs to be to reduce plastic waste. This report comes as the United Nations-sponsored COP27 climate summit commences in Egypt, where U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has warned the world is on a “highway to climate hell,” set against a backdrop of war and economic crises. Summary With Twitter in chaos, Mastodon is on fire | CNN Business | CNN Ashton Kutcher finishes NYC Marathon, raises $1M for his nonprofit | TODAY.com Election officials facing armed militia presence at some polls | CNBC 200-foot sub to benefit food-rescue nonprofit | YourArlington.com
Reactions, And Worries, As Musk Twitter’s Takeover Is Finalized Elon Musk’s $44 Billion takeover of Twitter was completed last week, with Musk officially becoming the owner and de-facto CEO of the influential social media platform. The drawn-out saga of the acquisition, which at times seemed like it would fall through, marks the beginning of a new chapter for a platform now run by one of its most prominent users. Musk's ownership has raised new questions about content moderation, rules around speech, and other fundamental questions about what Twitter (and by proxy, social media) should even be. The takeover, with Musk being a self-proclaimed advocate for “free speech,” has spurred a sharp increase in derogatory posts from trolls, according to the nonprofit Network Contagion Research Institute. While Musk sought to assuage the fears of advertisers by saying the platform would not become a “free-for-all hellscape,” some prominent corporate advertisers already appear to be wary of the change in discourse on the platform.
Read more ➝ Summary How a ‘mental health workforce crisis’ has these nonprofits retooling office culture | The Salt Lake Tribune Swarm learning for decentralized artificial intelligence in cancer histopathology | Nature Michelle Obama, Melinda French Gates, and Amal Clooney Announce Collaboration to Support Adolescent Girls’ Education and Help End Child Marriage Resource: Scary good AI email writer - Nonprofit Email Fundraising AI Writer (free-for-now) | Whole Whale
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Girl Scouts Get $85 Million Donation From MacKenzie Scott MacKenzie Scott, known for historic billion-dollar donations continues to change nonprofits’ fortunes, this time with an $85 million donation to the Girl Scouts of USA. The donation is the single largest donation in the organization’s history since its founding in 1912, and will help the organization recoup a loss of programming and membership as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to reporting from KUSA.com. According to the report, only 2% of philanthropic giving in the United States goes directly to programs expressly interested in serving women and girls. Youth membership in the Girl Scouts dropped nearly 30% in the first year of the pandemic.
Read more ➝ Summary Gates Foundation boosts GivingTuesday with $10M donation | AP NEWS Bill and Melinda Gates are chopping funding for reading, writing and the arts to plow $1 billion into math education instead | Fortune Police Complaints in This Indian District Are Going on the Polygon Blockchain | @coindesk Countering an Authoritarian Overhaul of the Internet | Freedom House Avoggedon strikes Philadelphia: One nonprofit gives away thousands of avocados NPR.org
“Big Lie” -Affiliated Nonprofits Scrutinized By Authorities On Eve of Midterm General Election Two organizations associated with the “Big Lie,” the disproved conspiracy that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election, face scrutiny for financial impropriety. The Arizona Attorney General (a Republican who as recently as 2020 courted Trump’s endorsement) has asked the FBI and IRS to probe the nonprofit organization True The Vote, an organization that purported to document unfounded claims of election fraud, according to reporting from Politico. Similarly, the nonprofit organization Defending The Republic led by Sidney Powell, a prominent character in the plot to deny the 2020 election results, has made highly questionable expenditures after raising $16 million, including to private companies that Sidney Powell is listed as a manager, as well as reportedly expenditures to Powell’s personal legal fees. The Justice Department has subpoenaed Defending The Republic’s documents as Powell herself faces multiple lawsuits, legal sanctions, and other legal inquiries as reported by The Washington Post.
Read more ➝ Summary Century-old nonprofit Goodwill on taking thrifting online | TribDem.com Major bank cancels account of religious nonprofit, demands donor list | FISM TV Richmond nonprofit says marijuana possession pardons could help over half of their clients | CBS 6 News Richmond Gates Foundation pledges $1.2B to eradicate polio globally | AP NEWS
Weekly Nonprofit News summaries. In Win For Criminal Justice Advocates, Biden Pardons Marijuana Charges & Orders Evaluation of Cannabis Scheduling The Biden Administration announced last week a series of pardons for those charged on federal, simple marijuana possession charges, in a win for criminal justice reform advocates. The legacy of the Nixon Administration’s “War On Drugs” is still felt throughout the United States, where black and brown Americans are more likely to be charged for marijuana use than white Americans, despite similar rates of usage. NPR quotes Patrice Willoughby, vice president of policy and legislative affairs at the NAACP, who says that “The failed policies on drug criminalization have ensnared many on nonviolent, marijuana offenses.” Biden has also “instructed the attorney general and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to start the process of reviewing marijuana’s status under federal law, according to Politico. Advocacy groups continue to highlight the need for reforms at the state level.
Read more ➝ Summary U.N. refugee boss warns of 'severe cuts' without immediate new funding U.S. Reuters What Happens When a Company (Like Patagonia) Transfers Ownership to a Nonprofit? | HBR.org Daily Black Lives Matter tops list of groups that Black Americans see as helping them most in recent years | Pew Research Center Nonprofit Helps Salem Family With Wheelchair Makeover Fit for Halloween | NECN
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Discussions of Corporate ESG Ratings Should Be Monitored By Nonprofit Industry More and more, discussions about the efficacy, morality, and financial benefit of ESG-rated publicly-traded companies on the stock market are becoming commonplace. At nonprofitnewsfeed.com, we think that nonprofits need to be equipped with the context needed to engage both prospective donors and the public at large with what ESG is and is not. ESG, a catchall term for “Environmental, Social & Governance” is marketed to be a way to group, define, and measure companies by their broader (hopefully positive) impact on the world. However, as this op-ed from The New York Times makes clear, ESG (and ESG-related financial products like indexes or funds) are at best unproven in their effectiveness, at worst, a marketing ploy designed to obfuscate the harm done by the very companies on the list. Nonprofits should heed that fact as the general public and high-value donors discern significant investments in a wobbly economy, ESG may well increasingly become part of the conversation as a socially conscious (but financially beneficial) alternative to charitable giving in the minds of wealthy donors and investors, regardless of the efficacy of such an approach.
Read more ➝ Summary How can I help with Hurricane Ian? Volunteer, donate to Florida USA TODAY What happened to giving money to charity? | Vox Pennsylvania school district accused of banning Girls Who Code book series | the Guardian How Indigenous Peoples’ Day is Supplanting Columbus Day Whole Whale The 2022 Nonprofit Power 100 | City & State
Nonprofits Respond To Hurricane In Puerto Rico Puerto Rico felt the brunt of hurricane Fiona last week, shutting power to the island and devastating everything from homes to agriculture as severe flooding uprooted life yet again in communities. Puerto Rico, still recovering from hurricane Maria which landed back in 2017, again finds itself in need of assistance and as yet a path towards a resilient recovery. Nonprofits like New York-based Your Network Caring Community Advocates have already started collecting supplies to aid in recovery, and on-the-ground organizations like the Hispanic Federation are also accepting donations. While digital attention for providing aid to help in the wake of natural disasters spike to highs in the immediate aftermath of an event, the long-tail recovery efforts often require sustained rebuilding that takes years of reinvestment.
Read more ➝ Summary: Time to Start Making Hospital Executives Vow to 'Do No Harm' | Esquire Nonprofits pay Texas farmers to not water crops during drought | The Texas Tribune Local nonprofit seeks to reduce America's political divide - News8000.com | WKBT Nonprofit organization levels up Concord with 'Donkey Kong' mural | WMUR Manchester
Patagonia Goes All-in Transferring Ownership to Nonprofit The private B Corp company Patagonia, known for outdoor gear and its outspoken position on the environment has transferred its ownership to a nonprofit (reported by The NonProfit Times). The company, worth an estimated $3 Billion, is transferring 98% of non-voting stock to the Holdfast Collective a 501(c)(4), and 2% of the stock (all voting control) to the Patagonia Purpose Trust. Patagonia Founder, Yvon Chouinard has done something unprecedented for a company this size, ensuring that the $100m in profit each year will go toward philanthropic purposes instead of investors. The company still plans to donate 1% of profits toward grassroots environmental causes as well, at the discretion of the nonprofit. Further details of how money will be directed have not been revealed yet.
Read more ➝ Summary The Ethereum Merge Is Done, Opening a New Era for the Second-Biggest Blockchain | CoinDesk More Than $1 Billion For Black And Underserved Communities The NonProfit Times Houston nonprofit helping migrants transported out of state by group of Republican governors | KHOU.com https://blackwealthdata.org/
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Nonprofits Recognize Anniversary of September 11th Attacks With National Day of Service & Remembrance This Sunday marked the 21st anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks. As Americans across the country reflect on the day, nonprofit and volunteer organizations stepped up to honor victims and families, as well as to pay forward the heroic acts of bravery and charitable acts of community displayed that September. The federally-recognized September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance brings together folks across the country to “rekindle the spirit of unity that arose in America in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.” AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith, says that “from supporting students and teachers, running food drives and making emergency preparedness kits to helping with home repairs and organizing cleanups, we can help our neighbors in communities across the country,” in an effort to “ensure that what unites us outshines what tries to divide us.” Read more ➝ Summary Crypto Going Green? Ethereum 'Merge' Begins | MediaPost Federal judge rules HIV drug mandate violates religious freedom | Roll Call $3.2 Billion Prediction: 2022 Giving Tuesday | Whole Whale
Nonprofit prepares second Safe Outdoor Space for Albuquerque's homeless | KOB 4
GOP-Tied NRSC Mismanaged Fundraising In Lead-Up To Crucial Midterm Elections The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the fundraising and campaign arm of the Senate Republicans, is facing backlash from its own party as details of how it lost millions on an ill-concieved fundraising strategy emerge. The NRSC, chaired by Rick Scott, managed to take in nearly $181.5 million in donation revenue by the end of this July, only to have spent 95% of what it had already brought in, according to detailed reporting from The New York Times. The committee now has less than half of the cash-on-hand of its Democratic counterpart, having gambled it all on a flawed digital donor acquisition strategy. The report also details an ethically dubious text-to-donate scheme in which millions of texts with the question “Should Biden Resign?” -- “Reply YES To Donate” processed donations immediately without any additional information. The WinRed platform insisted the NRSC abandon the tactic. Both GOP and Democratic campaigns have received criticism for aggressive marketing in the past. The 2020 Trump campaign was forced to provide nearly $122 million in refunds. Read more ➝ Summary NC NAACP loses tax-exempt status, financial problems with IRS | Raleigh News & Observer How an SF Housing Nonprofit Blew Almost $500K on a Flawed Effort To 'Tax Jeff Bezos' Ass' | SF Standard Fight For Website Control 'Destroying' Nonprofit, Judge Says | Law360 Rape map where Republicans have made abortions illegal | The Democracy Labs
Biden Announces $10k, $20k Student Loan Forgiveness For Most Borrowers The Biden administration announced last week that up to $10k of federal student loan debt would be forgiven for eligible borrowers, including up to $20k for Pell Grant recipients. The sweeping announcement was a controversial policy move but nonetheless a major one, with tens of millions of borrowers affected. According to The White House, 87% of the eligible borrowers currently make less than $75,000 and will disproportionately benefit historically debt-burdened communities, including Black borrowers who hold a “disproportionate amount of student loan debt.” Nonprofit and public service employees should pay close attention to shifting (and temporarily expanded leniency) in rules for the government’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Rules eliminating particularly onerous requirements have been temporarily waived but require borrowers to consolidate loans by October 31 to benefit. Read more here. Summary Carbon Offsets: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) Why are so many nonprofit execs leaving their jobs? | Crain's Detroit What is SHADOW moderation & how is it silencing speech? | Whole Whale Hundreds of paddle boarders take to the lake for Austin nonprofit | CultureMap Austin
Low-Profile Donor Gives $1.6 Billion To Conservative Political Nonprofit Barre Seid, an “electronics manufacturing mogul,” has donated over $1.6 billion to the conservative political nonprofit Marble Freedom Trust, according to reporting from The New York Times. The 501(c)4 nonprofit, led by a prominent conservative political operator, represents the largest single donation to a political organization ever and dwarfs the spending of the top 15 GOP and Democratic-aligned nonprofits during the 2020 election. The donation was structured as a stock donation, as opposed to an all-cash donation, as a legal way to skirt a complicated web of tax rules. The Marble Freedom Trust is run by Leonard A. Leo, who among other titles, was previously vice president of the Federalist Society, and is largely credited with engineering an increasingly conservative Supreme Court. Justice Clarence Thomas once jokingly referred to Mr. Leo as the “third most powerful person in the world,” as reported by The New York Times. Read more ➝ Summary: Survey: U.S. Nonprofits Struggle to Find Workers, Funding | Government Technology $7.1 Billion in US Medical Debt Erased by Nonprofit Group -- How They Did It | GOBankingRates Nonprofit hospitals' outlook downgraded to 'deteriorating' by Fitch | Healthcare Finance News
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Nonprofits & Environmental Groups React To Landmark Inflation Reduction Act Legislation The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law by the Biden White House shortly after passing through the Senate and House of Representatives in what has become a dramatic and unexpected win for Democrats and environmental activists alike. The new legislation is the largest investment in clean energy of any country in history, including hundreds of billions of dollars for clean energy programs and environmental justice initiatives, among other non-climate provisions. “This is historic for environmental justice and front-line communities that have been all but ignored, overlooked, and underfunded,” according to Harold Mitchell Jr. of the South Carolina environmental group ReGenesis Institute. WWF says the new Act gets to the “root cause of climate change – carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels– and offers significant resources addressing those emissions in American businesses, on our roads, in our communities.” Read more ➝ Summary WHO plans to rename monkeypox over stigmatization concerns | ABC News Black Girls Code Founder Sues the Nonprofit After Her Ousting | Business Insider New York City Council bill to help nonprofits in land bidding wars | Crain's
This nonprofit shows how rigorous data analysis can dramatically reduce youth homelessness | GeekWire
Amnesty International Triggers Global Criticism For Problematic Report Lacking Vital Context Amnesty International published a new report as part of its ongoing reporting on the war in Ukraine that has been widely criticized as lacking critical context and framing, triggering both internal and external condemnation. The report criticizes the Ukrainian military for violating “international humanitarian law” by putting civilians in harm’s way in relation to where the Ukrainian military places defensive military equipment. While Amnesty (and other INGOs) rightly pride themselves on remaining neutral in evaluating humanitarian and legal violations (in fact HRW made similar assertions in a more thorough report), the framing of this particular report is being criticized for giving ammunition to Russian propaganda, misrepresenting legal norms via vague language, and sidelining Amnesty’s own Ukraine office in its publication. After inflammatory tweets from Amnesty’s Secretary General defending the report, Amnesty’s director of its Ukraine office resigned in protest. (AI’s Secretary General is now facing public calls to resign, and the organization has issued something of an apology.) Large nonprofits should heed this as a cautionary tale of the consequences of a very public fallout from bureaucratic misalignment of process and viewpoints between global/national and regional/affiliate offices. Read more ➝ Summary PIR Offers New Top-Level Domains in Its ‘.ORG Family of Domains’ Portfolio | NonProfit PRO Nonprofits launch $100M plan to support local health workers | Daily Independent Planned Parenthood Action Fund sets new second quarter lobbying record amid fallout of Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade | Original Journalism from OpenSecrets Nonprofit launches national Pickleball Day to make a difference in the community | ActionNewsJax.com
Nonprofit News. Trevor Project CEO Under Fire For Purdue Pharma Consulting Work Trevor Project CEO Amit Paley is coming under internal pressure from staff for previous consulting work done at McKinsey for Purdue Pharma, according to reporting from Teen Vogue. (The first revelations were published by the Huffington Post.) Purdue Pharma, responsible for bringing OxyContin to market, is widely perceived as playing a critical role in the opioid crisis in America. Paley was a consultant at McKinsey working on the Purdue account, although his leadership and responsibilities in that role are disputed. Trevor Project staff have criticized the revelation, especially as the core mission of the Trevor Project is helping at-risk LGBTQ+ youth at risk of mental health crisis and suicide, verticals of care impacted by opioid abuse and misuse. The chair of Trevor Project’s board of directors has expressed “full confidence” in Paley while others inside the organization are quoted anonymously as saying the mood is “grim.” Read more ➝ Summary: Post-'Roe' Digital-Privacy Concerns Should Send a Signal to Nonprofits: Take Online Security Seriously | The Chronicle of Philanthropy Senate Appropriations proposes $360 million for nonprofit security grants | Jewish Insider What Inflation? DAF Awards To NPOs Remain Strong | The NonProfit Times
Nonprofit creates opportunities for formerly incarcerated | Spectrum News
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Charity Navigator To Unveil New, Unified Charity Rating System Charity Navigator, the 501(c)3 charity rating organization, has provided additional information on the proposed changes to their new rating system. The new system, according to a release, will “will bring together our legacy Charity Navigator 2.1 (Star) system with our Encompass Rating System, rating more than 200,000 nonprofits.” Among other changes, all organizations will be rated on a star system, as well as have the opportunity to be rated for additional “beacons” that indicate more nuanced performance. Charity Navigator, like other charity rating organizations, plays a vital — although sometimes criticized — role in communicating nonprofit trustworthiness to the general public. Nonprofit organizations should pay close attention to how their organization is portrayed by rating organizations, as discerning donors will often use them to verify legitimacy. Whole Whale, the publisher of this newsletter, offers a guide for communicating transparency and legitimacy to donors. Read more ➝ Summary Nonprofit finds increase in hate crimes against Muslim community | New York Inflation hitting Mobile nonprofits as they meet the needs of the community | WKRG News 5 Why Billionaires Like MacKenzie Scott And Jack Dorsey Are Donating Millions To This Nonprofit That Gives Cash To The Poor | Forbes
988 Mental Health Crisis Hotline Rolls Out Across Country The consolidated 988 national mental health hotline rolled out over the weekend, as part of a broader effort to fill gaps in emergency mental health response and access throughout the country. The effort, in large part spearheaded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in conjunction with national and local partners streamlines the public’s ability to talk to a crisis counselor. Years in the making, federal and state governments have spent lots of money to prepare for the rollout, though some questions remain about different states and call centers' ability to handle the volume of calls. The 988 lifelines, as a national helpline, functions 24/7 providing support to people in crisis. The helpline is available for both calls and text messages, giving options to people in crisis for calling for help. Health organizations and other organizations that serve individuals at risk of suicide are advised to promote the 988 helpline through community education campaigns and outreach. Read more ➝ Summary Do all sides deserve equal coverage? U.S. journalists and public differ | Pew Research Center Statement by CEO on Newly Released James Webb Space Telescope Images | Space Foundation American Red Cross seeks blood donations to prevent summer shortage | Cleveland19.com 'Queer Eye' Season 6: Where is Chris Baker now? Inside his journey to self-forgiveness | MEAWW
Nonprofit News Feed. Lots Of Money To Move Around PACs, Super PACs, But Also 501(c)4 Tax-Exempt Orgs This Election Cycle As the primaries wrap up and the general midterm elections start moving into full swing, more and more money will start flowing through various election spending vehicles, including 501(c)4 organizations, which are sometimes criticized as “dark spending” avenues for political expenditures. 501(c)4 organizations are prohibited by FEC and IRS rules from spending more than 50% on political lobbying or advocacy, though some critics argue that the largest funds might spend beyond that. While 501(c)3 organizations can spend “insubstantial” amounts of money on political lobbying, their 501(c)4 counterparts routinely spend millions during each election cycle. Nonprofits should brace themselves for a tough messaging battle in Q3 to the beginning of Q4 as they go up against political organizations spending millions on advertising, fundraising, lobbying, and the like. Read more ➝ Summary: Violence In Boston nonprofit shut down by board as leaders face fraud and conspiracy charges | WBUR News 2021 Lookback Report - GivingTuesday NPOs Added $1.4 Trillion To U.S. Economy | The NonProfit Times Org created to support Ukrainian children with their art
Transcript: [00:00:00] This week on the nonprofit news feed for the week of July 11th, seven 11, always open lots of money, lots of money moving around packs and super packs. As we move into that type of midterm season, Nick, how's going good, George. We can dive right into it. So alluding to that first story, uh, we wanted to talk about at the head of the podcast was that lots of money are moving around packs super PACS, but also 5 0 1 C four tax exempt organizations, this election cycle as in past election cycles. [00:00:38] So this is something we want to talk about because I think it's important for nonprofit leaders to know that there are tax exempt organizations operating in this space and. Might create messaging challenges and public perception, challenges as we go into what is sure to be another pretty volatile midterm election year. [00:00:59] So 5 0 1 C four organizations are similar to C3 organizations except they are. Specifically designed for groups that work on advocacy they can spend up to, but no more 50% of their expenditures on advocacy, political lobbying, X, Y, Z some of these orgs, however that are associated with packs doll out millions and millions of dollars. [00:01:26] We have an article in here about a pack associated with Senate majority pack, uh, or a, a C4 associated with Senate majority pack. Given out tens and tens of millions of dollars to various causes in previous elections. This is just how it works. Right. C four S are increasingly a vehicle for moving money around in the political space. [00:01:47] C3 organizations can send, spend quote, unquote insubstantial amounts of money on political lobbying. Definitely do research it before you do that, if you're a C3, but the, the takeaway here is that C four S are tax exempted organizations. There's going to be tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars swirling around this year during the. [00:02:13] Quite frankly, C3 should be aware of that. You might see more news stories about X, Y, and Z tax exempt organization, dark money, this that, how can your organization increase its legitimacy. And the perception that your money is being used for good and being used efficiently. Something else we wanted to point out is that advertising during elections can become notoriously difficult for smaller organizations going up against these massive ones cost per click on ad platforms like Facebook are probably gonna be really hard to compete with. [00:02:49] There's just a lot of money. Going for what is a finite and ever decreasing attention of the public. So that's kind of at the top of our story, more kind of broad, not necessarily breaking news, but George,
NonprofitNewsFeed.com National Volunteer Shortage Threatens Stability of Nonprofit Programming Nonprofits in Arizona are having a hard time getting volunteers to come back compared to pre-Covid times, as reported by Axios. This represents a continuation of a broader trend since the onset of the pandemic, where nonprofits have seen volunteer participation decline nationally. Nonprofits like the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central and Northern Arizona say they may have to stop providing meals because of increased costs and lack of volunteers. Higher gas prices, coupled with fewer work-associated volunteer outings as well as remaining concerns about Covid may have contributed to the decrease. This animal nonprofit in California is entirely volunteer-run and has seen funding decrease by 30% since the onset of the pandemic. Decreases in volunteer participation threaten the stability of the hundreds of thousands of volunteer-led organizations throughout the country. Read more ➝ Summary 76 Fake Charities Shared a Mailbox. The I.R.S. Kept Approving More. | NYT Nonprofit calls out Tesla for not disclosing enough environmental data | Teslarati W3C Announces Plans To Launch as Nonprofit Org | Redmond Channel Partner Opinion | Democrats Are Having a Purity-Test Problem at Exactly the Wrong Time | NYT 10 years after launch, Hamden nonprofit has repaired 173 homes for veterans | New Haven Register
Rough Transcription [00:00:00] This week on the nonprofit news feed, we're talking about, uh, national volunteer shortage as it rolls out and continues, Nick, how's it going? It's going good, George, how are you? First week of July? We are we're in the, I guess that means the second half of the year we're doing it. We're doing it. We're now in Q3. [00:00:23] Oh, everything's gonna look brighter, shinier and better forget Q1 and Q2 of this year, they were junk. Things are gonna be completely new and fresh and a lot of nonprofits starting their new fiscal years. So, you know, you can, you can, re-plan based on the new information. Absolutely. I'm bullish on the success of Q3, but let's go right into it. [00:00:46] Our first story comes, uh, as we talk about an increasing trend, which is a national volunteer shortage, that's threatening the stability of nonprofit programming. So as reported by AIOS nonprofits in Arizona in particular are having a hard time getting volunteers to come back compared. Pre COVID times. [00:01:10] And while this represents a broader trend, the article talks about how nonprofits like the Ronald McDonald's house charities of central and Northern Arizona say they may have to stop providing meals because of increased costs and lack of volunteers, some of the contributing factors or potentially higher gas prices. [00:01:29] Coupled with fewer work associated volunteer events, as well as of course remaining concerns about COVID that may have contributed to the decrease in the first place. Um, so just a small anecdote, but from a trend that we've been tracking for a while that we know is occurring nationally, George, what's your thoughts on. [00:01:50] We talked about this early with volunteer match as well, the CEO, Greg Baldwin at the time of saying like, what are you seeing? And it, you know, it was clear that there were a lot more opportunities being posted than there were, uh, people necessarily filling them and to continue that. Into this year, corporate volunteering. [00:02:09] Right? What does it mean when we're not all in the office together, doing things together, local and community. What does it look like over time? As we have maybe moved away from central areas in certain communities? As part of the like work from work from home, the second order effects are, are pretty real where maybe people are staying inside or staying more local more often because of gas. [00:02:31] Like all of those things add up. And then unfortunately, you know, we see where we see a few of these stories.
Roe v. Wade Repeal Upends Nearly 50 Years Of Constitutional Abortion Protection; Access To Abortions Enters Into State-By-State Public Policy Frenzy Nearly 50 years of the constitutionally-upheld right to abortion access came to an end on Friday with the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. The decision, written by Justice Samuel Alito with additional concurring opinions by conservative justices including Clarence Thomas, immediately ended federal protection for a woman’s right to abortion. The right to abortion is now a legal question left entirely up to the states, reflecting a public policy landscape upended into chaos. The legal landscape of abortion access across America is complex, with some states that have trigger laws that instantly banned abortion with this decision, and others have dormant laws that have suddenly become viable. The decision comes despite Pew Research polling suggesting that 61% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. In addition to partisan and religious divides, among the most salient demographic determinants of American’s feelings on abortion stem from respondants’ age, with young people under 29 indicating 74% in favor of abortion legality in all or most cases. Read more ➝ Summary: Biden signs gun safety bill into law : NPR | NPR.org The New Humanitarian | Ukraine aid response shifts gears for the long haul | The New Humanitarian Health Care Debt In The U.S.: The Broad Consequences Of Medical And Dental Bills – Main Findings – 9957 | KFF
Market Volatility Has Potential To Impact DAFs & Crypto Philanthropy Major philanthropy trends over the past several years have included the rise of crypto philanthropy and donor-advised funds, alternate forms of giving that may see the trickle-down impacts of the current bear market and overall market volatility. Donor-advised funds, or DAFs, have seen a surge in popularity over the past several years as market-tied vehicles for philanthropic giving with an estimated $160 billion according to NP Trust. While DAFs receive criticism for their sometimes conservative disbursement and lack of immediate impact, another potential flag is that they are affected by market volatility.
This will potentially impact giving because of the percent based donation targets for these funds which hover around 20% according to NP Trust. With the S&P 500 down ~20% on the year, and having its worst week since the start of 2020, contributions within the past year to these funds may have decreased in value by as much as $38B. Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency that serves as another popular vehicle of charitable giving, is worth less than ⅓ of its peak value in November of last year, potentially diminishing enthusiasm for charitable donations among investors.
The Giving Block, a major player in the crypto-donation space, offers DAF investment options that are susceptible to changes in the market landscape. This might be a rough year for overall donations from these sources, though it would be worse if this were happening in December... Read more ➝ Summary: New Survey Ranks Most Trusted Nonprofits | NonProfit PRO Juneteenth in Galveston: Honoring State Rep. Al Edwards | khou.com How Houston Moved 25,000 People From the Streets Into Homes of Their Own | nytimes.com
Transcript: [00:00:00] Today on the nonprofit news feed. We're talking about what the market drop might mean to donations. Nick, how's it going? It's going good, George, how are you? I'm doing alright today. That's good because we're about to go into a kind of complicated, but really. Uh, timebound story, really relevant story. And that is that market volatility has the potential to impact DAFs and crypto philanthropy. [00:00:30] So two major philanthropy trends that we've been following over the past couple years on this podcast have been the increase in contributions to DAFs, which are donor advised funds, as well as the increase in crypto philanthropy. Now DS have seen a surgeon popularity and their vehicles for Phil philanthropic giving with an estimated $160 billion in value, according to nonprofit trust and DAS received some criticism for, uh, you know, maybe lackluster rates of disbursement and. [00:01:06] Lack of immediate impact something else that is a potential downside of, uh, putting your charitable giving into the markets essentially is that the S and P 500 is down 20% over the year, just had its worst week. And that. Any kind of asset in the market is being hit right now. Uh, the flip side of that on the crypto side is that crypto is way down essentially crashed. [00:01:35] Uh, Bitcoin is at less than a third of its value than it was at its peak in the fall. And that is likely to have, uh, put negative pressure. People who might otherwise be thinking of, uh, donating cryptocurrencies to nonprofits, which is another trend. So their overall story here is that, uh, the markets may be messing with these alternate forms of charitable giving this year. [00:02:05] George, what are your thoughts? I'll say the larger story is around. I think DAFs, the donor advised funds, which are essentially, you know, donate now give later ish in this optimistic look of money. You'll appreciate over time because it's, you know, in the market. And just back at the napkin, we put in our newsletter that. [00:02:27] You know, this could mean as much as 38 billion. If you're just talking about math, 20% drop 20% of 160 billion. So 38 billion could be off the table.
Nonprofitnewsfeed.com Brookings Institution President Resigns Amid FBI Foreign Lobbying Probe Brookings Institution President John Allen has resigned after national press outlets reported he was under FBI investigation for undisclosed lobbying efforts on behalf of the government of Qatar. While Allen denies any wrongdoing, he was revealed in court filings to be the target of an FBI probe into violations of FARA (Foreign Agent Registration Act), which requires the registration of anyone conducting lobbying activities on behalf of foreign governments. Court documents also show he lied to federal investigators and attempted to withhold evidence saught by a federal subpoena. Allen, a retired four star U.S. Marine Corps general and former commander of NATO and U.S. troops in Afghanistan, publically resigned on Sunday after being placed on administrative leave. This comes amid increasing scrutiny of foreign influence in D.C.-based think tanks, and represents law enforcement efforts to curb illegal lobbying especially by wealthy Gulf countries like Qatar. Most of these policy-based think tanks are registered 501(c)3’s and wield enormous influence in shaping federal public policy. Summary: Senators reach a bipartisan deal on gun safety legislation : NPR NPR.org Apple Adds iOS Safety Check for People Facing Domestic Violence CNET Jennifer Lopez Partners With Microfinance Nonprofit To Give Latina Entrepreneurs $14 Billion Capital Boost | Forbes Coastal Bend nonprofit offers summer program for students with special needs | KIIITV.com The Kelsey Ayer Station Groundbreaking Community Celebration | The Kelsey
Nonprofit news for June. Independent Sector Releases Survey On Nonprofit Trust Independent Sector has released its third annual survey on trust within the nonprofit and civil society sector. The findings show that nonprofits still benefit from strong public trust (56% of respondents say they trust nonprofits), making NPOs among the few social institutions that the majority of the public trust, along with small businesses and community members. However, the sector saw a statistically significant decrease of 3% in trust compared to 2020. The survey also found that education and financial wellbeing drive nonprofit trust, that purpose-driven integrity is essential, and that Gen Z is increasingly skeptical of the nonprofit sector. The survey fielded answers from 3,015 Americans and had a margin of error of +/- 2%. Read more ➝ Summary 233 mass shootings have happened so far in 2022: nonprofit | The Hill Rising gas prices affect delivery operations for nonprofits | KSHB 41 Kansas City News Inflation impacts nonprofit’s ability to feed thousands of kids over the summer | CBS 46 News Small Nonprofits Shouldn't Be Subjected to the Same Payroll Tax as Amazon and ExxonMobil | The Chronicle of Philanthropy Nonprofit helps formerly incarcerated firefighters get jobs | WesternSlopeNow
Rought Transcript [00:00:00] George: This week on the nonprofit news feed for gosh, June 6th, June 6th, the week of June 6th, we were talking about some of the information coming out of the independent sector on a survey, a non-profit trust, as well as some other headlines related to themes that we've been covering Nick. How's it going? [00:00:18] Nick: It's gone. Good, George. [00:00:20] George: Doing all right. Just, I had a wedding last weekend of an in-law's fun. Hadn't been to a wedding for awhile. So good time to celebrate. Hopefully nobody got COVID. [00:00:31] Nick: That's good. TIS the site TIS the season for weddings. [00:00:36] George: Yeah. weddings. weddings, and funerals. They go on, no matter what I'll say that. [00:00:41] Nick: That is true. But bring us back to the nonprofit news. We'll start off with our first story, which comes from independent sector. Independent sector has released its third annual survey on trust within the non-profit and civil society sector. And the findings show that while nonprofits still benefit from strong. [00:01:02] Trust where 56% of respondents say they still trust non-profits. This is actually a decrease of 3% in overall trust in nonprofits compared to 2020, there are a couple other really interesting findings within the report. One is that nonprofits were the strongest institution when it comes to public trust, beating. [00:01:27] Legacy institutions like government, the media substantially that being said, there's a couple of interests. Nuances and the data and the survey found that education and financial wellbeing drove non-profit trust. In fact, education level was the prime determinant more than any other demographic determinant of trust in non-profit organizations. [00:01:53] They also found that gen Z is increasingly skeptical of the nonprofit sector, not having a negative. uh, perspective per se. But not having a positive one either. So the jury is still out on them when it comes to building that trust in non-profits as a social institution. But George, what were your takeaways from these really interesting and important survivors? [00:02:19] George: yeah, just to start, I always try to find and understand the sample size. In this case, it is a U S general population of 3000 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2%. So any number you hear it's like give or take a couple points. So that's just important to put in mind. I think the differences based on age range, And rising generation being a touch more skeptical is in line, uh, overall positive in terms of this report that I look for is just look, we're talking about people's trust across businesses, government, media,
Nonprofit news: In Wake Of Uvalde School Shooting, Gun Rights Advocacy Groups Fill Void Left By NRA On May 24 a gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas killing 19 students, two teachers, and wounding 17 others. The horrific shooting has rekindled the decades-long debate in the United States between gun control and gun rights advocates. Within economically developed countries, the United States by far outnumbers other countries in terms of both gun ownership and gun deaths per capita. Among gun rights advocacy groups, however, the infighting and reputationally-damaged NRA has provided an opportunity for other organizations (many tax-exempt) to fill the void, according to reporting from The Washington Post. The National Association for Gun Rights, a 501(c)4 group that often criticizes the NRA for being too compromising, saw revenue increase to $15 million, up from $6 million in 2019. Other gun rights groups have seen similar increases in revenue and capacity. Read more ➝ Summary Nonprofit Begins Tracking Anti-Asian Hate Crimes in the Midwest | NBC Chicago Nonprofits Fighting Gender Violence Have Struggled Since Losing Buffetts' Funding. They Urgently Need More Support. | The Chronicle of Philanthropy Coloradans asked to take water conservation pledge | 9News.com KUSA Tax breaks aren’t prime reason for high-net-worth philanthropy, study finds | CNBC Nonprofit keeps taps Memorial Day tradition alive | Military | kdhnews.com | The Killeen Daily Herald
Rough Transcript: [00:00:00] George: This week on the nonprofit news feed we have got in the wake of the Uvalde, the school shooting information about how gun rights advocacy is actually increasing for some nonprofits and a number of other summary articles. Following coming after, uh, this Memorial day weekend, NEC. [00:00:21] Nick: It's going good, George. We have a lot to cover this week. Of course, the first story we're going to talk about is. Uh, around what happened in your Uvalde and better conversations about gun rights and gun control advocacy groups. So last week on May 24th government opened fire the Robb elementary school in , Texas killing 19 students to teachers. [00:00:46] And wounding 17 others. And this terrific shooting has rekindled a decades long debate in the United States between gun control and gun rights advocates. Uh, now within economically developed countries, the United States by far outnumbers others in terms of both gun ownership and gun deaths per capita. [00:01:06] Um, but along the debate about how to solve. You have gun rights, advocacy groups on one side and gun control advocacy groups on the other. Uh, we wanted to highlight an article from the Washington post, which is talking about a little bit of the landscape change on the side of the gun rights advocacy groups. [00:01:30] We've talked about those on this podcast before how the NRA has suffered from lots of infighting and legal challenges. As a whole has seen its reputation damage quite significantly over the past couple of years. Um, but as the Washington post points out, a lot of other tax exempt organizations now seem to be filling the void, um, and potentially taking the lead on the gun rights. [00:01:59] Side of the issue here. The national association for gun rights is a 5 0 1 C4 group that often criticizes the NRA for being too compromising saw revenue increase to 15 million up from just 6 million in 2019 on the article sites that lots of other gun rights groups have seen similar increases in revenue and capacity. [00:02:25] So the takeaway here is that what was. Very consolidated. Uh, landscape in terms of advocacy with one go-to group is now splintering and other groups are taking the place, uh, and serving the role once filled by the NRA. But George, this comes as the NRA held its annual conference in Texas, just three days after the shooting. [00:02:51] Um, this conference was on last Friday and it's a fraught moment in the United States. And, um,
NonprofitNewsFeed.com 988 National Suicide Prevention Hotline To Soon Go Live The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is unveiling a new national emergency number for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The new 988 emergency number, akin to 911, will redirect to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is managed by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The number goes live on July 16, 2022. The new number is part of a broader strategy to address the crisis of suicide in the United States. Suicide is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 10-34. The SAMHSA 988 FAQ page has important information for mental health partners including nonprofits that may publicly direct folks seeking help to this new number. Read more about how states are preparing. Read more ➝ Summary Qatar: Joint letter to Gianni Infantino regarding remedy for labour abuses | Amnesty International ‘It’s gotten even worse’: Nonprofit’s baby formula supply decimated by recall, shortage | KOIN.com Vanguard Charitable Survey: More Than 1 in 3 Donors Contributed to Disaster Relief Efforts | NonProfit PRO Nonprofit opens ‘cat cafe’ to highlight adoptable felines in Las Vegas
Rough Transcript [00:00:00] This week on the nonprofit news summary, we have got interesting news coming out about a new national suicide prevention hotline, 9, 8, 8, and some other summary news touching on Qatar, baby formula, and a lot more Nick. [00:00:16] It's going good, George. We had our first real summer weekend here in the city. It was 90 and sunny. [00:00:23] So we're in a, summer's almost here kind of mood, but also coming this summer is a new hotline for folks experiencing a mental health emergency. The us department of health and human services is unveiling a new national emergency number for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The new number will be 9, 8, 8, and justice like 9 1 1. [00:00:52] It's just those three numbers. And that 9, 8, 8 number will redirect to the national suicide prevention lifeline. That lifeline is managed by the substance abuse and mental health services administration. And the new number it goes live on July 16th, 2022. So this is happening within the next two months. [00:01:14] And the number is part of a broader strategy to address the crisis of suicide in the United States. According to the substance abuse and mental health services administration suicide is the leading cause of death for Americans, age 10 through 34. We recommend that if you're a non. That works in the mental health space or offer. [00:01:34] Beneficiaries, any kind of mental health support, or even has documentation about what number to call. It's important to note that the original national suicide prevention lifeline number will still work, but you may also want to take into account the new number that's being rolled out for organizations that might have it listed on their website and within the newsletter. [00:01:57] We've linked to the FAQ page that has some of the technical requirements, some of the branding requirements for this new rollout. But George, I think this is a really exciting move. It's a prioritization by our government and its partners to protect mental health in the United States. And what's been an extremely trying couple of years. [00:02:18] This is a cool, innovative approach, and I'm here for it. [00:02:20] It's so interesting because technically the line already existed, but I can't tell you it off the top of my head and actually in full disclosure, the national suicide prevention lifeline and the network was at former Holwell client. And with 9, 8, 8, we're talking about a larger conceptual branding, nine. [00:02:40] Everyone understands calling 9 1 1. And what that entails. There's an emergency call nine 11. The truth is the health outcomes for those suffering from mental illness. When the police are called without the proper training in hot moments,
High Inflation Continues To Impact Sector, Including Food Banks As inflationary pressures keep year-over-year price increases high, food banks see both an increase in demand and a shortage of supply. Food pantries across the country are dealing both with an increase in demand due to broader consumer-facing prices, as well as a harder time keeping up with supply because of the same price increases. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that “Some of Feeding America’s food pantry partners have closed because of dwindling donations and higher costs for receiving and delivering food. Others have less food on their shelves even though they have higher demand.” The article goes on to highlight the vital importance that food banks serve and that folks who need the assistance they provide might be more diverse than the broader public realizes. Read more ➝ Summary Nonprofits on Both Sides of Abortion Issue See Increase in Donations | The Chronicle of Philanthropy Independent Sector Issues Statement on Mass Shooting in Buffalo The Guggenheim Museum, Which Long Resisted Calls to Drop the Sackler Name, Has Finally Quietly Removed It | Artnet News HFPA Considers Selling Assets, Dropping Nonprofit Status | Yahoo Entertainment Oregon nonprofit that turns trash into art lands permanent display at the Smithsonian | KGW.com
Transcript
[00:00:00] This week on the nonprofit newsfeed, we're talking about high inflation and how it's having impacts on food banks, as well as a bevy of other social impact issues. Nick, how is. [00:00:12] It's going good, George. [00:00:13] it's just trying to, always just trying to keep up last week was a little weird from the financial side. I'm glad we're not a financial podcast, but a few things went sideways and you know, I think that comes back to the larger issue of inflation going on. [00:00:27] That is. Great segue into our first story that is talking about some of those broader trends, economic trends that you were talking about. Namely inflation and our lead story comes from the Chronicle philanthropy, which is supporting that hi Felician is continuing to impact many nonprofits, but food banks in particular. [00:00:50] And it turns out that many food banks across the United States are being. From both directions, essentially, you have more people needing food assistance because of higher food prices and food banks, having trouble keeping up with that higher demand because of higher food and supply chain issues. So. [00:01:14] Yeah, lots of food banks are feeling the pinch, both with supply and demand, kind of impacting their ability to, to provide for, for folks. The article goes on to state that some of feeding America's food pantry partners have closed because of dwindling donations and higher costs for receiving and delivering food. [00:01:34] Others have less food on their shelves, even though they have higher demand. So you kind of have the economics of this. Hitting where Hertz in both directions. And unfortunately the inflation numbers came out and it slowed marginally with the most recent data. But inflation continues to be a really serious problem heading in this case, food pantries, where it hurts. [00:01:56] I think it's important to note that the general consumer price index CPI is it's not accurate for everyone. It is not inclusive of what might be hitting. Some people that are maybe more dependent on travel by car or at the grocery store for different types of materials. But the high-level here. [00:02:19] Compared to last year at this time, we're about 50% down and where we have received and past feral food donations, and about 20% down from food drives in our collection of food from the grocery store, says the executive director, Tyra Jackson there. And it's it. It's tough. It is tough because you're also talking about donations that may have come and picked up by truck by car. [00:02:43] And there are a few donations being. In addition to people needing it more. So, you know,
Nonprofit News of the week. Supreme Court Poised To Strike Down Roe v. Wade, Changing Advocacy Landscape For Both Pro-Choice & Pro-Life Nonprofits A draft decision of the United States Supreme Court ruling on a pending abortion case appears to show the majority of justices in favor of striking down Roe v. Wade, upending nearly 50 years of abortion-access precedent, according to a leaked draft obtained by Politico. The decision comes as a worst-case scenario for pro-choice advocacy and provider groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America, while it also is perceived as a monumental achievement by pro-life groups. As abortion becomes illegal to access and potentially criminalized in the wake of the decision which will be released in June, human rights groups are warning that nonprofits and tech companies may come under legal pressure to disclose sensitive information regarding people who seek information about abortion clinics, emergency contraceptives, and the like. An anti-abortion nonprofit in Wisconsin called Wisconsin Family Action was the target of an arson attack on Sunday. Read more ➝ Summary Jeff Bezos donates nearly $120 mn to nonprofit: Report | The Siasat Daily The Chronicle of Philanthropy Unveils Ambitious Growth Plan to Put National Spotlight on Social Sector, Become Nonprofit | The Chronicle of Philanthropy Opinion | Black Lives Matter needs to get its (real expensive) house in order | Washington Post The AP Interview: BLM's Patrisse Cullors denies wrongdoing | AP NEWS CEA Nonprofit winner: Seeing a sea turtle need | Greater Wilmington Business Journal
Rough Transcript [00:00:00] This week on a nonprofit news feed, we have our major story, which we made the focus of the week's newsletter, which is the Supreme court poised to strike down Roe V. Wade, and how we see that changing the landscape for advocacy for both pro-choice and pro-life nonprofits, as well as touching many of them. [00:00:21] Industries again, this is not gone through, it was a leaked bit, but Nick, you're going to walk us through this as well as some other news highlights. [00:00:28] Sure George, I can start us off. So of course, yes, we begin with that first story that was. Reported by Politico, which published a draft decision written by a United States Supreme court, which appeared to show that they were poised. At least when the decision draft decision was written to overturn Roe V. [00:00:52] Wade, what that means is that nearly 50 years of abortion access precedent coming from the court now, It's very likely to be reversed. The decision comes as a worst case scenario for pro-choice advocacy groups and health provider groups like planned parenthood. Now pro-choice America and many other groups and funds that work to help women access abortions. [00:01:23] And. That being said on the flip side of it, there are lots of pro-life or anti-abortion advocacy groups themselves non-profits that are, have been working to get this passed. So essentially you have this bombshell announcement that's completely altered the, the landscape for advocacy organizations. [00:01:47] Both, both sides of this issue. And there's so many reasons and so many ways in which this can pretty dramatically impact America, social life and economics, the list goes on and on, but at its heart, this is ringing. Has a bombshell decision for a lot of people and people have understandably, very emotional reactions. [00:02:13] George w w what's your take and how do we think about the many nonprofit organizations that are kind of involved with. [00:02:20] it's hard to see through the frustration and many distracting narratives going on, such as , who leaked it, how it happen. I think we. If we're being honest, could see the dominoes falling after RBG sadly passed and was unfortunately, not really, even remotely honored when it was rushed through, into the Supreme court to change the landscape of how these justices would deliberate Roe V. Wade .
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows
Federal “Nonprofit Sector Strength And Partnership Act” Draws Praise & Critique As reported by GlobeNewswire/Independent Sector, bipartisan federal legislation has been introduced to “increase collaboration between federal officials and nonprofits to better serve the sector and communities year-round, especially during emergencies.” The bill aims to, among other objectives, establish a White House Office on Nonprofit Sector Partnership, a Advisory Board on the Nonprofit Sector, and Interagency Council on Nonprofit Sector Partnership with the idea of increasing collaboration between the government and the charitable sector. While many nonprofit proponents of the bill support the government’s desire to create a better relationship with a sector that is so integral to our society, some criticize the bill as government overreach that threatens nonprofits’ autonomy. Read more ➝ Google Pauses Rollout of AI Inclusivity Tool, Whole Whale Responds In April of 2022, Google quietly rolled out a very interesting feature called ‘Assistive Writer’ which automatically identifies noninclusive language like a spell checker. The tool, powered by a language processing AI, flags gendered language as well as other words like ‘landlord’ and suggests that they may be noninclusive. However, as reported by the Washington Times and others, Google has paused the feature. Whole Whale, the creators of this newsletter, have built a similar tool but instead of using AI, it is human-focused, with a carefully vetted library of terms as well as explanations for why a particular word or term may be uninclusive. Additionally, the tool is opt-in, meaning that users must actively use the tool before inclusivity suggestions are offered. Read more ➝ Summary Brooklyn Public Library is offering free digital library cards to young adults in the US | The Verge Nonprofit news outlets are playing a growing role in statehouse coverage | Pew Research Center M+R Benchmarks 2022 After Eight Years, Wikipedia Stops Accepting Bitcoin and Ethereum Donations - Decrypt
Rough Transcript [00:00:00] As we've gone and nonprofit newsfeed, we're talking about the nonprofit sector, strengthened partnership, acts a little bit about the Google inclusivity tool and this wasn't in the newsletter, but sadly, the news coming out of the Supreme court regarding Roe V. Wade, Nick, how's it [00:00:18] going? It's going good, George. [00:00:20] A lot is happening. And I think at the time. We'd be remiss if we didn't start with the breaking news that last night Politico obtained and reported out that they had received a draft copy of the Supreme court case in which it appears that the justices are poised, at least in this draft to overturn Roe V. [00:00:45] Wade, which means that federal protections for abortion would no longer. Be in effect. As we go to air, as we record this, this is still a draft. The Supreme court has confirmed that this draft is in fact authentic, but also says that it is not finalized. But I think the take here at the top of the story is that abortion and access to abortion will be one of, if not the most salient. [00:01:17] Public policy, social policy conversation for this year, this represents a sad and quite frankly, in the wrong way, historic moment in history where one of the most important Supreme court cases is poised to be overturned by a conservative majority on the Supreme court. There are a lot of advocacy organizations and nonprofits that operate in this space that are, are going to be upended. [00:01:47] And there's a lot of unknowns right now, but George, what are you thinking? How did you read this story? [00:01:53] You made this point before we actually press the record button that somebody risked quite a lot to leak this information. It's not something that tends to come, but to share this type of pre-judgment. [00:02:05] You know,
This podcast discusses how the nonprofit sector is lagging behind the rest of the economy in terms of pandemic recovery. George and Nick discuss how nonprofits are being impacted by the pandemic and the challenges they face in terms of fundraising and providing services. They also talk about how the sector is trying to adapt and the role that nonprofits play in fighting climate change. Nonprofit news summaries weekly. Nonprofits Play Unique Role In Push For Climate Resilience This Earth Day As Earth Day was celebrated across the world this past week, nonprofits continue to serve vital and unique roles in contributing to our understanding of the changing climate and its effects on our global community. International NGO the International Crisis Group published an interactive visual explainer on how climate change exacerbates civil unrest and humanitarian fragility. More locally, two New York City-based nonprofits, Central Park Conservancy and Natural Areas Conservancy have teamed up with the Yale School of the Environment to launch the Central Park Climate Lab, according to Reuters. The program seeks to better understand the NYC metro area’s increasingly extreme weather and how parks may be part of that solution. Read more ➝ Pandemic Recovery Stalls In Comparison To Broader Economy As reported by The NonProfit Times, the nonprofit sector’s post-pandemic recovery is lacking behind that of the broader economy, according to data from an analysis by Independent Sector. While giving has largely remained steady, it is not keeping pace with the broader growth experienced by the economy at large. Additionally, the sector remains down approximately 495,000 jobs. Read more ➝ Summary Union Mental Health Workers Strike for Better Conditions at Nonprofit in New London | NBC Connecticut Warren Buffett to host final charity lunch for San Francisco nonprofit | The Mighty 790 KFGO Are Colorado’s nonprofit hospitals giving enough to their communities to justify tax exemptions? New reports offer different answers. | The Denver Post Seeds of change: Landfill, nonprofit launch next phase of Making Trash Bloom project | Northern Virginia Daily
Resource: Universal Google Analytics going away... Transcript [00:00:00] This week on the nonprofit news feed. Well, we are talking about earth day and the various events that happened and news that came out as well as some top level news on pandemic recovery, maybe stalling, a little bit for nonprofits. Nick has it going. [00:00:17] It's going. [00:00:18] good, George. I can start us off with our first story. And this is about the role of nonprofits in fighting. Emergency. So coming on the heels of an I P C C report, that is the intergovernmental panel on climate change, which says it's. Now we're never with addressing carbon emissions in the atmosphere to stave off a climate catastrophe. [00:00:44] We want it to highlight the role of a couple different nonprofits and NGOs fighting climate change in different capacities. The first one we highlighted in this story was the international NGO, the international crisis group, which published a really cool interactive feature about how climate change leads to conflict in countries that are seeing the effects of climate change firsthand. [00:01:14] It's just a great visualization. They always do such great visual journalism work. And I think it really. Emphasizes the importance of looking at climate. When we think about broader political, social, cultural, and unfortunately conflict on a global scale, another angle we wanted to approach this story a little bit more locally to probably many of our listeners is that. [00:01:42] To New York city based non-profits the central park Conservancy and natural areas Conservancy have teamed up with the Yale school of the environment to launch the central park climate lab. And this is a really cool one. According to Reuters, the program seeks to better understand the New York city Metro areas,
April Nonprofit news summary. Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Faces Scrutiny Over Spending & Transparency Questions have arisen over how the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) has spent and reported on charitable contributions, as reported by New York magazine. The organization, which serves as an umbrella organization for some local BLM organizations (though not all organizations with BLM in their name) faces criticism for the purchase of a $6 million dollar home in California, as well as the appearance of lack of transparency stemming not submitting a form 990, as required by their tax exempt status granted in 2020. While right-wing and far-right news outlets are seizing on this story as an angle of political attack, Candid co-founder and former CEO of GuideStar Jacob Harold is quoted as responding to the reporting as a “very legitimate critique.” Read more ➝ Interior Dept. To Open Up New Onshore Land To Drilling Leases In a reversal of a previous Biden administration moratorium, the Interior Department is opening up 144,000 acres of onshore land to new leases for oil drilling, as reported by Mother Jones. While the announcement comes as bad news to environmentalists, surging oil and gas prices have put the Biden administration between a rock and a hard place as supply chain issues and disruptions stemming from the Russia Ukraine war have continued to increase prices globally. The Interior Department has responded by saying that the new leases only open up 20% of what the oil industry asked for, and the royalties that the oil companies will have to pay the government will go up from 12.5 percent to 18.75 percent, the first increase in a century. Read more ➝ Summary Nonprofit aims to plug 68 orphan oil and gas wells in Montan | Independent Record Google Earth Timelapse: How to Use to See Your Hometown | Thrillist Majority of Nonprofit Health Systems Don't Pay Their Tax Breaks Forward | HealthLeaders The RNC is severing ties with the nonprofit that runs presidential debates | NPR How this nonprofit in Westwood is avoiding being gentrified out of the area | Denverite
War In Ukraine Continues To Increase Likelihood Of Global Food Crisis According to reporting from The New York Times, the war in Ukraine continues to threaten global food, agriculture, and other vital infrastructure. Farmers in Ukraine are reporting that granaries, farms, and other agriculture-related infrastructure are being destroyed by the Russians, all but halting Ukraine’s ability to export food staples. The World Food Programme chief warns that a global food crisis may turn out to be “beyond anything we’ve seen since World War II.” Nonprofits across the globe should prepare for higher food prices and the second-order effects of a global food crisis, a rare moment where global food markets are being impacted by supply and demand as opposed to external factors affecting access. Read more ➝ Google Analytics Updates Require Immediate Attention From Nonprofits Running GA, Google Ads Google Analytics’ Universal Analytics, the industry-standard web analytics reporting platform and tracking infrastructure is being phased out in favor of the new GA4. In an update, Google announced that starting July 1st, 2023, all Universal Google Analytics accounts will stop pulling in new data from websites. The phasing out of UA is years in the making, but the hard switch will require nonprofits to both export and download historic data as well as migrate over to the new code. Recipients of the Google Ad grant are at risk of losing access unless they migrate accordingly. Read more about the upcoming update here. Read more ➝ Summary Floridians Giving Locally, Not Nationally | The NonProfit Times Inflation Hits Nonprofits' Services, Ability to Fundraise | Business News | US News & World Report Scammed San Francisco Nonprofit Falls Victim to Costliest Type of Cybercrime | CBS San Francisco
Transcript [00:00:00] This week on a nonprofit news feed brought to you by Holwell a digital social impact agency. We're talking about the continued issues coming from the war in Ukraine, specifically around global food and crisis that could be coming. And some Google analytics updates that that might be annoying to you. [00:00:20] And in general, we're going to be trying to as always bring it back to why this matters for you at your social impact organization. So Nick, how's it going? [00:00:29] It's going? [00:00:29] good, George, how are you? [00:00:30] You know keeping up with the news, keeping up with the work it's, it's been busy here at whole. Well, you know, we just came back from our staff retreat, not too long ago. I, I feel like I'm caught up, but it's tough when you take a little, a little break from the normal. [00:00:46] It is tough agency. Life keeps us busy, but we're back at it again today with the nonprofit newsfeed. And as you alluded to our first story continues to be about the second and third order effects of the war in Ukraine in particular, the increasing likelihood of a global food crisis. So again, from record reporting from the New York times, the word Ukraine continues. [00:01:11] Threatened global food, agriculture and other vital infrastructure farmers are having their greeneries and farm equipment destroyed and lots of other. Facilities and infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia are now offline from the global food markets, the world food program, chief warns that a global food crisis may turn out to be beyond anything we've seen since world war two. [00:01:37] Now the nonprofit take on this is that nonprofits are going to see higher food prices. They're going to see higher gas prices from sanctions, as well as just strains on gas and oil production. And this is a rare moment where global food markets are being impacted by supply and demand as to pose to the more typical factors that we see. [00:02:01] George. I know we want to take this back to nonprofits. If you're and a nonprofit based in America, small, maybe you have a couple staff on your payroll. Why is this important to those organizations? [00:02:13] One,
War In Ukraine Threatens Global Food Security, Likely To Exacerbate Food Emergencies Among Vulnerable Populations According to reporting from The New York Times, the war in Ukraine threatens global food security on a large scale. Ukraine and Russia together account for nearly 30% of the global wheat supply and serve as a vital supplier of fertilizer, grain, barley, sunflower oil, and many other basic food staples. In addition to food security challenges within Ukraine, already vulnerable countries in the Middle East and North Africa (countries especially reliant on exported foodstuffs from the war-torn region) find themselves in an increasingly precarious situation. Over half of the World Food Programme’s wheat comes from Ukraine, and emergency food programs in Yemen and other African countries may be forced to prioritize the starving over the hungry. Compounded by sky-high global food prices, supply chain issues, regional conflict, and natural disasters like drought, many food-insecure countries may end up in large-scale food emergencies as the war continues. Read more ➝ NGOs, Nonprofits, Governments, International Organizations & Citizen Journalists Come Together To Document War Crimes In Ukraine In an unusual alliance across many different actors, a multitude of organizations and outlets are working tirelessly to document war crimes in Ukraine. Human Rights Watch, an international human rights watchdog group and nonprofit with international headquarters in New York City, has launched a full-scale investigation into war crimes amidst newly reported revelations in Bucha, Ukraine. Large-scale citizen journalism efforts, including those produced by investigative journalism outlet Bellingcat will be essential to efforts to prosecute war crimes in international bodies like the International Criminal Court (ICC). Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab is one of many more NGOs documenting crimes. (Content Warning: Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch’s reporting includes specific details of war crimes and indiscriminate violence against civilians and may be disturbing to readers.) Read more ➝ Summary Fortnite finishes two-week donation period with $144M for Ukraine | Shacknews In A David Versus Goliath Battle Between NGOs And A Pipeline Company, Goliath Is Losing | Forbes Taxpayer First Act Expands Mandatory E-Filing of Form 990 | The NonProfit Times Nonprofit Hits Milestone Protecting More Than a Million Acres of Rainforest So Far This Year – All With Public Donations | Good News Network
Transcript: [00:00:00] This week on the nonprofit newsfeed, we are talking about the second order effects of the war in Ukraine, as well as how nonprofits and international organizations working with journalism's are working on documentation of the war crimes and terrible stories coming out of this crisis. [00:00:17] Yeah, George, that's a great introduction. Our first story is about global food security and how the war and is. Threatening to exacerbate food emergencies across the world. So according to reporting from the New York times, the on Ukraine is threatening global food security on a large scale Ukraine and Russia together account for nearly [00:00:38] 30% of the global wheat supply and serve as a vital supplier of things like fertilizer, grain, barley, sunflower oil, and other basic food staples that are essential to the global food infrastructure. In addition to food security challenge. Within Ukraine that is now a food insecure country, already vulnerable communities across the globe, particularly in the middle east and north Africa are finding themselves in an increasingly precarious situation. The world food program estimates that over half of its wheat comes from Ukraine and in an interview the director of the, the world food program said that. [00:01:20] And emergency situations and Yemen, humanitarian organizations are being forced to prioritized the starving over the hungry compounded by sky high ...
Nonprofit news: United States To Welcome 100,000 Ukrainian Refugees The Biden Administration has announced plans to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees into the United States, according to reporting from Politico. Refugees will be allowed entry through a range of admission pathways, including “humanitarian parole,” and “immigrant or nonimmigrant visas.” Since February, the U.S. has given over $123 million in humanitarian support to Ukraine and neighboring countries, with over $1 billion in additional humanitarian funding to come in the coming months. The welcome.us website serves as a portal for Americans to get involved with refugee relief efforts for both Afghan and Ukrainian refugees. Read more ➝ MacKenzie Scott Donates $436 Million To Habitat for Humanity & Affiliates MacKenzie Scott has donated $436 million to Habitat for Humanity International as well as 84 of its U.S. affiliates, according to reporting from the Associated Press. The donation again represents a seismic donation that eschews many of the traditional hallmarks of philanthropy by ensuring all funds are unrestricted. (Scott’s donations come in the form of DAFs.) So far, MacKenzie Scott has donated $12 billion to over 1,257 groups, according to a New York Times analysis. She has also recently made donations to Planned Parenthood, Ukraine relief efforts, and other groups. Read more ➝ Summary Nonprofit workers rally for 'fair' wages at City Hall | Amsterdam News Inflation Hits Ability of Nonprofits to Provide Services, Keep Workers — and Raise Money | The Chronicle of Philanthropy Nonprofit drugmaker will soon sell insulin for $30 a vial, regardless of insurance | wpde.com 600 volunteers at local non-profit make 300,000 meals for Ukrainian refugees | WKRC
nonprofit news for the last week of March 2022. Russia Ukraine War Galvanizes Large-Scale Global Giving According to survey research reported by The NonProfit Times, approximately one quarter of Americans said they’ve donated to charities addressing the war in Ukraine. Nearly two-thirds of the remaining Americans surveyed say they planned to donate soon. While grassroots giving continues to drive momentum, alternate forms of giving are soaring. An NFT of the Ukrainian Flag launched by a member of the band Pussy Riot raised $6.75 million for the country, in a sale organized by Ukraine DAO. Corporations and companies are donating too, even Fortnite video game creator Epic Games will donate all in-game transactions directly to United Nations relief efforts. Read more ➝ Crypto-Donation Platform The Giving Block Joins Forces with Shift4 The Giving Block and payment processing company Shift4 are teaming up launch the “biggest crypto philanthropy campaign series in history,” according to a press release. Crypto offerings will become available to Shift4’s over 200,000 merchants. With millions of dollars in donation matching pools the new collaboration could continue to rapidly change the growing role of cryptocurrency in charitable giving. The Giving Block is a client of Whole Whale, the publisher of this newsletter. Read more ➝ Summary Liberal billionaire’s nonprofit splashed $56M in 2020 | POLITICO The New Humanitarian | Beyond Ukraine: Eight more humanitarian disasters that demand your attention FreeWill Raises $30M in Series B to Transform Nonprofit Fundraising | Nonprofit Technology Pain at the pump: Gas prices impact North Central Florida nonprofit | WGFL What Happens When a Buffett Buys Your Town? | Tablet Magazine
Nonprofit news for the week.
2020 Census Undercounted Hispanic, Black, & Indigenous Communities According to reporting from The New York Times, the 2020 United States census undercounted hard-to-reach communities and disproportionately undercounted Hispanic, Black, and Indigenous Americans. The count was affected not only by the logistical hurdle of counting during the height of the pandemic but also due to attempted political interference by the Trump administration. While experts note that “historically, undercounted populations that are harder to reach through surveys, phone calls and door-to-door canvassing, including Native Americans on reservations, poor urban communities and undocumented immigrants,” the undercount could still affect the political clout of traditionally underserved communities.
Read more ➝ Analysis Shows Russian Oligarchs Gave Millions To U.S. Nonprofits, Museums, Universities An analysis conducted by the Washington Post shows that Russian oligarchs (loosely referring to Russia’s wealthiest elite, who are often accused of corruption and criminality) have given millions to U.S.-based philanthropic organizations. Wealthy oligarchs close to the Russian government have given millions to organizations like The Guggenheim Museum, MIT, The Kennedy Center, The Clinton Foundation, and the Museum of Modern Art. International sanctions have centered many organizations in the complicated narrative about how to crack down on Russian financial influence in the West.
Read more ➝ Summary
F.B.I. Sees ‘Massive Fraud’ in Groups’ Food Programs for Needy Children | nytimes.com
America the generous: U.S. leads globe in giving | Axios
‘Kony 2012,’ 10 Years Later | nytimes.com
Native Americans declare support for Ukraine | Axios
As Ukrainian Refugee Crisis Becomes Historic In Size, Elements of Media Coverage Criticized For Ahistoric Framing As the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent war enters its second week, the size and scope of the refugee crisis has spiraled into a full-scale disaster of historic proportion. The humanitarian situation in Ukraine has grown dire as reports of the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure have grown into nearly indisputable evidence of war crimes. However, certain media outlets’ framing of the conflict in juxtaposition to the Middle East has raised eyebrows and drawn criticism for “normalizing” violence in non-Western countries. Additionally, while the generosity of European countries taking in refugees should be lauded, international observers have criticized reports that suggest discrimination of ethnic minorities and non-Ukrainian nationals at border crossings.
Read more ➝ Crypto-Donations To Ukraine Surpass $80 Million As the world watches in horror at the atrocities and suffering in Ukraine, cryptocurrency donations have topped over $80 million, according to Yahoo News. Approximately $44 million of those dollars have gone directly to the Ukrainian government. Interestingly, the report finds that donors are more willing to give to established organizations and entities like the Ukrainian government and organizations like the Come Back Alive foundation as opposed to DAOs. Ethereum was the most donated currency, topping Bitcoin.
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What 10 Nonprofits Are Doing to Aid Ukraine and Its Refugees
They Came to Help Migrants. Now, Europe Has Turned on Them
Nonprofit Civica Plans to Deliver Low-Cost Insulin
Russia Invades Ukraine, Triggers Full Scale War & Humanitarian Catastrophe Early Thursday morning, Russian ground troops launched an all-out war against Ukraine, with the assumed intention of overtaking the entire country and overthrowing its government. Here are 5 key takeaways from the NGO and humanitarian perspective:
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees now estimates half a million Ukrainian refugees have entered neighboring countries, especially Poland, Hungary, & Romania.
According to the Ukrainian military, hundreds of Ukrainians, including civilians, have been killed. Calls have been made to gather evidence of war crimes to be presented to the International Criminal Court.
Doctors Without Borders, known for often being the first to arrive and last to leave during the conflict, announced they were forced to “halt [their] activities” in Ukraine
Patreon Suspends Ukrainian NGO Come Back Alive For 'Funding Military Activity'
The World Food Programme estimates that 50% of its grain comes from Ukraine and Russia, and warns that war could impact global food security.
Social Media Facilitates Global Outrage, Large-Scale Grassroots Mobilization Condemnation of Putin’s actions have united the western world with a cohesiveness not seen in decades. Global protests and grassroots humanitarian action are being broadcast to the world via social media. Here are 5 key takeaways from the global perspective:
The world erupted in emphatic protest against Putin’s actions and in support of Ukrainians. From Madrid to Berlin to New York to London, protestors chanted colorful slogans that had blown up on social media that show the spirit of Ukrainian resolve.
A grassroots humanitarian mobilization effort has begun in Eastern Europe to support the now estimated half a million refugees. Efforts are underway in Poland, Romania, and Hungary. Even in the Czech Republic, which doesn’t border Ukraine, volunteers are being asked to drive to the Polish border to assist.
The Ukrainian diaspora community have used social media to consolidate ways to help contribute to solidarity as well as donate to local organizations.
Ukraine's Twitter account messaged out their Crypto wallet addresses and have received nearly $15M in contributions.
Russia has been trying to stamp out unofficial narratives of the war by blocking and or slowing major social media platforms. Major U.S.-based social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube have prohibited Russian state-owned media outlets including RT from advertising.
DOJ Rules On Foreign Agent Registration Could Cause Headaches For Nonprofits According to reporting from Axios, the U.S. Department of Justice’s new proposed rules regarding foreign agents and influence could cause major headaches for nonprofits. The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), aims to minimize the influence peddling of foreign countries and organizations, however some advocacy groups assert that an “overzealous” application of the rules could have serious repercussions. Major groups including the NRDC, ACLU, and AFP have delivered warnings to the DOJ during its open comment period. Foreign funding of policy think-tanks in particular have come under intense scrutiny over recent years.
Read more ➝ Nonprofit Helps Families Access Public Benefits Left On The Table Patrice Berry, a nonprofit entrepreneur, has built an app that helps folks access public benefits that they often didn’t know they have. An estimated $60 billion in public assistance is left on the table every year - with access issues to the labyrinthine bureaucratic processes posing a major challenge to helping folks in tough financial circumstances. AssistHub serves as a virtual assistant to help bridge the gap between the public and public benefits.
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✅ The Summary... Having trouble reading these articles with popups? Use the Feedly Boards linked at the bottom to quickly go through curated articles. 20% of Nonprofits Urge People to Vote, Study Shows
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Weekly news for the nonprofit sector.
Nonprofits & NGOs Prepare As The Russia Ukraine Standoff Becomes Dire As the situation in Ukraine deteriorates, the nonprofit organization Project Dynamo has announced it is preparing for the potential emergency evacuation of Americans from Ukraine. The organization, initially formed to aid in the evacuation from Afghanistan, is just one of many civil society and NGO organization focused on preparing for the fallout of a potential war. The Russian military has approximately 140,000 troops surrounding Ukraine on all but its western border. On Friday, the U.S. government advised all American citizens to leave the country within 48 hours. While official intelligence publicly referenced by the U.S. notes that an invasion is not certain, that intelligence has assessed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has assembled the necessary military force to launch an attack should he chose to do so.
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The Great U.S. Volunteer Shortage & CEO Transition at VolunteerMatch Greg Baldwin, CEO and President of VolunteerMatch, says that the number of open nonprofit volunteer opening positions needed has increased to approximately 10.5 million at the beginning of 2022. This represents a jump of nearly 2 million open positions since before the pandemic, which saw a need for 8.5 million volunteers. Macro trends related to the shifting impact of the pandemic have resulted in a shortage of volunteers felt by nonprofits large and small across the country. Baldwin joins Whole Whale (the publisher of this newsletter) CEO George Weiner to discuss this volunteer shortage as well as VolunteerMatch’s process for finding a replacement CEO after his scheduled departure.
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Summary:
Eminem takes a knee during the Super Bowl halftime show | wbur.org
How the National Butterfly Center Became the Center of Online Lies | nytimes.com
For the first time in its history, Facebook is in decline. Has the tech giant begun to crumble? | the Guardian
Salary competition adds to staffing challenges for nonprofits | MiBiz: West Michigan Business News
Weekly nonprofit news summary from hundreds of sources.
Crisis Text Line Ends Data-Sharing Relationship With For-Profit Entity As reported by Politico and other outlets, Crisis Text Line has ended its data sharing relationship with for-profit spin-off organization Loris.ai, which uses data to inform customer service software. Crisis Text Line, which uses a text-based approach to provide crisis support to those contemplating self-harm or suicide, stated that while “the data is handled securely, anonymized and scrubbed of personally identifiable information,” “we have ended our data-sharing relationship with Loris.” The change came amid criticism from privacy experts and lawmakers including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). Crisis Text Line is a former client of Whole Whale, the publisher of this newsletter.
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GoFundMe At Center Of International Dispute Over Funds To Anti-Vaccine Mandate Trucker Protests As anti-Vaccine mandate protests led by truckers have forced Ottowa to declare a state of emergency, GoFundMe finds itself at the center of a complicated dispute over individual contributions to the protest movement. As reported by the Washington Post, the fundraiser for the convey had generated over $8 million in funds, of which $1 million had been distributed. After determining with local police that “previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation,” the company announced they would no longer distribute the remaining funds. The move drew ire from conservative lawmakers on both sides of the border and raises complicated questions about the role of decentralized fundraising with regards to disruptive protest movements.
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Summary
Tribes Reach $590 Million Opioid Settlement With Johnson & Johnson | NY Times
Cryptocurrency users are creating “decentralized autonomous organizations” that function as nonprofits | Philanthropy Daily
The Jed Foundation Receives $15 Million Gift from MacKenzie Scott | businesswire.com
Melinda French Gates No Longer Pledges Bulk of Her Wealth to Gates Foundation | WSJ
Nonprofit uses Super Bowl parties as way to help homeless | Santa Monica Daily Press
Pegasus Spyware Poses Major Threat To Civil Society Globally In a detailed post released last week by Human Rights Watch, the global advocacy organization details the exact ways that its Crisis and Conflict director was targetted by the Pegasus spyware “five times between April and August 2021.” The breach was “peer reviewed” by Amnesty International’s Security Lab, where it was determined that hackers had used a “zero-click exploit,” which means that no action has to be taken by the victim to initiate the breach. The sofwtare, made by the company NSO Group, has been purchased by multiple governments. Reporting by the New York Times uncovered that the FBI had purchased the software before deciding not to use it.
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National Blood Donation Crisis Arizonans are working hard to organize blood drives, amid a national blood donation crisis. The American Red Cross estimates that a 62% drop in college and high school blood drives are partially able to explain the national shortage. According to the report, many hospitals in Tucson have had to cancel elective surguries as the state sees a two-year low in blood donations. Learn more about donating blood from the American Red Cross.
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Nonprofit news for the week of Jan 24th, 2022.
‘Red Flags’ At Nonprofit Backing U.S. Capitol Rioters Experts see lots to worry about with the far-right endorsed Patriot Freedom Fund, a registered nonprofit organization fundraising money to support people charged with crimes involving the events of January 6th, 2021. As reported by NPR, the fund, led by an avid supporter of the U.S. Capitol rioters, and backed by far-right nationalists (chiefly Steve Bannon) , is sourcing donations using cryptocurrency. However, many nonprofit experts and even backers themselves are upset with the lack of transparency, lack of independent oversight, and potential failure to meet legal requirements. Laurie Styron, chief executive of rating organization CharityWatch, said the fund would undoubtedly receive a failing grade.
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ICRC Data Breached By Hackers As reported by The NonProfit Times, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movements have been targeted by hackers in what amounts to a significant data breach. Nearly 515,000 clients have had data stolen, according to organization communications. Those clients were part of the effort to help “people separated by migration, violence, war and other causes,” according to The NonProfit Times.
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Summary
Chicago Public Media acquiring Chicago Sun-Times as nonprofit newsroom (The Spokesman Review)
FBI investigates Minnesota nonprofit for allegedly misusing millions of dollars meant to feed kids (KARE11.com)
Nonprofit proposes $50 million low-cost housing project on industrial site near Truax Field on North Side (madison.com)
Bay Area Student-Run Nonprofit Offers Free STEAM Virtual Classes (Patch.com)
Nonprofit news summary.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Draws Thousands To Community Service Across Country From Des Moines to Portland to Charleston and everywhere in between, thousands of volunteers across the country participated in a national day of service, often in partnership with local-based nonprofit and community organizations. MLK Day is the only federally-recognized national day of service and is usually focused on helping local communities. This Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day also saw renewed calls for commitments to civil rights ideals from community leaders and activists.
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Acquisition of Classy By GoFundMe Represents Continued, Fast-Paced Consolidation Of Nonprofit Fundraising Space As reported by The NonProfit Times, nonprofit fundraising platform Classy has been purchased by the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe. We encourage readers to read the full report in The NonProfit Times. Over $1.1 billion was raised on the Classy platform in 2021 alone, and since its inception, GoFundMe has raised more than $15 billion. This most recent announcement comes on the heels of the purchase of EveryAction by a private equity firm, and the Blackbaud purchase of Everfi for $750 million. All three deals have been publicly announced within the last two weeks.
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Summary
2020 Census Memo Cites ‘Unprecedented’ Meddling by Trump Administration (NY Times)
Twin Cities nonprofits face critical shortages of volunteers amid omicron surge (Star Tribune)
How Nonprofits Helped Fuel the Opioid Crisis (The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
A Look Inside NYC’s Supervised Drug-Injection Sites, The First In The Nation (Gothamist)
Local pet adoption nonprofit honors Betty White, holds fundraiser as part of nationwide challenge (CBS17.com)
Nonprofit News for mid January.
Acquisition of Network For Good, Backed By Provide Equity Firm, Rolls Up Numerous Nonprofit Technology Products The same venture firm that brought EveryAction, Social Solutions and CyberGrants under one corporate roof has added Network For Good to its roster. The as yet unnamed umbrella firm is being funded by UK-based private equity group Apax Partners LLP. As reported by The Nonprofit Times, “terms of the deal were not disclosed but industry experts estimated the addition to be worth north of $300 million and a combined value in the neighborhood of $3 billion for the combined operations.” Network For Good operates both a tax exempt organization and a B Corps tech company that manages the CRM. Coupled with EveryAction’s recent acquisitions, EveryAction, Salsa Labs, GiveGab, Mobilize, Social Solutions, CyberGrants and other nonprofit tech platforms now are all backed by the same PE firm representing a consolidation of the space.
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Pew Research Center Releases Top 2021 Findings The Pew Research Center has released a cohesive roundup of top social trends and findings throughout 2021. Nonprofit organizations should stay on top of larger narrative shifts, national conversations, and a changing landscape when it comes to public engagement, particularly on social and political issues. Among these findings: 72% of Americans say they know someone who was hospitalized or died from Covid-19, voter turnout increased in every single state in 2020, and the number of religiously unaffiliated Americans has increased 10% from a decade ago.
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Summary
Bill Would Revoke Nonprofit Status for Anti-Democracy Groups (KQED)
Thousands of Kentuckians in need as staffing shortages extend to necessary nonprofits (WLKY)
New Orleans Nonprofit Shares How Betty White Helped Save Animals During Hurricane Katrina (PEOPLE)
Nonprofit News summary.
Nonprofits Struggle To Compete With For-Profit Businesses For Staff Amid rising inflation, rising wages, decreased unemployment, and the so-called “great resignation,” nonprofit organizations are struggling to maintain and hire staff, according to reporting from The New York Times. While for-profit businesses lost more jobs during the pandemic, the nonprofit sector has struggled more to rehire, according to recent data. Total nonprofit employment was 4.8% below pre-pandemic levels, compared with for-profit companies that see just a 1.5% gap. Amid higher costs of living and other external factors, nonprofits are often struggling to offer wages to maintain or rehire staff, due largely to fixed and limited financial resources.
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Summary
Franklin A. Thomas, Pathbreaking Ford Foundation President, Dies at 87 (NY Times)
How the merger of United Way and other organizations will impact Knoxville nonprofits in 2022
Russian Court Orders Liquidation of the Human Rights Group Memorial
Third Quarter Fundraising: Dollars Increased From Fewer Gifts (NP Times)
Oregon nonprofit that helps homeless families gets grant from Jeff Bezos' Day 1 Families Fund
Nonprofit news in December.
Nonprofit Job Gains Slow As Sector Approaches Pre-Pandemic Employment Levels According to data from the Center for Civil Society Studies (CCSS) at Johns Hopkins University as reported by the Nonprofit Times, nonprofit job growth slowed in November but shows that most nonprofit categories are expected to achieve near full employment by the end of the year. While nonprofits have recovered nearly 70% of lost jobs since the beginning of the pandemic, there remain approximately 485,000 missing jobs (of the initial 1.64 million lost). Nonprofit arts and entertainment organizations have seen the slowest recovery, down 13% of their jobs compared to before the pandemic.
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What To Know About The Log4j Vulnerability Nonprofit open-source software organization Apache Software Foundation has announced a vulnerability that, left unresolved, poses a glaring cybersecurity threat across global commercial, corporate, and government networks. The Log4j vulnerability opens up the possibility of a significant breach in the form of malware, ransomware, and other attacks. The U.S. government has been working alongside cybersecurity experts to determine next steps while Microsoft has already identified threats from suspected state-backed actors in China and Iran. Read more about how companies are addressing the problem.
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Summary
Environmental nonprofits receive just 2% of charitable dollars (Fast Company).
How NFTs are helping charities and nonprofits fundraise (Denver Channel)
Nonprofit Nazareth Child and Family Connection, nonprofits feel effects of 'great resignation' - Salisbury Post
Foster care crisis is 'out of control' in Texas, with both children and staff in danger
Letters to Santa in Braille: How a Lancaster nonprofit is helping kids who are visually impaired this Christmas (Lancaster Online)
Weekly news from NonprofitNewsfeed.com
Elon Musk Dubbed “Troll Philanthropist” In New York Times Elon Musk’s high-profile brush with the typically staid world of philanthropy is generating waves. Famously getting into a public ruff with the World Food Programme (WFP) over how much money it would take to “solve world hunger,” one researcher at the Urban Institute notes that Musk “doesn’t seem to care much about using his philanthropy to curry public favor.” Within large public conversations about the role of philanthropy, effective altruism, and corporate social responsibility, Musk’s role in shaping that conversation is noteworthy.
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Patagonia CEO Represents New Movement In For-Profit Activism Not to be outdone by Musk’s philanthropic adventures, Patagonia’s new CEO Ryan Gellert has reengaged the outdoor retailer’s commitment to bold actions on climate and sustainability. Patagonia, a B Corporation (like Whole Whale, the creators of this fine newsletter) has recommitted to bold commitments within the corporate sustainability movement. Patagonia has committed to giving 1% of its sales to environmental groups. The company is on track to do almost $1 billion in sales this year.
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Children, Coping With Loss, Are Pandemic’s ‘Forgotten Grievers’
How Tech Is Helping Poor People Get Government Aid
Wikipedia's first ever edit is being auctioned as an NFT
Conservative members of Congress share Christmas photos with guns, receive donations from pro-gun rights groups
Pandemic financially devastated minority-led nonprofits | State | stardem.com
Nonprofit uses blacksmithing to support service members with PTSD
Nonprofitnewsfeed.com summary of the week.
This Giving Tuesday Eve, Beware of Scams! On this day before Giving Tuesday, consumers are being asked to be on the lookout for scams. The Better Business Bureau has published a guide to making informed decisions about donating. Nonprofits should make this process easy for prospective donors by being transparent, proving credibility, and making donation gateways safe, secure, and easy to navigate. If your organization has a seal of approval for a major charity rating organization, making that easy to ascertain can be a big step towards making donors feel secure about donating to your cause.
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Supply Chain Disrupting Toy Donations Going Into Holiday Rush In Minnesota, global supply chain issues are disrupting the delivery and donation of toys this holiday season, according to the Star Tribune. The pandemic economy has spurred vulnerabilities in the supply of toys and other essential goods, while pushing the price of staple food items like meat sky high. PRISM, a nonprofit in the Twin Cities, is preparing for delivery issues by beginning their toy drive early, as is the local chapter of the Salvation Army. Due to increased shipping costs and labor shortages, amid surging demand, nonprofits are bracing for what will be another whirlwind end-of-year for nonprofits that provide physical goods to folks this holiday season.
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Summary
The Consulting Firm Billionaires Turn to When They Give Away Money
N.Y.C. Severs Ties With Housing Nonprofit Run by Jack A. Brown III
From beard pageants to food distribution, what nonprofits are doing for Giving Tuesday
WCMU giving free airtime to area non-profit organizations on GivingTuesday
Nonprofit News summary Prediction: GivingTuesday To Generate Over $3 Billion In Donation Revenue Nonprofit digital marketing agency Whole Whale predicts that for the first time ever, GivingTuesday will generate over $3 Billion in revenue. While 2020 saw unprecedented charitable giving in the throws of the pandemic, the agency predicts revenue will surpass that record. “Based on our analysis that incorporates an adjusted linear regression, trends in Google Search terms around “Giving Tuesday,” and national giving trends, we predict that $3.048 Billion will be raised on Giving Tuesday 2021. This will be a 27% or $648 million increase over 2020’s record-breaking $2.4B.” (Disclosure that Whole Whale is the creator of this newsletter)
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Food Pantries Feeling The Brunt of Inflation & Supply Chain Issues Food pantries across the country are feeling the brunt of both supply chain issues and higher costs of food going into the holiday season, according to local reporting. “The price of meat, turkeys, ground beef, you name it, the price of meat has just skyrocketed. It’s hard to get your hands on mass quantities or turkeys and we will be feeding mass quantities of people this holiday season,” according to nonprofit Loaves and Fishes - Friendship Trays CEO Tina Postel. Newly released economic data shows that inflation has reached a 30-year high.
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Summary
Digital Currencies Are Shiny, New And Some Are Unstable
Fraudsters siphon $830,000 meant for homelessness nonprofit – KIRO 7 News
A King County nonprofit raises all staff salaries to $70,000 minimum. Will more organizations follow?
Duke students' nonprofit Operation Climate tackles science misinformation through storytelling
Nonprofit News for 11/8/2021
Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Passes, Includes Energy Updates For Nonprofits The $1-trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives last Friday, to become one of the most significant investments in infrastructure in U.S. history. The bill includes provisions for helping religious and nonprofit organizations update the sustainability of their spaces and buildings, according to reporting by Haaretz. “The Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act in the bipartisan infrastructure bill fixes that by providing critical funds for nonprofits to upgrade decades-old buildings with inefficient heating and cooling systems, lowering energy costs and reducing their environmental impact,” according to Elana Broitman, the senior vice president for public affairs at the Jewish Federations of North America. The funding includes up to $50 million in grants as part of the program.
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Governments and Private Foundations Announce $1.6 Billion In Support of Indigenous People Governments including those of the U.K., Germany, Norway, U.S., and the Netherlands have announced, in partnership with numerous private foundations, a $1.6 billion pledge to support indigenous communities at the COP26 climate summit. The program seeks to both promote anti-deforestation efforts and support local communities. The Ford Foundation, one of the initiative's partners, notes that “a growing body of evidence shows that Indigenous Peoples are the most effective guardians of biodiverse tropical forests.” The partnership seeks to include local and indigenous communities in the decision making process regarding climate mitigation. “Indigenous Peoples and local communities manage half the world’s land and care for an astonishing 80% of Earth’s biodiversity,” according to the press release.
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Summary
EducationSuperHighway eyes free WiFi to solve the digital divide
WFP chief responds to Elon Musk's challenge on world hunger - CNN Video
Jeff Bezos pledges $2 billion toward combatting deforestation
NFTuesday - The Giving Block
Nonprofit helps those with former convictions find jobs
nonprofitnewsfeed.com
Climate Takes Center Stage At COP26 Summit In Glasgow The world’s attention is focused on Glasgow this week as the global COP26 climate conference begins. With world leaders like Joe Biden and Narendra Modi in attendance, the summit will again push collective climate action to the forefront of a global conversation about sustainability. The summit, which has drawn lots of attention including from grassroots activists, is seen by many as a follow-up to the previous meeting of this scale held in Paris. This summit represents one of the rare instances where nations, NGOs, and International Organizations meet to collectively debate the next steps for addressing the climate emergency. Notably absent are the leaders of China and Russia, two of the top four climate emissions emitters.
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The 2021 Nonprofit Advertising Benchmark Study: $12k is the mean Certified B Corps digital agency Whole Whale, the creators of this fine newsletter, have released a nonprofit advertising study designed to give nonprofit communication professionals a look into broader trends in how the industry approaches digital advertising. Based on data from over 7,100 organizations, the study includes advertising insights broken down by an organization’s age, size, type, and number of employees. The report is publicly available for free, and the dashboard plus raw data is available for purchase. This study is a partnership between Whole Whale and Cause IQ, the leading nonprofit data platform, and the data sampled are representative of the organizations that fit the study criteria.
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Summary
Build Back Better bill includes $100 million boost for Nonprofit Security Grant Program
Charity Navigator Adjusts Methodology Due To Pandemic
Countdown to GivingTuesday: Drafting Communications
Nonprofit news for the week of Oct 25th, 2021
Hong Kong nonprofits are forced to leave and Facebook Whistleblower is supported by nonprofit.
Amnesty International Forced To Pull Out of Hong Kong International human rights organization Amnesty International has announced that it will be pulling its operations out of Hong Kong, according to a press release. The decision comes on the heels of Hong Kong’s controversial new national security law, which makes it incredibly difficult for groups like Amnesty to operate. The law, which was introduced in June of 2020, has already been used to crack down on non-violent political protest and stifle civil society and other activist groups. According to reporting from The Guardian, more than 35 other civil society groups have also been forced to shut down under the threat of arrest. Amnesty says local offices will close by the end of the month while its regional headquarters will shut down by the end of the year.
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Nonprofit Group Backs Facebook Whistleblower In Huge Gamble The nonprofit Whistleblower Aid says that it’s seeing the “light at the end of the tunnel” after secretly working with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, according to a report from the Washington Post. The nonprofit, which had an operating budget of only $2 million, has taken on the huge task of representing one of the highest-profile corporate whistleblowers of the decade, who went public with internal Facebook reports that show it was aware of potential harm. The nonprofit was forced to divert a huge amount of resources to a singular case in a huge gamble that seems to be paying off, according to Libby Liu, chief executive of Whistleblower Aid. The organization provides things like free legal protection, security, and even mental health support for whistleblowers.
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US surgeons test pig kidney transplant in a human
Hundreds of children waiting for adoption in Ala. foster care system, nonprofit holds fundraiser
Gates Foundation invests $120 mn for Covid pill access
Nonprofit pilot program to bring 50 housing pods for homeless in Kzoo
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Nonprofit news for the week of October 18th, 2021
Nonprofit Fundraising Off Of Breast Cancer Has “Deep Ties” To Scam PAC Groups In an investigative report done by OpenSecrets and The Daily Beast, the nonprofit The American Breast Cancer Coalition appears to be a “scheme to extract millions of dollars in donations, mostly from small donors.” Since the organization was launched two years ago it has brought in nearly $3.5 million, most of which gets kicked back to a telemarketing company that was fined $56 million last year for fraud. The group is not a 501(c)3 but is instead registered as a special type of PAC, which allows it to skirt the usual legal and financial transparency requirements. This particular case represents a broader trend of sketchy political groups masquerading as honest charities, according to the report. The FBI has a handy list of tips for avoiding charity scams during the holidays.
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U.S. Missionaries & Aid Workers Kidnapped In Haiti 16 American missionaries and one Canadian were kidnapped in Haiti over the weekend, according to reports. The kidnapped included 5 children. The missionaries, associated with Christian Aid Ministries, were working as aid workers in the region when they were kidnapped by a large, heavily armed gang. The threat of violence to not only foreign aid workers but Haitians themselves indicates the fragility of a country continuously teetering on the brink of collapse following the assassination of its President and a deadly earthquake earlier this year. This story highlights the immense danger and complexity faced by aid organizations operating “in the field,” particularly those working in underdeveloped countries in response to conflict, disaster, and other humanitarian catastrophes.
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Summary
Pittsburgh nonprofit Hello Neighbor to resettle 250 refugees within next year
Who Are the Quiet Leaders in Sustainer Giving?
2021 Luminate Online Benchmark Report
Right-Wing Nonprofit Lavishes Millions on Top Brass
Pups parade Halloween costumes for New Jersey community library fundraiser
Nonprofitnewsfeed.com
Nonprofits On Front Lines of Afghan Resettlement Seek More Foundation & Government Support Nonprofits on the front lines of helping the thousands of Afghan refugees settling in the United States say that they need more financial support to continue to provide services for resettlement. Many of these organizations, accustomed to relatively limited numbers of people who need assistance, have gone into overdrive to help refugees who have been coming to the U.S. over the past several months. However, because these refugees are being admitted primarily through a process called “humanitarian parole,” they receive almost no federal assistance beyond a one-time $1,200 stipend. Organizations carrying out the bulwark of the resettlement work say that in order to provide for so many people who arrived with almost no possessions, they will need additional assistance.
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The “Land Back” Movement Brings Reparations To Indigenous Communities To The Forefront The “Land Back” movement, akin to Black lives Matter in its relatively decentralized usage, is a call for recognizing that Indigenous land has been stolen through genocide and calls for reparations to Native Americans, largely in the form of the returning of land and disassembly of colonizing structures. In this article for Nonprofit Quarterly, the authors lay out a framework for providing adequate reparations to Indigenous communities who still face the repercussions of colonization. The article also calls for the philanthropic sector to work in partnership with communities to work to repair the damage done throughout history. Curious about the Indigenous land where you live? This interactive map shows you which tribes existed on the land based on your address!
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Summary
Crain's 2021 Notable Nonprofit Board Leaders
Binance Charity launches NFT tree planting project 'Tree Millions' to plant 10M trees worldwide
California Nonprofits: New Changes to the Corporate Laws
Greenwich nonprofit holding job fair to fill 70 openings
Sandusky donut contest brings in dough for nonprofit
October nonprofit news.
Jack A. Brown III And Other NYC Nonprofit Housing Executives Benefiting From Organizations They Run A feature investigative report by the New York Times has found that Jack A. Brown III and other executives associated with homeless and housing nonprofits in New York City have derived significant personal financial benefit from the organizations they run. “An investigation by The Times, based on hundreds of pages of legal filings, business records and tax documents, as well as interviews with homeless people, city officials and shelter employees, found that under the cloak of charity, executives at nonprofits have collected large salaries, spent their budgets on companies that they or their families controlled and installed relatives in high-paying jobs.” The article goes on to highlight self-dealing, nepotism, and a disregard for the people who are supposed to benefit from NYC’s expansive homeless housing infrastructure. A government audit ordered by NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio is expected to wrap up in the coming months.
Read more ➝ Change.org Now Housed Under Nonprofit Foundation Change.org, a site almost synonymous with online petitions, has announced that it will now be housed under the Change.org Foundation. Change.org itself was established in 2007 as a Public Benefit Corporation and will continue to operate as such, though it will now be owned in its entirety by the nonprofit Change.org Foundation. This change represents a significant shift for a company that has become increasingly adjacent to the nonprofit sector during its tenure. More than 50 investors will donate their equity back into the Foundation, according to the Nonprofit Times.
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Summary
Another Record For Texas Giving Day – $66 Million
A play-to-earn NFT game on a mission to save the earth
Many borrowers turn to nonprofit mortgage lenders
‘Ghouls’ to raise money for nonprofit groups at annual Wyandotte Zombie Pub Crawl
The nonprofit news summary for the last week of September!
The Giving Block Expects To Process $100M In Crypto Donations In 2021 The Giving Block, a cryptocurrency giving solution for nonprofits, reports that it expects to process over $100 million in donations by the end of 2021. In a press release, The Giving Block estimates that 2021 has represented the highest amount of cryptocurrency donations in any year and expects to 2022 to be even higher. As the trend of major nonprofit organizations accepting cryptocurrency donations continues, fundraising professionals should expect and prepare for a rise in donations via crypto heading into the EOY and 2022, especially among millennials and Gen-Z. (Disclosure: The Giving Block is a client of Whole Whale.)
Private Foundations Announce Plans To Give $Billions Towards Food, Health, & Climate Projects At UN General Assembly Private philanthropic foundations including the Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and others have announced sweeping investments in protecting global infrastructure particularly around nutrition, vaccine access, and climate mitigation. The announcement came at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, the yearly and preeminent global meeting of world leaders. The announced projects coincide with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs which seek to guide global efforts to address systemic issues.
Summary
Afghan Nonprofit Workers Desperately Scramble to Evacuate
National Philanthropic Trust Donor-Recommended Grants to Charities Grow 179% to $6.46B During FY 2021
SpaceX’s Inspiration4 Campaign for St. Jude Surpasses $200M Fundraising Goal
Feel-good story: https://www.gofundme.com/f/increase-student-engagement-in-science
nonprofitnewsfeed.com
Global Supply Chain Shortages Disrupt NGO Operations In Haiti & Elsewhere The New York Times reports that many nonprofit organizations and international NGOs are facing severe shortages of goods, disrupting their charitable operations. The global supply chain issues, largely attributed to the pandemic, have caused headaches for groups like the Haitian American Caucus, which provides the shoes at low cost to sellers in Haiti. “That pair of shoes represents so much more,” says executive director Samuel Darguin. “It represents a mother being able to send a kid to school, being able to afford health care and feed her family maybe two meals a day instead of one.” In the United States, nonprofit Soles4Souls, which also supplies the Haitian American Caucus with shoes, was forced to cut back its program to distribute shoes to homeless children in America.
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Sweepstakes Fundraising Platform Omaze Raises $85 Million in VC Funding The lottery and sweepstakes fundraising platform Omaze has announced that it has raised over $85 million in Series C venture capital funding, according to this report from Axios. In addition to funding from traditional investors, celebrities Bono, Kerry Washington, and Tom Brady are also named as investors. According to Omzae CEO Matt Pohlson, “90% of a participating charity's donors via Omaze haven't donated to that organization before.”
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Summary
The Activist: reality TV show to be ‘reimagined’ as documentary after backlash
2021 Nonprofit Organizations Salary and Benefits Report – The Non-Profit Times
International Day of Peace | United Nations
Record $1.7 Billion From Vanguard's DAF Donors
Nonprofit News for September 13th, 2021
Nonprofits Honor Anniversary of 9/11 With Day Of Service On the 20th anniversary of the events of September 11th, 2001, nonprofits across the country have made the solemn day one not only of remembrance—but one of giving back to communities. The nonprofit 9/11 Day, started by two friends, one of whom lost a brother in the attacks, seeks to encourage positive acts of kindness throughout the country every September. “The whole idea of it is to ensure that each one of us every 9/11 take time to think about all we have in common,” says organization co-founder David Paine. “We're not as divided as we think we are,” he adds. 9/11 Day’s Executive Director Ryan Walls says that September 11th is the nation’s largest day of service, and that last year “about 29 million people took part in some act of service or charitable engagement."
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CBS Launches Reality TV Show “The Activist.” Activists Aren’t Happy. A new reality TV show has entered CBS’s lineup called “The Activist.” The premise, while novel, has garnered lots of negative critiques from advocates and activists alike. The show will feature “activists” who use social media to advocate for a cause. The success of these on-air “activists” will be measured in social media metrics like “online engagement” and “social metrics.” Those featured on the show will get a chance to go to the G20 and petition their cause in front of world leaders. While some might say the show is one for an era defined by social media and digital activism, others criticize the show’s focus on social media attention in favor of real activists making on-the-ground change.
Read more ➝ Summary Texas Women Are Now Going Online for Abortion Pills Info After State's New Ban, Says Nonprofit
Nonprofit gives $100 for every shot given at vaccine clinic
United Way Worldwide Picks Williams As New CEO
Lil Nas X raising funds for Central Florida LGBTQ nonprofit with his upcoming album release
Nonprofit news from the sector.
Human Rights Campaign President Fired After Ties To Cuomo Alphonso David, President of Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, was ousted due to ties to former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. After contentious internal decision-making, David was fired for his reported role in assisting Cuomo with responses to accusations of sexual misconduct. David, who insists he did nothing wrong, says that he supported bringing in an external law firm to conduct an investigation into his involvement with Cuomo’s office. David, a long-time advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, had been hired two years ago by HRC after previously serving as Cuomo’s chief counsel.
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Desire To Help Afghans Bridges Contentious Political Divisions Across the country Americans, largely regardless of political affiliation, are mobilizing to support Afghan refugees fleeing the country after its takeover by the Taliban. In a rare show of bipartisan support around the otherwise contentious issue of immigration and refugee assistance, Americans of all creeds are volunteering, donating, and working with their communities to prepare to welcome the thousands of Afghans who will be eventually settling in America. While detractors remain, nonprofits that assist with refugee resettlement are seeing an outpouring of support from communities.
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Summary
Nonprofit to boost COVID resources in Hispanic communities
Nonprofit Works To Break The 'Grass Ceiling' In Missouri Cannabis Industry
Fast Food Punks Raise Nearly $600K for Charity
International Day of Charity 2021: History, Significance
After Losing Job In New York City, Chef Starts Nonprofit To Feed Veterans, Long Islanders In Need
Weekly nonprofit news summaries.
Nonprofits And Volunteer Organizations Step Up in Wake of Hurricane Ida After Category 4 Hurricane Ida made landfall in south Louisiana on Sunday, organizations on the ground are already stepping up to help their neighbors. The organization Shreveport Volunteer Network, a community-based emergency response coalition, has partnered with other local organizations like the United Cajun Navy to provide emergency response in the wake of the hurricane. One of the strongest storms to hit Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina, folks in southern LA will need disaster assistance and then a long-road plan to recovery. Learn more about organizations working to help here.
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Follow-Up: GoFundMe Campaign Helps More Than 300 People Flee Afghanistan A viral GoFundMe campaign that we previously highlighted has successfully evacuated approximately 300+ people from Kabul, according to reporting from the Seattle Times. Two organizations that helped with the logistics include the group Sayara International, a global development firm, and the Rockefeller Foundation. The folks who fled on this mission were brought to Uganda, where they will be temporarily sheltered in Kampala. The security situation in Kabul continued to deteriorate late last week with ISIS attacks that killed dozens.
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Summary
GoFundMe Money for LGBTQ Afghans Is Frozen 'Due to Taliban Control'
How to help Ida victims, right now and avoid scams
Shreveport Volunteers taking donations for Hurricane Ida
Tulsa nonprofit preparing to welcome Afghan refugees to Oklahoma
5 Years of Nonprofit Fundraising Stats: [2015 to 2020] And 6 Trends to Know
Feel-good stories from the Sector...
Mptree: A song that plants trees
Viral Fundraiser For Afghans Pits Bountiful Generosity Versus A Logistical Nightmare A GoFundMe hosted by an “Instagram personality” has generated well over $5 million in funds in an effort to support the airlift of vulnerable people attempting to flee Afghanistan. Only one problem — organizing an evacuation from a war zone isn’t exactly easy. The funds are slated to go to a group called Raven Advisory, which has a history of providing security support in Afghanistan. According to a spokesperson, “The funds raised are being used to engage trusted aircraft, crews, and security operations teams. The focus will remain on extracting as many people as possible as quickly and as safely as possible.” Additional unspent funds are said to go to the nonprofit International Women’s Media Foundation. However, some experts are more pessimistic, asserting that any efforts will run smack into the U.S. Immigration system. The labyrinthine process of obtaining a visa (necessary for U.S. entry) might be one logistical hurdle too many. Nonprofits should consider that while the exact logistics of a grassroots mission of this complexity might be unrealistic, the mounting public pressure spurred by such viral fundraisers have intrinsic value as an expression of a desire among Americans to protect Afghans.
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Nonprofits Can Shape Democracy, Report Finds A new report by the organization Nonprofit Vote, as reported by Business Insider, shows that nonprofits have real staying power when it comes to helping get out the vote, especially in traditionally underserved or underrepresented communities. The group, analyzing organizations within their consortium, found that nonprofits helped more than 600,000 people vote. They also found that “underrepresented communities, including people of color, low-income earners, and those without college educations, saw the biggest increases in turnout when engaged by nonprofits.” It should be no surprise that local nonprofits are better equipped to move the needle in historically underrepresented communities, but the data show that they can do so with rigor. Nonprofits shouldn’t underestimate their power to help the communities they serve to elevate the voices of their beneficiaries.
Read more ➝ Summary
Nonprofit expecting to welcome around 80,000 Afghan refugees over the next couple years
Turmoil Was Brewing at Time’s Up Long Before Cuomo
I am an Afghan woman working for a western NGO in Kabul. I feel forgotten
Donors Send Quake Aid to Haiti, but for How Long?
Nonprofit News for the week of 8/16/2021
Earthquake Rattles Haiti, Nonprofits & NGOs Step Up In Shadow of Previous Quake Response A 7.2-magnitude earthquake rattled Haiti over the weekend, a devastating blow for a country already in the midst of a severe political crisis. The quake, the epicenter of which was located west of Port-au-Prince, initially seemed less catastrophic as it occurred in a less densely populated area, but the emergency need still exists. While the last earthquake response generated unprecedented levels of giving (as well as scrutiny of the effectiveness of vast sums raised) the need again exists for disaster response. Major disaster response organizations, like Americares, already have campaigns set up to direct aid. This Massachusetts-based but local Haitian organization is one of many established local organizations that are well-equipped to help communities on the ground. The Chief Executive of the organization, Mission E4, says that "organizations who are not established already, who don't speak the language, who don't already understand the culture, it takes them a lot longer to get up and running,” and would “encourage people to fund organizations who are already there and established.”
Kabul Falls To Taliban, NGO & Activist Progress Set Back With Unprecedented Speed After 20 years of U.S. military presence, the withdrawal of U.S. troops has culminated in chaos as the Taliban has taken control of Kabul, the Afghan capital. After progress on fronts like girls’ education, and human rights, the country again faces the rule of the Taliban, with strict, terror-adjacent laws and rules. This Seattle-based nonprofit that operates in Afghanistan is concerned about the safety and well-being of both the girls they’ve taught and the teachers they’ve hired. The setback to the organization, Sahar, and others just like might be the tip of the iceberg for NGOs that operate in the region.
Summary
To stop another COVID wave, fund the nonprofits that vulnerable Bay Area residents trust
USF nonprofit accounting manager steals millions, spends on "adult" website
Meet Our 2021 John W. Gardner Leadership Award Recipients – Dr. Gail C. Christopher and Professor john a. powell
Begins Monday: Louisiana COVID relief program offering up to $25K to nonprofits, small businesses
Nonprofitnewsfeed.com
ASPCA Faces Criticism Over Programming Expense Ratio The ASCPA, known as one of the largest and most publicly visible animal welfare nonprofits within the United States, is facing criticism highlighted in this CBS News spot over how it spends its donations. According to the report, only 47% of all donations go towards programs that directly help animals, while the rest goes to “public education,” “fundraising,” and “management.” The ASPCA gained notoriety for its heartbreaking TV commercials of animals in need, but according to some perspectives, these advertisements don’t tell the full picture of how that money is being spent. Of the 2 billion raised since 2008, the ASPCA gave only 7% of the total raised to local SPCA affiliated local groups, while a much larger percentage goes to national fundraising campaigns.
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New Report Shows Less Than Half of U.S. Households Donate To Charity In a report from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, for the first time, less than half of U.S. households gave money to charity, as reported by The Times Leader. While the report’s data is only as recent as 2018, it shows that the trend is downward in terms of the percentage of Americans who are donating. Coupled with record-level giving in 2020, the picture created by these studies is that philanthropic and charitable giving is consolidating, that is, being initiated by a more select group of people.
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Summary
If You Want to Work for Our Nonprofit, You Need to Get Vaccinated
Owner donates $28 million Biloxi casino site to a MS Coast nonprofit
Catalytic converters stolen from Columbus nonprofit's meal delivery vans, other vehicles
NPT Power & Influence Top 50 (2021)
Nonprofit news for the week of 7/26/2021.
Bezos Blasts Off Into Space, Donates $200 Million Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and the world’s wealthiest human, has announced a $200 million donation to the activist Van Jones and humanitarian chef José Andrés. The money, with no strings attached, was part of Bezos’ new “Courage and Civility Award.” Bezos announced the award shortly after returning to earth from a ride to space via his aerospace company Blue Origin’s spaceship.
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New Report On Trust In Civil Society Released The report, published by Independent Sector, finds that trust in institutions overall is declining across America, and that nonprofits and philanthropic organizations are not immune from this trend. While overall trust remains high, residents with lower income, lower education levels, and those who live in rural communities contributed to the downward tick in trust. Gen Z also exhibited decrease metrics when it comes to these institutions. How the public perceives nonprofits and philanthropic organizations broadly needs to be at the forefront of conversations around nonprofit development, fundraising, communication, and marketing.
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Summary
"Your Shot Texas" Boosts Vaccinations With Nonprofit Grant Money
Bloomberg To Fund Tech Upgrades For The Arts
Red Cross signals blood emergency with lack of donations
A Nonprofits flowers carry meaning at The Tokyo Olympics
Nonprofitnewsfeed.com
200 Nonprofits Close In Minnesota, Indicative of Larger Trend Between April of 2020 and March of 2021, 186 nonprofits stopped operations, according to data from the state of Minnesota. Hundreds of other nonprofits are believed to have downsized operations dramatically, indicating a substantial trend. Health, arts, and religious organizations were hurt most substantially. While this data only reflects nonprofits within Minnesota, Candid estimates that nearly one-third of nonprofits are in danger of closing within the next two years nationally. Coupled with record giving in 2020, this broad trend is indicative of an industry that’s slowly consolidating, as funding and resources increasingly flow to larger organizations at the expense of smaller organizations.
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Steph Curry Partners With Nonprofit Venture NinetyToZero To Bridge Racial Wealth Gap NBA superstar Steph Curry has partnered up with the nonprofit project NinetyToZero, which seeks to bridge the vast racial wealth divide within American society. The new organization, incubated by the Robinhood Foundation in partnership with Goldman Sachs and Starbucks, took its name from the reported disparity of wealth in America, particularly that white Americans hold approximately 90% more wealth than black Americans. With additional support from the ACLU and prominent figures in the social philanthropy world, the estimated economic benefit of closing the racial wealth gap in America is $1.5 trillion over the next decade.
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Summary
With Donations Declining, LA Nonprofits Face Post-Pandemic Challenges
Wes Moore, author and former nonprofit executive, launches campaign for Maryland governor
Largest solar project for nonprofit organization in West Virginia nearly complete
Journalists, activists among firm’s spyware targets, nonprofits say
Online Fundraising Platforms Face Fresh Scrutiny New scrutiny is being applied to the donation fundraising tactics of political fundraising platforms. After a New York Times expose highlighting potentially deceptive practices was released in April, fresh criticism has come in the form of an open inquiry being led by four democratic state attorneys general. The inquiry is into both the Republican platform WinRed and the Democratic platform ActBlue. Nonprofits, particularly those in the political and advocacy spaces, should watch this narrative closely as new rules may arise regarding how campaign-affiliated companies and organizations can procure online donations from the public.
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FrontlineSMS Closes After 15 Years The professional SMS messaging service FrontlineSMS has announced that it will be closing. The service, which provided users with a primarily free platform to communicate via SMS, will continue to be available as a free, fully open-source software on Windows, Mac, and Linux. In an open letter, FrontlineSMS CEO writes that “our products have been continuously used by community groups, service providers, and national governments alike, reaching tens of thousands of people a year. Over the last 15 years, we’ve supported users in 200 countries around the world with primarily free tools and support. We’ve been part of peer-reviewed academic studies, ground-breaking journalism, and the transformational change of life-saving systems – both as subject and as service provider.”
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Summary
Black women push for racial equity at nonprofits
Gates Foundation staff are 'freaking out' about the nonprofit's future as Bill and Melinda divorce, an insider reportedly said
Attorney generals looking into online fundraising practices: reports
How nonprofit leader Catherine Howarth got HSBC to swear off coal
Summary of nonprofit news.
Supreme Court Throws Out Nonprofit Donor Disclosure Law Last Thursday the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in a 6-3 ruling that California could no longer require nonprofits to submit donor information to the state. Advocates of the law say it adds donor and transparency to the finances of organizations that may serve as a vehicle for unscrupulous influence, while Americans for Prosperity (which brought the case) argues that such donations are a first amendment issue. This case, like the landmark Citizens United v FEC before it, could make the job of watchdog oversight over not only nonprofit contributions but political campaign contributions harder to monitor.
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NCAA Allows Players To Profit Off of Name, Image, Likeness A NCAA rule change, coupled with new state laws, has opened up the door for NCAA college-level athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness, in a reset that will likely reverberate throughout the college sports world. Private universities with NCAA programs are nearly all operated as tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, and this ruling represents the potential for a seismic shift in the way that such institutions relate to their student-athletes. The push for athletes to profit off of their name is not entirely separate from modern social justice issues and the reckoning on race that has accelerated in recent years. Nonprofit institutions, both big and small, should be attentive to cultural shifts and evolving norms that have the ability to change entire sectors of the nonprofit tax-exempt world.
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Summary
2U set to acquire nonprofit edX for deal north of $600M – TechCrunch
Nonprofit: Number of drownings in Great Lakes jumps in 2021
Parkland Nonprofit Raises Funds for Surfside Families
Nonprofit news for the week of 6/28/2021
Warren Buffett Gives Away $4.1 Billion To Charity, Steps Down From Gates Foundation Warren Buffett, one of the richest people in the world, has announced a donation of nearly $4.1 billion to charity. This donation comes on the heels of other massive philanthropic donations from wealthy individuals like MacKenzie Scott. Buffet has previously said he seeks to give nearly all his money away to philanthropic causes. Also last week it was announced that Warren Buffett would be stepping down from the board of the Gates Foundation, just weeks after the divorce of Bill and Melinda Gates.
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Raiders DE Carl Nassib Comes Out, Gives $100k To Trevor Project Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib came out last week, making him the first active NFL football player to come out as gay. In the announcement video, Nassib states his intention to donate $100k to the Trevor Project, a nonprofit that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention to LGBTQ+ youth.
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Summary Woman Gets 6 Years in Prison for Embezzling From Nonprofits
Nonprofit News Media Pace Picking Up
House GOP Members Demand Details of $350 Million in Grants From Nonprofit in 2020 Election
Former drug dealer sparks nonprofit to train more young people to be welders for shipbuilding and repair
Nonprofit news summary for the week of June 22nd, 2021.
Charitable Giving Reaches All-Time High In 2020 - Report A new Giving USA report says that U.S. charitable giving reached an all-time high of approximately $471 billion. Driven by factors such as an unprecedented pandemic and a broad reckoning over racial violence, giving increased 5.1% from 2019 to 2020 (3.8% when adjusted for inflation). Experts note that a strong finish by financial markets including the S&P 500 (changes in which track with changes in individual and foundation giving) likely contributed to the spike. While individual giving increased 2%, giving from foundations jumped nearly 17% year over year. While lots of nonprofits, especially civil rights organizations, saw increases in funding — arts, culture, and disease-specific organizations saw a decrease.Read more ➝
Juneteenth Now A Federal Holiday Congress has overwhelmingly approved a bill making Juneteenth a federally-recognized holiday. With a 415-14 vote in the House of Representatives, June 19th will be officially recognized as a day commemorating the end of slavery in America. This is the first new federal holiday to be authorized since the creation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.
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Summary Nonprofit journalism grew in 2020 — and individual donors played a large part
National Young Farmers Coalition | Young Farmers 2020 Accountability Report
Girl Scouts Stuck With Over 15 Million Boxes of Unsold Cookies
MacKenzie Scott’s latest round of $2.7B in gifts prioritizes philanthropy infrastructure
Nonprofit news summaries for the week of June 14th, 2021.
Featured product: A new Inclusivity Language Tool from Whole Whale. Helping organizations check their websites for inclusive language.
New Federal Legislation Aims To Speed Up Donor Advised Funds’ Impact To Charities New proposed legislation introduced by Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) seeks to speed up the process by which donor-advised funds (DAFs) would be disbursed to nonprofit organizations. While controversial within certain philanthropic circles, the Accelerating Charitable Efforts (ACE) Act would establish timeframes for DAF distribution and new rules for DAFs, including both 15 and 50-year options.
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Chicago-based Journalism Nonprofit Wins Pulitzer The Invisible Institute, a nonprofit news organization based out of the south side of Chicago, along with the staffs of The Marshall Project, Alabama Media Group, and The Indianapolis Star, have won a coveted Pulitzer Prize in the “National Reporting” category for investigative reporting that looked into Police K-9 units.
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Big law firms are donating pro bono hours to block unions at legal nonprofits where their partners are board members
EveryAction’s Acquisition Spree Lands Salsa Labs
Square Launches $5M Bitcoin Fund to Promote Crypto Inclusion
What the donor-advised fund payout rate means for philanthropy and how it fits into the bigger charitable giving picture
How An Oklahoma STEM Nonprofit Is Empowering Students To Digitally Rebuild Tulsa's Black Wall Street
Nonprofit news summaries for June 7th
Direct mail price hikes and a push for transparency in politics by nonprofits.
USPS Price Increase May Lead To Headache For Nonprofits The United States Postal Services (USPS) has filed for an increase in prices averaging nearly 6.9% system-wide, according to the Nonprofit Times. As many nonprofit organizations still rely on direct mail strategies for reaching donors, the average increase of 7.8% for Nonprofit Marketing Mail (NMM) could prove to be disruptive for organizations seeing slim net fundraising revenue from mail outreach. A decrease in mail volume of over 28% over the last decade has put the USPS in an awkward position, forcing it to balance public service with ever-decreasing revenue.
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Political Data Transparency Nonprofits Merge To Form OpenSecrets Two leading “money-in-politics” accountability nonprofits, the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP), have merged to form OpenSecrets, a “state-of-the-art democratic accountability organization.” This announcement comes on the heels of a contentious 2020 election that far surpassed previous elections in terms of spending. “This merger brings together decades of expertise, massive data sets, and the kind of analysis that researchers, journalists, advocates and individuals rely on to understand the influence of spending on politics,” according to OpenSecrets Executive Director Sheila Krumholz. Nonprofits, PACs, and other advocacy organizations operating within this space should pay attention to increasing calls for (and expectation of) financial transparency.
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Summary
Once a Bastion of Free Speech, the A.C.L.U. Faces an Identity Crisis
Black-led nonprofit receives 'reparations payment' from slaveholder's descendant
Charity: Water launches celebrity-funded Bitcoin Water Trust
50 brands giving back to the LGBTQ community
Hackers Stole $650,000 From Nonprofit and Got Away, Showing Limits to Law Enforcement’s Reach
Nonprofit 'spokescat' saving the world one post at a time
Nonprofit News for the week of June 1st, 2021.
Tulsa Massacre After 100 Years: Nonprofits Part Of Efforts To Bring Justice The Tulsa massacre, one of the most egregious examples of racial violence in American history, marks its 100th anniversary. After “Black Wall Street” was destroyed by mobs of white supremacists, efforts to bring justice are underway. The Oklahoma Archaeological Survey, associated with the University of Oklahoma, will begin work to find, identify and preserve victims’ remains. The nonprofit Centennial Commission is building a historic center to preserve the oft-overlooked history of the massacre, though the organization has drawn criticism for not providing reparations to victims directly. Events and programs marking the 100-year milestone include a visit to Tulsa by President Biden to meet with survivors.
Russian-Backed Hack of USAID Leaves NGOs Potentially Compromised Russia state-backed hackers are believed to have breached USAID’s external communication client, sending malicious emails to over 3,000 accounts from over 150 organizations, according to Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt. The attack appears to have targeted humanitarian organizations, human rights NGOs, think tanks, and civil society organizations. Burt notes that the attack, carried out by the same actor responsible for the high-profile SolarWinds breach, is yet “another example of how cyberattacks have become the tool of choice for a growing number of nation-states to accomplish a wide variety of political objectives.” This breach comes just weeks before President Biden is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Geneva.
Summary
Warning Signs Emerge for Fundraisers in Latest Economic Reports
What North Carolina's donor privacy bill would, and wouldn't, do for nonprofits
ExxonMobil loses a proxy fight with green investors
Nonprofit buys 6,150 acres for conservation in Georgia
Nonprofit Powers Creation of Low-Cost Covid Vaccine
Nonprofit supports families of America’s fallen soldiers
Weekly nonprofit podcast news.
Nonprofit Fights Carbon Emissions With Financial Marketplace University of Chicago professor Michael Greenstone has created a nonprofit called Climate Vault, which could revolutionize how we offset carbon emissions in the marketplace. Using the current cap and trade infrastructure to its advantage, the organization seeks to redirect capital to environmentally-conscious startups in exchange for “pollution permits.” The goal is to merge financial profit with environmental sustainability in hopes of driving investment in products that help the planet in the long-run.
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Nonprofit Advocacy Groups & Native Tribes Team Up To Combat Voter Suppression New voting legislation in Montana, which critics cite as an attempt to suppress the vote of indigenous communities, is facing a legal challenge from a joint effort of multiple tribes and nonprofits. The tribes challenging the legislation include the Blackfeet Nation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Fort Belknap Indian Community and Northern Cheyenne Tribe. These tribes, along with Native get-out-the-vote organizations Western Native Voice and Montana Native Voice, are being represented by the Native American Rights Fund, in conjunction with the ACLU. Not only do nonprofits fill a vital gap in our social safety infrastructure, but they are an essential part of our democratic society, and constitute a rapidly growing civil society movement both in the U.S. and abroad. Read the legal complaint here. Read more ➝ Summary
YMCA brings in new CEO to revamp struggling nonprofit
Greenpeace Stops Accepting Bitcoin Donations, Cites High Energy Use
Steve Bannon's Nonprofit Sued for Destroying Wild Butterflies' Habitat with Donald Trump's Border Wall
S.F. nonprofit lost $650,000 to hackers and a 'money mule.' The boss had to investigate it herself
Nonprofit takes veterans on flights on WWII-era biplane
Weekly nonprofit news updates.
Crypto Billionaire Donates $1 Billion In Meme Coin To India The founder of the cryptocurrency Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, announced that he has donated approximately $1 billion in the meme coin Shiba Inu to nonprofit organizations battling COVID-19 in India. The announcement comes at an interesting moment as philanthropists are increasingly taking up cryptocurrency and disbursing the digital coins to nonprofits. While the volatility of cryptocurrency raises many questions about such donations, nonprofits should increasingly pay attention to this trend as cryptocurrency becomes more mainstream.
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Nonprofit Jobs Report Shows Net Increase But Less Significant Growth With the increase in jobs, the nonprofit sector has recovered half of total jobs lost because of the pandemic, according to a new report based on data from the Center for Civil Society Studies (CCSS) at Johns Hopkins University. In line with national job statistics, job growth slowed in April compared to March. While arts, entertainment, & recreation jobs grew 12%, education and health-care sectors lost a small percentage of jobs. Experts say it remains to be seen whether the slowed growth represents a broader trend or a mere “blip” on the monthly job totals.
Read more ➝ Blood donors needed as regional supply hits "critical "shortage
Kane County paid $483,000 to nonprofit fighting Biden conservation plan
Nike and Crisis Text Line Mental Health Partnership | Well+Good
Gates Foundation Gets Oxygen to India
Nonprofit News Summary
Bill & Melinda Gates File For Divorce After 27 years of marriage, Bill and Melinda Gates have filed for divorce, rocking one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the process. The Gates Foundation, which began working with providing internet to libraries, now manages nearly $5 billion in annual grants and employs nearly 1,600 people, tackling problems all over the world. The organization has recently given nearly $1.6 billion to fight COVID-19 globally. The New York Times quotes Megan Tompkins-Stange, a public policy professor at the University of Michigan, who notes that “the foundation’s $50 billion endowment is in a charitable trust that is irrevocable” that “cannot be removed or divided up as a marital asset.” She says that while change may come, she doesn’t see this “as a big asteroid landing on the field of philanthropy as some of the hyperbole around this has indicated.”
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Nonprofits & Foundations On The Front Lines Of Tackling Vaccine Hesitancy The United States is more and more finding that decreasing demand, not limited supply, is limiting vaccine intake among the general population. Organizations such as the Ad Council, Kaiser Family Foundation and others are working hard to both understand what motivates vaccine hesitancy and then educate the public about vaccines and answer common questions about them. These organizations represent just a few of the nonprofit, philanthropic, and other public policy and health organizations working hard to educate the public at a critical juncture of the pandemic.
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Summary
Twitter launches Tip Jar, a potential pathway to nonprofit donations
A Nonprofit Promised to Preserve Wildlife. Then It Made Millions Claiming It Could Cut Down Trees
What if trees covered half of New Orleans? City teams with nonprofit to try
‘Every Day We're Getting Survivors': Nonprofit Overwhelmed by Uptick in Domestic Violence Cases
Nonprofit News for the week of May 4th, 2021
Democratic Nonprofit Sues Ahead of Potential Redistricting Fight Off the heels of a contentious and troublesome 2020 census, the next political fight shaping up with substantial impact might be redistricting. Acknowledging these tense political battles yet to come, a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit National Redistricting Action Fund, associated with the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, is filing lawsuits in an attempt to make the results of any political impasses fair. While the specifics of the case or complex, nonprofits and advocacy groups should know that redistricting can significantly impact both national and local politics for a decade. Redistricting alone could mean the difference between a Democrat and GOP - controlled House of Representatives, according to experts. The politics of redistricting are such that in most cases, states themselves decide who ends up in a particular district, actively franchising and disenfranchising communities in the process.
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Atlanta Girl Scouts Left With $3 Million In Unsold Cookies For local Girl Scouts, the fundraising gap left by nearly 700k+ unsold boxes of cookies could mean the difference between affording to be able to partake in scout-related activities and not being able to do so. The decrease in efficacy of door-to-door selling and other more commercial fundraisers should be a warning to nonprofits that so heavily rely on typically in-person fundraisers, especially during the pandemic.
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The Summary... Having trouble reading these articles with popups? Use the Feedly Boards linked at the bottom to quickly go through curated articles. Independent Sector Statement on the American Families Plan and 28% Deduction Cap
CHERP builds first nonprofit solar panel factory | Claremont Courier
Organ-donation nonprofit Mid-America Transplant plans $10.5M development in Dogtown
New York Life launches $1 billion impact investment initiative
145 House members call for $360 million in nonprofit security grant funding
Nonprofit hopes to resettle refugee families in Va. town
NonprofitNewsfeed.com Summary of nonprofit news from the week of April 26, 2021.
Supreme Court To Hear Nonprofit Fundraising Case With Broad Implications For Sector On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear a case on donor transparency and fundraising with the potential for broad implications for both traditional nonprofits and political organizations. The case centers on a dispute about whether California can mandate that tax-exempt organizations report its top donors to the government. While in theory this reporting would be confidential, the case has broad implications about whether the government can and should track contributions to tax-exempt organizations. This case in some ways tackles an issue similar to the landmark Citizens United v. FEC case of 2010, which greatly changed campaign finance rules and allowed for the greater flow of “dark money” into 502(c)4 political organizations, according to critics. Politicians of both parties are split over their opinion of the case.
M+R 2020 Benchmarks Released, Shows Trends In Nonprofit Fundraising & Marketing Nonprofit communication and marketing firm M+R has released its annual 2020 annual benchmarks report. The report shows that online revenue for nonprofits increased 32% in 2020, with the increased revenue benefiting nonprofits that tackle hunger and poverty the most. The report also shows how nonprofits are doubling down on digital advertising, increasing investments by 33%. The report dives deep into specific digital marketing metrics and is a must-read for organizations seeking to understand their digital performance among their peers.
Summary
The 2021 Nonprofit 40 Under 40
City Nonprofits Face 'Financial Catastrophe' Due to Pandemic’s Demands
Nonprofits gain funding from unusual source: Marijuana sales
Fundraising Platform Classy Snares $118M In Venture Funds
Four nonprofits turning Manchester warehouse into shared headquarters
NonprofitNewsFeed.com Summary of news for April 19, 2021,
California Program Pays To Convert Hotels Into Homeless Shelters California’s new Homekey program will spend nearly $600 million to buy hotels and motels and convert them into homeless shelters. The program is a positive step for both addressing issues of homelessness as well as aiding a hospitality industry hit hard by the pandemic, giving owners the chance to sell properties for a good cause. The state received $550 in federal coronavirus funds, and will include nearly $50 million in general state funds.
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Nonprofit Jobs Soar In March March saw an 8.9% jump in nonprofit jobs, according to a new report published by The Center for Civil Society Studies (CCSS) at Johns Hopkins University. The additional 81,000 jobs represent the largest monthly rebound of jobs in the sector since August of last year. All nonprofit fields saw gains, with education leading the way with an additional 45.6k jobs. Despite the gains, the sector is still down jobs totaling 830,000 (6.6%) from its pre-pandemic levels.
Read more ➝ Summary EveryAction Announces Acquisition of GiveGab, Combining Two Leaders in Nonprofit Solutions
It’s Not Just Young White Liberals Who Are Leaving Religion
Increased blood usage from hospitals creates heightened need for blood donors | Local News
Mick Jagger Partners With Dave Grohl On NFT Fundraiser For Music Venues
11-year-old girl gives back to community through nonprofit
Nonprofitnewsfeed.com summary of the week of 4/12/2021
GOP Fundraising Platform Under Fire for Deceptive Donation Forms
A recent New York Times article highlighted the potentially deceptive nature of fundraising forms hosted on the GOP’s WinRed donation platform, resulting in the Trump campaign having to issue nearly $122 million in refunds and causing a spike in fraud complaints to banks. These donation landing pages were criticized for aggressively pushing users to become recurring donors by automatically checking off a “Make this a monthly recurring donation” box (a practice not limited to GOP fundraising). The onus on the user to “opt-out” of a recurring donation is being criticized as unethical, especially as the forms became increasingly difficult to navigate as the election drew nearer. The blowback aimed at the campaign, from its own supporters no less, should give pause to any organization seeking to dupe its donors.
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Multiple Alleged Nonprofit CEO Fraud Cases Make News A lot of fraud among nonprofit employees and leaders has made the news this week:
Former Employee At Nonprofit Charged With Stealing $4.7M
Religious nonprofit CEO arrested by FBI in fraud case
68-year-old woman accused of stealing $4.72 million from Huntington West Virginia nonprofit
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Summary
Facebook Helps Raise $5 Billion
The iOS14 Update and Facebook Ads
America's Charities Named Best Nonprofit to Work For
Two Philanthropic Strategies Aim to Boost Faltering Local News
Billionaires John, Laura Arnold to give 5% of wealth yearly
Union workers at Festus Goodwill reject latest proposal from nonprofit
Local Nonprofit Advancing Knowledge Of The Holocaust Through Art
Weekly nonprofit news summary from the best sector.
Positive Economic Indicators Welcome News for Nonprofits Positive economic predictors should be good news for nonprofits after a challenging year, according to experts. GPD, regional economic indicators, unemployment, government spending, and changes in the stock market are all indicators that might predict the fiscal health of nonprofits. While every nonprofit’s revenue stream and expenses are different, a growing economy might be a macro-level predictor of a less-grueling year for the nonprofit sector.
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Extremists Raise Funds Through Direct Giving Increasingly, extremist and hate groups are fundraising through direct giving platforms. With a rise in the popularity of direct giving, extremists, Neo-Nazis, and other hate organizations are raising funds with increasingly minimal surveillance. "It's so predictable, and it's never going away," said Megan Squire, a computer science professor at Elon University. A multitude of platforms, including new ones catering to participants of the January 6th U.S. Capitol riots, create an intractable problem that’s difficult to solve. How platforms respond to the direct exchange of money between bad actors should be on the radar of nonprofits seeking to steer clear of controversy and hate.
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Summary
Fewer than 50 percent of Americans indicate religion is very important
Extremist groups using pandemic isolation to lure people of all ages, anti-extremism nonprofit says
Bank of America boosts commitment to racial equity to $1.25 billion
Foundation Merger Pushes AI, Data Science For NPOs
5 Economic Indicators That (Mostly) Point to a Brighter Year for Nonprofits
Windfall nabs $21M for AI that aids nonprofit fundraising
Feel Good News
Saturday Night Live NFT will donate proceeds to Stop AAPI Hate
Weekly summary of nonprofit news.
Restrictive Voting Legislation In Georgia Indicative of Larger, Concerning Trend Last week, Georgia governor Brian Kemp signed into law a restrictive voting bill decried by voting rights advocates and the President alike as “Jim Crow in the 21st century.” The new legislation comes less than three months after Raphael Warnock was elected as the first black U.S. Senator from the state. A legal complaint filed by multiple voter activation and progressive advocacy groups says that the new law levies “unjustifiable burdens disproportionately on the State's minority, young, poor, and disabled citizens.” The Brennan Center for Justice, which tracks restrictive voter laws, counts over 250 restrictive voter laws being pushed through state legislatures. Restrictions to voting could mean the difference between a federal government that prioritizes a fiscal stimulus the size of the American Rescue Plan and one that doesn’t.
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Community Organizations Respond To Increase In AAPI Hate & Violence A devastating surge in violence and hate crimes targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has led to a response from community organizations seeking to track and prevent anti-Asian violence. Coalition projects by groups like Asian Americans Advancing Justice and Stop AAPI Hate are working hard to respond to incidents of violence, hate, discrimination, bullying, and other forms of harrassment against the AAPI community. Dozens of rallies across the nation this weekend called for an end to anti-Asian hate, which has seen a surge since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Summary
COVID-19 and Donor-Advised Funds in 2020: What Do the Numbers Tell Us?
Corporations become unlikely financiers of racial equity
How to Help Combat Anti-Asian Violence
Congress Could Change Everything (voting rights)| Brennan Center for Justice
1 tree-sitter removed from Mountain Valley Protest protest site
Hawaii man pleads guilty to embezzlement as nonprofit executive, accepting bribe as city coronavirus CARES Act administrator
Weekly NonprofitNewsfeed.com summary with hosts Nick Azulay and Kariesha Martinez from digital marketing agency WholeWhale.com.
NYC Owes Homeless Nonprofits Millions In Unpaid Invoices The City of New York owes its homeless nonprofit organizations over $150 million in unpaid invoices, according to a survey of homeless shelter operators. Catherine Trapani, the executive director at Homeless Services United, the umbrella organization that represents shelter operators, says “there needs to be a recognition of just how on the precipice of a system’s failure we are.” The crisis comes as the city faces its own struggles with cash flow due to the pandemic.
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ICE Signs $86.9 Million Contract With Nonprofit To House Migrant Families U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has signed an $86.9 million contract to house migrant families at the border. The contract is with Texas-based nonprofit Endeavors, and will provide up to 1,200 beds as a short-term housing solution for families not turned away at the border. Nonprofits again prove that they are the last stop-gap for providing critical services during crises.
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✅ The Summary... Having trouble reading these articles with popups? Use the Feedly Boards linked at the bottom to quickly go through curated articles. Amy Klobuchar and Other Democrats Push $50 Billion Aid Package for Nonprofits
Increased PPP Eligibility for Larger Nonprofits
Jesuits pledge to raise $100 million to atone for slave labor, sales
Federal support has shored up nonprofits during the coronavirus pandemic, but many groups are still struggling
Bill Ackman donates stock worth $1.34 billion to charity
2020 Saw 10% Jump In GivingAccording to the Quarterly Fundraising Report, nonprofit fundraising was up 10% overall in 2020 compared to 2019. While this represents the highest volume of donations in 5 years, donor retention continues to drop (approximately by 4%), even after new donors are acquired or re-activated. A decline in retained, repeat donors... Read more » The post 218: (news) $1B Stimulus for AmeriCorps + Rise in Giving Trend appeared first on Whole Whale.
Whole Whale discusses current nonprofit news from NonprofitNewsFeed.com
$1.9 Trillion Stimulus Bill Passes With Expansion Of Unemployment Benefits And PPP The Biden administration’s new COVID Relief bill has passed the House and Senate, clearing the way for approval of an expansive new bill designed to expand unemployment benefits, the federal PPP, as well as support for vaccine distribution and fiscal relief for states. This critical piece of legislation expands the definition around non-profit entities entitled to PPP loan assistance, while providing additional protections and relief around housing, paid leave, and access to healthcare. Read more ➝
Why Is San Francisco Paying $61k For Tents For People Who Are Homeless? The city of San Francisco is paying upwards of $61k to provide a tent for folks experiencing homelessness. The tent shelters, provided by the city in response to the threat of COVID-19 exposure and increasing pressure to address systemic homelessness, are not eligible for federal reimbursement, and come at a time when the city is facing increasing budget deficits.Read more ➝
WholeWhale.com Hosts Kariesha and Nick discuss the week in nonprofits to kick off March.
CEO Calls Billionaire Philanthropy A ‘PR Scam.’
Dan Price, founder and CEO of credit-card payment company Gravity Payments, says that billionaire philanthropists who donate lots of money in return for glowing reviews and good press is “one of capitalism’s biggest PR scams.” In Washington state, billionaires pay 3% of their income on taxes while the poor pay 18%, says Price. In response to a proposed wealth tax, Price adds that “the amount [billionaires] donate is a fraction of what they would pay if their tax rates were in line with the working class.” Read more ➝
Newsrooms Around The Country Are Turning To A Nonprofit Model
News organizations across the country are embracing a nonprofit model at an increasing rate, according to the Institute for Nonprofit News, a consortium of nonprofit journalism organizations. The organization had a record 28% in membership growth last year. While the IRS is reportedly hesitant to categorize news organizations as commercial entities, “we have to subsidize reporting if we want democracy to survive," according to Elizabeth Green, the CEO and co-founder of the non-profit local news company Chalkbeat.Read more ➝ ✅ The Summary... A Burgeoning Food Justice Movement Rises in Black America Stimulus Bill Would Make Some Large Nonprofits Eligible for Forgivable Loans Report: Pandemic's impact on nonprofits not as bad as projected Prince Harry & Meghan Markle‘s nonprofit website gets a MAJOR makeover after duo ditches royal roles forever Nonprofit newsroom dissolves over allegations directed at founder 🙋♀️ Opinions & Resources Nonprofits Survived 2020 — What’s Next?How to accept Bitcoin and other crypto donations White development colleagues, we need to talk about fundraiser fragility 7 Community Outreach Ideas for Nonprofits in 2021 How to Download High-Quality Photos from Instagram 😍 Feel-good stories from the Sector... College-dropout-turned-UPS-executive Calvin Tyler Jr donates $20 million to Morgan State University Pittsburgh nonprofit rescuing puppies from Texas after devastating storms Nonprofit takes 94-year-old WWII veteran on a flight around Mesa in WWII-era plane Cancer survivor named to SpaceX flight promoting St. Jude hospital – Spaceflight Now
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Hosts Kariesha and Nick discuss nonprofit news highlights from 2/22/2021.
Revenge is a powerful emotion when used for giving and forgiving?
Viral Fundraiser Highlights Real Impact of Revenge Giving Rage giving is all the rage. When Tommy Marcus, a 25-year-old University of Michigan graduate learned of Rush Limbaugh’s death, he felt it appropriate to donate to Planned Parenthood. After a screenshot of his donation to the organization went viral, the fundraiser generated more than $1.2 million from more than 44,000 donors.
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Nonprofit Jobs Not Expected To Recover for Two Years According to a study released by Johns Hopkins University, it may take up to two years for the job market within the nonprofit sector to fully recover. Industry jobs are still short of February 2020 levels by more than 950,000.
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✅ The Summary... College basketball games on NBA TV to celebrate Black History Month
Nonprofit innovates clear masks for people deaf, hard of hearing
Dallas nonprofit provides inclement weather shelter for people experiencing homelessness
Two pledges from South Korean billionaires to donate half of wealth
Nonprofit Job Growth Flat in January
🙋♀️ Opinions & Resources Five For-Profit Practices That Philanthropy Should Avoid (SSIR)
$20+/hour Nonprofit Minimum Wage
Millennial donors don't matter -(Philanthropy Daily)
Philanthropy’s Rural Blind Spot (SSIR)
7 Emerging Trends That Could Impact Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Strategies in 2021 (Nonprofit Technology)
The #1 Secret to Get Board Members to Help with Fundraising (Amy Eisenstein)
😍 Feel-good stories from the Sector...
Fueled by donations, nonprofit gives hotel rooms to Jackson homeless amid frigid conditions
Helltown Brewing, nonprofit fire up Hellping Hops hazy IPA
A nonprofit is trying to lift strangers' spirits through handwritten notes and cards
Nonprofit News Summary from NonprofitNewsFeed.com
Hosts Nick, Kariesha, and George from WholeWhale.com discuss a week in nonprofit news.
GoFundMe Charity is being shut down GoFundMe Charity will end support for third-party integrations and the public Application Programming Interface (API) after March 31, 2021. "The shuttering of GoFundMe Charity is concerning for many nonprofits, said Megan Anhalt, chief strategy officer at consultancy WholeWhale. The move “makes us question whether GoFundMe will be a reliable home for nonprofits moving forward,” she said."
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Open CEO positions Following the sexual harassment allegations at United Way Worlded, CEO Brian Gallagher resigned and Bronx Parent Housing Network founder Victor Rivera was terminated last week.
And for very different reasons, Robin Hood Foundation's CEO Wes Moore announced that he is stepping down on a high note after leading the foundation to one of its best years in history raising over $230 million and supporting New Yorkers in their greatest time of need.
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Weekly nonprofit new summary with hosts Kariesha and Nick from Whole Whale, a social impact digital agency.
More info on how donor-advised funds work from our podcast.
Reminder: just because an organization is a 501c3, doesn't mean it is scandal-free.
New York Times Reporting Spurs Investigations Into Abuse At Homeless Shelter Nonprofit After a New York Times investigative report revealed allegations of sexual assault and harrassment against a prominent homeless shelter CEO, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio has ordered a formal investigation. The allegations against Victor Rivera, CEO of the Bronx Parent Housing Network, come from ten women and are now being investigated by an outside firm. DeBlasio wrote on Twitter, “Victor Rivera must understand that no, he is not untouchable.”
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Political Nonprofit Charged With Federal Racketeering Pleads Guilty In Bribery Scandal A political nonprofit has pleaded guilty to federal racketeering charges for its role in the largest bribery scheme in Ohio history. The organization, Generation Now, funneled more than $61 million in bribes to ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.
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✅ The Summary... After Abuse Allegations, $2 Billion Shelter Network Faces Scrutiny
A nonprofit will plead guilty to funneling $61 million in FirstEnergy bribery money, so what’s that say for F
Giving through DAFS increased 29.8 percent in first half of 2020
NRA Bankruptcy Lets Critics Peer Into Gun Lobby’s Inner Workings
Nonprofit with similar name to Robinhood benefits from attention on stock trading app
United Way Worldwide investigation finds no 'actionable' harassment
Activists Take On Prison Industrial Complex
NonprofitNewsFeed.com
Hosts Kariesha and George talk through the top Nonprofit industry stories of 2/1/2021
Nonprofit Sector Still Seeing Net Loss of Nearly 1 Million Jobs The Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies has released a new report that shows that nonprofit employment is still well below pre-pandemic levels. While the sector has recovered from its losses of nearly 1.64 million layoffs last spring, the industry is still facing a deficit of 929,000 jobs compared to before the pandemic. In fact, nonprofits lost 50,000 jobs in December, signaling that recovery will be a long time coming.
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$2B Gap Exists In Giving To Black-led Organizations Despite trends in increased levels of giving in both 2019 and 2020, the racial giving gap continues to remain large. In 2019, only 4% of grants and contributions went to organizations with a Black, Indigenous, or Latino/a/x leader. To further highlight this disparity, “combined funding to Black communities makes up 1 percent of all community foundation funding” representing an underfunding of $2 billion, according to the National Center for Responsive Philanthropy. Give Blck seeks to advance racial equality in giving.
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✅ The Summary...
Charity Navigator: Why Give Black?
Nonprofit Employment Remains below Pre-Pandemic Levels
United Way CEO’s Fate Uncertain Amid Growing Crisis At The Nonprofit
COVID-19 Exposes Mental Health Coverage Gap in Both US and Canada
NewSchools Venture Fund launches new strategy, commits $100 million
What we know about the nonprofits that received grants from MacKenzie Scott
The New Face of Charitable Giving During the Pandemic
🙋♀️ Opinions Vaccines for major donors, and how our fundraising practices perpetuate unethical behaviors and inequity
MacKenzie Scott, Melinda Gates, Priscilla Chan: On Women Philanthropists
An Open Letter to Community Foundations from a Concerned Executive Director
A more equitable charitable tax policy