Podcast Episode 30: What a Decade of Iron Funding Has Taught Us
GiveWell has allocated roughly $50 million over the past decade to combat iron‑deficiency anemia, a condition affecting about 25% of the global population. The organization’s flagship partnership with Fortify Health grew from seven wheat‑flour mills serving 350,000 people to 125 mills reaching over ten million, cutting cost per beneficiary in half and delivering twice the projected cost‑effectiveness. GiveWell is now funding a randomized controlled trial in Bangladesh to quantify fatigue and health gains from iron supplementation, and it has issued a request for information to identify low‑malaria African programs for future support. The latest $10 million two‑year grant to Fortify Health underscores GiveWell’s confidence in scaling cost‑effective iron interventions.
Charitable Commodity Gifts in 2026
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will not alter charitable commodity‑gift rules, but it tightens cash‑donation deductions starting in 2026. For farm families, this makes donating grain, corn, soybeans, or other commodities directly to churches or food banks far...
How We’re Searching for the Best Ways to Help in 2026
GiveWell’s 2026 research agenda centers on scaling its analytical capacity and allocating at least $500 million to the most cost‑effective health and development interventions. The organization now employs 60 researchers across 11 subteams covering malaria, nutrition, vaccination, water, livelihoods and cross‑cutting...
Nonprofit Leaders Answer: What Is a Contingency Plan Your Nonprofit Has for Unexpected Funding Cuts?
The Blue Avocado community gathered nonprofit leaders to share how they prepare for sudden funding cuts. Respondents highlighted revenue diversification, multi‑scenario budgeting, project‑based funding with cash reserves, and a focus on core program continuity. They also stressed transparent, two‑way communication...
How Charter Schools Create Opportunity—And What Donors Can Do Next
Charter schools now serve about 3.7 million students across 8,150 campuses, employing over 250,000 teachers. A 2023 Stanford study found charter attendees gain roughly 16 extra reading days and six extra math days versus traditional public peers, with pronounced gains for...
Would Today’s Philanthropists Have Funded the Underground Railroad?
The article argues that grassroots interventions can scale when they export operating principles rather than rigid structures, using the Underground Railroad as a historic illustration. It highlights how trust, local knowledge, and adaptable tactics allowed the network to expand without...
The Nonprofit News Playbook that Starts with Major Donors, Not Memberships
Brookline.News launched as a nonprofit newsroom in the affluent Boston suburb, securing a $100,000 major‑gift pledge before publishing its first story. With a $400,000 annual budget, three full‑time staff and over 1,000 donors, it aims to fill the local news...
Bentham's Bulldog: Singer, Suffering, 500 Million, Why God Exists, Dilbert, Unweaving
Words That Matter released a new issue curated by Bentham’s Bulldog, a visiting scholar at Forethought and upcoming Princeton philosophy Ph.D. candidate. The issue spotlights seminal works on effective altruism, wild‑animal suffering, smallpox eradication, the fine‑tuning argument, and AI’s potential...
Johns Hopkins Business School Receives $50M Gift
Johns Hopkins Carey Business School announced a historic $50 million donation from the W.P. Carey Foundation. The gift will fund start‑up capital for full‑time MBA students focused on entrepreneurship, support new faculty professorships, and deepen industry partnerships. It also aims to elevate...
GDT Podcast / Season 9 / Episode 4
The Givers, Doers, & Thinkers podcast’s ninth season features an interview with Destiny Rojo of the PY Foundation. The conversation spotlights place‑based giving in Artesia, New Mexico, where the foundation backs education, public art, economic development and nonprofit capacity. Rojo explains how...
GDT Podcast / Season 9 / Episode 3
In the latest Givers, Doers, & Thinkers podcast, host Jeremy Beer interviews Hanna Skandera, president and CEO of the Daniels Fund, about the urgent need to revitalize civics education as the United States nears its 250th anniversary. Skandera outlines the...
Dad’s Fundraising Wisdom
A veteran pastor revealed that his churches consistently posted strong financial results by never framing appeals as "fundraising" but as spiritual health and tithing. By preaching the donor’s identity and values, his congregations grew to a $100,000 surplus last year....
Matthew Good Foundation Expands Team To Scale Business Giving Programme
The Matthew Good Foundation announced a strategic team expansion, adding a Strategic Partnerships Manager and two administrative roles to support its Grants for Good programme. Over the past 18 months the staff grew from two to five, complemented by four...
The Case for Restricting Tax Subsidies to only the Most-Deserving Charities
The article proposes limiting tax subsidies to only the most‑deserving charities by applying a “collectiveness index” that measures the share of donations in a nonprofit’s revenue. Recent IRS data show that health‑care nonprofits generate $1.3 trillion in revenue, yet only 2%...
Fundraising Tip of the Week | May 4, 2026
The latest Fundraising Tip of the Week advises nonprofits to prioritize small, intimate donor gatherings over large, flashy events. It argues that donors seek meaningful experiences, personal access, and a sense of purpose that are best delivered in low‑scale settings....