Today's Philanthropy Pulse
UNFI Foundation’s Charity Classic hits record $1.1M for food‑access grants
The annual Charity Classic golf event raised a record $1.1M, surpassing previous years’ totals. The fundraiser will allocate $50,000 grants to each of 22 grantees, supporting both rapid emergency relief and long‑term local food‑system resilience.
Faith-Based Organisations Must Apply Appropriate Safeguards to Their Fundraising, Regulator Urges
UK’s Fundraising Regulator has warned faith‑based organisations that religious giving – from tithes to member appeals – falls under the Fundraising Code of Practice. Many charities fail to recognise such activities as fundraising, exposing them to non‑compliance risks, as highlighted by recent breaches at the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God and Emmanuel Christian Fellowship. The regulator stresses that trustees must implement policies, training and complaint mechanisms to protect donors, especially vulnerable ones. Failure to apply these safeguards could result in regulatory action.
Workday Co‑founder Donates $1.2B to Veterans, Animals, Education
The Workday and PeopleSoft cofounder's total giving tops $1.2 billion, according to the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation. Here's where that money's been going. Martha Ramirez Reports: https://tinyurl.com/3wmyuzc2 Related IP Resources: Grants for Veterans -https://tinyurl.com/2kbszc55 Grants for Animal Rescue -https://tinyurl.com/4scf443k Grants for Higher Education -https://tinyurl.com/2dx6h3mu BillionaireGiving
Learn Proven Fundraising Strategies for Rare Diseases
Attn #RareDisease fam, we've got an amazing lineup of speakers in my NORD @RareDiseases session on ways to *actually* raise money for the cause, even now, especially now. Please come 🙏
Google Adds $30 M and New Safety Tools to Gemini for Mental‑health Help
Google announced today that its Gemini chatbot will now display a one‑touch crisis‑help card and a redesigned “Help is available” module when users show signs of distress. The company also committed $30 million over three years through Google.org to expand crisis‑helpline...
Walking-Around Philanthropy
William A. Schambra urged philanthropy advisors to leave their offices and see grassroots work firsthand, coining the term “walking‑around philanthropy.” He contrasted his decade at the conservative Bradley Foundation with the tangible impact of modest $5,000‑$10,000 grants that repaired boilers...
A Trustees’ Guide to AI Ethics
Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering the nonprofit sector, but its ethical risks—data bias, security breaches, misinformation, and a sizable carbon footprint—remain under‑governed. Only 20% of charities regularly assess AI risks, while 60% want more trustee training. The 2025 Charity Digital...
NFWF Awards $32.8M in First Round of Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative Grants
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has awarded $32.8 million in first‑round grants for its Grassland Resilience and Conservation Initiative, with an additional $9.1 million in matching contributions bringing total impact to nearly $42 million. The seven‑year program, launched in 2025, targets...
The Shared Challenges of Philanthropy and Charity
The Association of Charitable Foundations’ Future‑ready Foundations conference in 2025 mapped a three‑track agenda for philanthropy: digital transformation, shifting demographics, and power redistribution. Sir Geoff Mulgan’s keynote warned that short‑term firefighting hampers long‑term vision and highlighted systemic threats such as...
Pursuit of Abramovich’s £2.35bn for Ukraine Ramps up with New Foundation Set up to House the Cash
A new charitable foundation, the Foundation for the Victims of Conflict, has applied to the UK Charity Commission to manage the £2.35 billion (≈ $2.9 billion) frozen from Roman Abramovich’s 2022 sale of Chelsea FC. The board features former UNICEF executives and a...
Charity Drops YMCA Branding to Reflect Broader Services
Liverpool’s long‑standing youth charity YMCA Together has rebranded as You Matter, a change aimed at reflecting a broader service portfolio. The organization provides over 800 supported‑accommodation spaces across Liverpool, Sefton and Knowsley, tackling homelessness, addiction, mental‑health issues and domestic abuse....
You Don’t Get Extra Credit for Saying Trust or Relevance
The nonprofit sector often substitutes vague buzzwords like trust and relevance for concrete strategy. Kevin argues that donor relationships should be measured through a three‑stage model—Functional Connection, Personal Connection, and Commitment—rather than isolated touchpoints. DonorVoice’s framework places these relationship metrics...
Matt Mahan’s Rift With Billionaire Donors Deepens
Tensions between Matt Mahan and his billionaire donors. Is it the chicken or the egg? https://t.co/zfoBwJ3GGb
Changing Philanthropy’s Source Code for a Brighter Future
The 2026 Global Philanthropy Leaders Summit, themed “Architecting the future: Operating systems for a new era of philanthropy,” highlighted a shift toward more flexible, multi‑year grants and ecosystem‑focused funding. Participants emphasized the need to address geopolitical fragmentation, rapid technology change,...
Why Climate Funders Don't Fund Housing Policy, and Why They Oughtta
In this episode, host David Roberts talks with Ben Holland of WRI’s New Urban Mobility Alliance and Caroline Spears of Climate Cabinet about why climate funders have largely ignored housing and land‑use policy despite its proven climate benefits. Holland shares...
What Does It Mean for Funders to Stay Rather Than Surrender Amidst Attacks on Civic Life?
Sadé Dozan’s recent piece urges donors and funders to stay engaged and defend civic life amid growing attacks on community organizing. Drawing on a personal pepper‑spray incident at a queer Brooklyn club, she frames joy as a vital piece of...
Hope for Sudan and South Sudan
The Sudan Relief Fund (SRF) has been delivering food, clean water, and medical aid in Sudan and South Sudan for more than 25 years, focusing on the war‑torn Nuba Mountains and displaced populations. Its flagship Mother of Mercy Hospital, led...
10 Tips for Funders Supporting Partners in Countries with Conflict and Closing Civil Spaces
Funders face a tightening landscape as nonprofits grapple with soaring service demand and a $60 billion plunge in overseas development aid. Sanctions, data‑access laws and bans on LGBTQ+, reproductive and refugee work are choking cross‑border philanthropy, leaving high‑risk partners either invisible...
Crypto Ownership Outpaces Retirement Accounts Among Gen Z
Among Millennial millionaires specifically, 50% hold crypto. Gen Z investors are 4x more likely to own crypto than a retirement account. If you don’t offer a path to accept crypto giving as a nonprofit organization, you may be leaving gifts on the...
How to Encourage Employees to Volunteer
Companies are increasingly embedding volunteer programs into their culture to boost employee engagement and community impact. By creating awareness, scheduling dedicated volunteer days, and offering a mix of hands‑on and virtual opportunities, firms make participation easy and appealing. Recognizing contributions...
BNY Preps New Version of Dreyfus Charitable Fund: ‘Clients Can Do Well and Do Good’
BNY Mellon is preparing a retail version of its SPARK charitable share class, dubbed SPARK Future, slated for launch around its June Insight Conference. The new share class will let individual investors direct 10% of the fund’s net revenue to...
Charitable Giving Strategies to Reduce Your Washington Income Tax
Washington’s new 9.9% income tax introduces a charitable deduction under §309, limited to $100,000 per year, which can shave up to $9,900 off a taxpayer’s liability. The deduction mirrors federal IRC §170 gifts, but its cap means high‑income earners must look...
How Non-Profits and Governments Use Data to Drive Real System Change
Philanthropic groups are redesigning funding models in the Global South to make data a catalyst for systemic change. Generation India restructured payments, cutting input‑linked fees to 56% and tying 44% to verified job placement and retention, boosting employment outcomes. The...
Prioritize Personal Connection, Energy, and Comfort at Philanthropy Events
Connect on the personal level, protect your energy, wear comfortable shoes — and other advice from the prequel to the world’s most intense philanthropy convening. Wendy Paris Reports: https://tinyurl.com/3jsz4h5d Related IP Resources: Skoll Foundation -https://tinyurl.com/mtkah795 How to Find New Donors for Your Nonprofit -https://tinyurl.com/h9678jf8 Major...
YMCA Charities Merge
YMCA Milton Keynes and YMCA Northamptonshire have merged to form YMCA South Midlands, with legal completion last week and full integration slated for September. The combined entity brings together £4.6 m (≈$5.8 m) in income and 80 staff from Milton Keynes with...
The Lowe’s Foundation Commits $250 Million to the Trades
The Lowe’s Foundation announced a $250 million expansion of its Gable Grants program, targeting the training of 250,000 tradespeople by 2035. This builds on a prior $50 million, five‑year pledge and is already on schedule to certify 50,000 workers by 2027, a...
A Call for Higher Payout From a Believer in Perpetual FoundationsPhil Buchanan President, CEP
The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) has published new research examining foundation board responsibilities and the acute financial strain on U.S. nonprofits. The study, released alongside CEP’s 25th‑anniversary reflections, finds many foundations are falling short of recommended payout levels. Researchers...
Democracy Needs You: 5 Steps Nonprofits Can Take to Support Free and Fair Elections
The article urges U.S. nonprofits to mobilize voters ahead of the 2026 midterms, emphasizing their unique community trust and legal ability to conduct nonpartisan voter registration and education. It outlines five practical steps—from appointing a coordinator to launching a GOTV...
Using Funding Pipeline Reports to Adapt to Changing Conditions, Lower Risks, and Spur Innovation
Funding pipeline reports give nonprofit leaders a real‑time view of both actual and projected revenue streams, acting as an early‑warning system for funding disruptions. By visualizing best‑, likely‑, and worst‑case scenarios, these reports enable faster scenario planning and more agile...
Skoll Foundation Announces Winners of the 2026 Skoll Award for Social Innovation
The Skoll Foundation announced the 2026 Skoll Award for Social Innovation, granting $2 million in unrestricted funding to ChildLife Foundation, SmartStart, and Indus Action. The award supports transformative work in child health in Pakistan, early‑learning access in South Africa, and civic...
Tesco, Sainsbury’s and UK Supermarkets Unite for Nationwide Hunger Campaign
Five of the UK’s biggest supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer – have launched the “Let’s make a meal of it” campaign for April. Customers can donate in‑store or online, with each pound raised funding five...
Medical Crowdfunding in Mizoram Has No Shortcuts
Zo Inspiration Foundation, a people‑funded nonprofit in Mizoram, runs medical crowdfunding by locating patients, verifying needs, launching short‑term social‑media appeals, and tracking every rupee. It relies on about 80 recurring donors who give ₹1,000‑₹10,000 each month (approximately $12‑$120), covering both...
Building a Global Movement: How Food Is Medicine Is Transforming Healthcare Worldwide
Researchers, clinicians, and funders from 12 countries gathered at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center in September 2025 to launch a global Food is Medicine (FIM) movement. The convening produced eight consensus principles that define how nutrition‑based interventions should be integrated,...
Major Grantmaker Restructures Staff to Better Deliver Upcoming Strategy
A leading charitable foundation announced a comprehensive staff restructuring to align its workforce with a forthcoming multi‑year strategic plan. The reorganization consolidates program teams, creates a new impact‑measurement unit, and adds senior roles focused on partnership development. Executives say the...
Uzbeks and Kazakhs Among Most Charitably Inclined Peoples Globally – Report
The 2025 World Happiness Report places Uzbekistan 25th and Kazakhstan 29th out of 136 nations for charitable giving, with 54 % of Uzbeks and 50 % of Kazakhs reporting donations of money, time or goods in the past month. Both countries have...
Fundraising Tip of the Week | April 6, 2026
The latest Fundraising Tip of the Week reminds nonprofits that board members should be active partners, not occasional attendees. Limiting board involvement to formal meetings forfeits valuable networks, insights, and influence. Effective boards stay connected, curious, and contribute continuously to...
Philanthropy Must Embrace AI While Preserving Trust
As AI shifts from experimental to expected, philanthropy is facing a critical question: how to adopt these tools without compromising trust. In a recent piece from The Index Applied Substack, sector leaders—including Ashutosh Nandeshwar, Ph.D. (CCS Fundraising), Jean Westrick (Technology Association...
Private Funders Bridge Gap After U.S. Aid Cuts
U.S. cuts have devastated aid programs across the globe, but private funders are helping organizations like Helen Keller Intl continue at least some of their life-saving work. Constance Matthiessen Reports: https://tinyurl.com/yc8fnjb2 Related IP Resources: Global Health Grants -https://tinyurl.com/52eacu6a Grants for Global Development -https://tinyurl.com/533vjt2t Donor Insights...
Money Matters: Who Won Out in the New US-OCHA Deal?
The United States has earmarked $1.56 billion for humanitarian aid through the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), with 98% of the funds flowing to UN agencies and international NGOs. Local partners receive only about 13% of the...
Philanthropy’s Drag Coefficient: When Process Costs More Than Failure
The article argues that philanthropy’s administrative processes act like a drag coefficient, consuming resources that could otherwise generate impact. It compares high‑drag grantmaking—lengthy applications, frequent reports, site visits—to low‑drag, trust‑based approaches, showing that even a single failed grantee costs less...
Devex Pro Insider: What Should NGOs Do when a Program Just Isn’t Working?
Evidence Action, a $45 million NGO focused on evidence‑based development, announced it is scaling back its chlorine‑dispenser water‑treatment program in Uganda and Malawi after low adoption rates undermined expected health gains. The rollout faced three key obstacles: difficulty changing user behavior,...
The Case for More Overhead, Reserves, and Yes, Debt
The article argues that charities should deliberately increase overhead, maintain larger reserves, limit revenue diversification, and even use debt to boost long‑term program spending. A 30‑year study of roughly 130,000 nonprofits shows higher overhead yields about 15% more program spend,...
Experiential Renewal Incentives Deepen Donor Loyalty
Experiential renewal incentives remind supporters why they joined your organization in the first place and further strengthen long-term relationships: https://mobilecommons.com/mcommons/resources/blog/44-creative-renewal-incentives-for-nonprofits-that-arent-discounts 💡
Track Your Fundraising Success with 8 Essential KPIs
The Fundraiser’s KPI Worksheet 📥: https://neonone.com/resources/guide/the-fundraisers-kpi-worksheet/?utm_source=nptechforgood&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=paid_nptechforgood_blog_tofu_march_feature_q1_2026 • The 8 most important fundraising KPIs • What data you’ll need to calculate them • Simple formulas for tracking your performance
Exploring Decolonial Philanthropy for Trans Movements
The International Trans Fund (ITF) is rethinking its grantmaking by adopting a decolonial framework for trans‑movement support. It highlights how Western‑centric funding models perpetuate colonial power dynamics and marginalise Indigenous gender concepts such as Māori takatāpui. By partnering with trans‑led...
Understanding Philanthropy’s Drag Coefficient for Effective Grantmaking
Philanthropic grants are treated like investments, yet they provide no financial return, creating a hidden "drag coefficient" that erodes impact. Foundations impose extensive application, reporting, and oversight requirements that consume staff time and resources. The article illustrates this with a...
Local Grants and National Initiative Cushion Washington Post Cuts
Donations to dynamic local outlets – and support from one big national initiative – have offset major downsizing at The Washington Post. Celia Wexler Reports: https://tinyurl.com/2xfrabf4 Related IP Resources: Journalism Grants -https://tinyurl.com/4nwuxehu Washington D.C. Grants -https://tinyurl.com/2e3wspm8 Civic & Democracy Funders -https://tinyurl.com/4zbzy78h Journalism
Monday Newsletter: Top Nonprofit Tech News & Events
📨 Sent every Monday morning, Nonprofit Tech for Good's newsletter features: https://subscribepage.io/HOjlsE • 5 recent news updates about digital marketing & fundraising • 5 most recent posts on Nonprofit Tech for Good • Event and webinar announcements
Does Your A/B Test Have a People Problem?
The article argues that most A/B tests fail because they treat all donors as interchangeable, ignoring underlying identity and motivation differences. By segmenting donors into meaning‑driven, relational, and task‑oriented groups, marketers can design tailored landing pages that speak to each...
CZI Biohub Leverages AI to Outpace Funders in Biomedical Research
CZI’s Biohub aims to harness AI for groundbreaking biomedical research, potentially surpassing other leading funders in influence and investment. Wendy Paris Reports: https://tinyurl.com/28f6rnzc Related IP Resources: The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative -https://tinyurl.com/nhhw9a9u Disease Research Grants -https://tinyurl.com/akr4pv9h Grants for Science Research -https://tinyurl.com/mpdstvy2 Tech Philanthropists -https://tinyurl.com/bdewp5v8 Journalism
Family Foundations Evolve: Tech Wealth Meets Midwest Roots
After covering family foundations across the country, stemming from Silicon Valley tech wealth to Midwestern business fortunes, Ade Adeniji offers some key takeaways. Ade Adeniji Reports: https://tinyurl.com/ybhn99hv Related IP Resources: Donor Report: Family Foundations -https://tinyurl.com/5n989227 Donor Report: Place-Based Giving -https://tinyurl.com/wssscmun Donor Report: Trust-Based Philanthropy -https://tinyurl.com/bdz7kufh FamilyPhilanthropy