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Tag: Philanthropy

  • GoFundMe CEO says the economy is so bad that more of his customers are crowdfunding just to pay for their groceries | Fortune

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    GoFundMe’s CEO just said the quiet part out loud: in this economy, more Americans are crowdfunding groceries to get by.

    The head of GoFundMe, Tim Cadogan, told Yahoo! Finance the economy is so challenged that more Americans are raising money to buy food—an arresting data point that captures the widening gap between household budgets and basic needs.

    In a recent interview on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Brian Sozzi, he described a notable rise in campaigns for essentials like groceries, a shift from one-off emergencies toward everyday survival.

    “Basic things you need to get through life [have] gone up significantly in the last three years in practically all our markets,” Cadogan said.

    That evolution underscores the new economic reality for many Americans: persistent inflation, higher borrowing costs, and thin financial cushions are forcing many households to triage bills, juggle debt, and seek help in new ways.

    Groceries as the new emergency

    Cadogan’s observation—that more people are asking strangers to help pay for staples—marks a sobering turn for a platform historically associated with medical bills, disaster relief, and community projects. When the cost of food stretches paychecks past the breaking point, crowdfunding morphs from altruism to a parallel safety net.

    In previous Fortune coverage of inflation’s long tail, consumers’ coping tactics have included trading down brands, shrinking baskets, delaying car repairs, and leaning on credit cards. The shift Cadogan describes suggests those tactics have run out of runway for a growing slice of the country, especially younger and lower-income households who rent, commute, and carry variable-rate debt.

    The inflation aftershock

    Even as headline inflation cools from its peak, elevated price levels remain embedded in household budgets. Fortune has tracked how cumulative inflation, not just the monthly prints, weighs on families. For instance, groceries cost more than they did two or three years ago, rents have reset higher, and child care is straining paychecks.

    Wage gains helped many workers, but unevenly and often after costs had already jumped. For families without savings buffers, a higher cost baseline is the real story. That backdrop explains why an uptick in grocery campaigns on GoFundMe isn’t a curiosity—it’s a barometer of the current economy.

    The credit crunch at the kitchen table

    Household balance sheets have been whipsawed by stubbornly high prices on necessities as well as steeper borrowing costs on credit cards and auto loans. Fortune’s reporting has highlighted rising delinquency rates among younger borrowers and the squeeze from student loan repayments resuming after a long pause. For some, the social capital of friends, community groups, and online donors now substitutes for financial capital. Crowdfunding groceries is a last-mile solution in a system where wages, benefits, and public supports haven’t fully bridged the gap.

    The Great Wealth Transfer meets a giving plateau

    Cadogan also frames this moment as an opportunity: the U.S. is entering a historic wealth transfer as baby boomers pass tens of trillions to heirs and philanthropy. Yet overall charitable giving as a share of GDP has struggled to break out sustainably above roughly 2%. A central challenge is converting private balance-sheet strength into public generosity at scale. Fortune has explored the paradox of robust asset markets—fueled by equities, real estate, and private investments—coexisting with widespread financial insecurity. The wealth transfer could amplify that divergence or narrow it, depending on whether inheritors and living donors commit to more dynamic, needs-based giving.

    Gen Z, millennials, and a new donor thesis

    The GoFundMe CEO hopes younger donors, who are often more values-driven, digitally native, and community-oriented, will push giving higher and faster.

    These cohorts already power mutual aid networks and micro-giving online; the question is whether that instinct can scale beyond one-off campaigns to sustained support for food security, housing stability, and local services.

    If employer matching, donor-advised vehicles, and purpose-built funds become easier to use—and if transparency and immediacy remain high—small-dollar giving could compound into a measurable macro effect.

    What comes next

    Many Americans remain one shock away from going into arrears. More GoFundMe campaigns for groceries fits that narrative and raises a challenge to wealth holders on the cusp of inheritance decisions.

    If the wealth transfer is the economic story of the decade, the generosity transfer might be its moral counterpart. Whether giving can rise meaningfully above its long-running share of the economy will hinge on channeling today’s empathy into tomorrow’s infrastructure, so that no one needs to pass the hat to put food on the table.

    For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing. 

    Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.

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    Ashley Lutz

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  • Michelle Obama’s Girls Opportunity Alliance rallying $2.5M for grassroots education

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    NEW YORK — Former first lady Michelle Obama is putting new force behind efforts to ensure girls overcome educational barriers in some of the world’s most economically disadvantaged areas.

    The Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance pledged Saturday to rally $2.5 million for dozens of grassroots groups who advance adolescent girls’ education by covering school-related costs, challenging patriarchal practices such as child marriage, counseling survivors of sexual abuse and providing other forms of support.

    “These groups are changing the way girls see themselves in their own communities and in our world, helping create the leaders we need for the brighter future we all deserve,” Obama said in a video released Oct. 11, the International Day of the Girl. “Because when our girls succeed, we all do.”

    Nearly three-quarters of the 119 million girls out of school worldwide are of secondary school-age, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund. Girls Opportunity Alliance — an outgrowth of an Obama White House initiative that invested $1 billion in U.S. government programs promoting adolescent girls’ education abroad — launched in 2018 with a focus on helping that population between ages 10-19 graduate.

    But the latest announcement comes amid stark warnings from international aid groups that budget cuts will roll back recent progress. UNICEF projects that a 24% drop in wealthy countries’ global education funding will push six million girls out of school by the end of next year.

    “The need right now, I think more than ever, is crucial,” Girls Opportunity Alliance Executive Director Tiffany Drake said. “We were just in Mauritius and we heard it time and time again that organizations need funding. They need support.”

    Girls Opportunity Alliance’s early October convening in Mauritius brought together Asian and African members of its network. The great demands on local leaders doing tireless work with little resources made it, in Drake’s view, perhaps the most moving gathering they’ve hosted.

    But Jackie Bomboma, the founder of Young Strong Mothers Foundation in Tanzania, said connecting with other powerful women there left her encouraged with the knowledge that she’s not alone. A recipient of GOA’s latest grants, she said the Obama Foundation’s endorsement not only brings financial support, but increased trust from the international community and additional channels to get resources.

    Growing up without a mother and having survived teenage pregnancy, Bomboma said Obama’s example has also instilled confidence in her and the girls she serves. Her nonprofit provides psychological services, vocational training, entrepreneurship skills development and sexual health lessons to hundreds of girls at risk of child marriage, teenage pregnancy and school dropout.

    “We call ourselves ‘watoto wa Michelle Obama,’ which means ‘the children of Michelle Obama,’” she said. “So, everyone feels so proud to have such a mother who is very strong, who is very powerful and who is very loving.”

    The Girls Opportunity Alliance fund is intentionally designed to provide a range of support. Drake said anyone can apply for up to $50,000. The grant does not support general operations but instead goes toward a specific project outlined by the recipient.

    Once they’ve joined the network, community leaders have access to monthly training sessions online and in-person gatherings, where they share strategies and learn from larger nongovernmental organizations such as UNICEF and Save the Children.

    Girls Opportunity Alliance funds an undisclosed amount and then uses its wide reach to help organizations raise the rest on GoFundMe pages. The campaigns are promoted publicly on its social media accounts and throughout its donor network of celebrities and corporations.

    The idea, according to Drake, was to use their “megaphone” to heap additional attention on and garner more support for organizations that often struggle to get by in more remote locations. Girls Opportunity Alliance hopes everyday individuals are inspired to join them.

    “We didn’t want to just tell people and say, ‘Google how you can help,’ Drake said. “We wanted to give them a place where they can take action.”

    ___

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • Michelle Obama’s Girls Opportunity Alliance Pledges $2.5 Million for Grassroots Education for Girls

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Former first lady Michelle Obama is putting new force behind efforts to ensure girls overcome educational barriers in some of the world’s most economically disadvantaged areas.

    The Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance pledged Saturday to rally $2.5 million for dozens of grassroots groups who advance adolescent girls’ education by covering school-related costs, challenging patriarchal practices such as child marriage, counseling survivors of sexual abuse and providing other forms of support.

    “These groups are changing the way girls see themselves in their own communities and in our world, helping create the leaders we need for the brighter future we all deserve,” Obama said in a video released Oct. 11, the International Day of the Girl. “Because when our girls succeed, we all do.”

    Nearly three-quarters of the 119 million girls out of school worldwide are of secondary school-age, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund. Girls Opportunity Alliance — an outgrowth of an Obama White House initiative that invested $1 billion in U.S. government programs promoting adolescent girls’ education abroad — launched in 2018 with a focus on helping that population between ages 10-19 graduate.

    But the latest announcement comes amid stark warnings from international aid groups that budget cuts will roll back recent progress. UNICEF projects that a 24% drop in wealthy countries’ global education funding will push six million girls out of school by the end of next year.

    “The need right now, I think more than ever, is crucial,” Girls Opportunity Alliance Executive Director Tiffany Drake said. “We were just in Mauritius and we heard it time and time again that organizations need funding. They need support.”

    Girls Opportunity Alliance’s early October convening in Mauritius brought together Asian and African members of its network. The great demands on local leaders doing tireless work with little resources made it, in Drake’s view, perhaps the most moving gathering they’ve hosted.

    But Jackie Bomboma, the founder of Young Strong Mothers Foundation in Tanzania, said connecting with other powerful women there left her encouraged with the knowledge that she’s not alone. A recipient of GOA’s latest grants, she said the Obama Foundation’s endorsement not only brings financial support, but increased trust from the international community and additional channels to get resources.

    Growing up without a mother and having survived teenage pregnancy, Bomboma said Obama’s example has also instilled confidence in her and the girls she serves. Her nonprofit provides psychological services, vocational training, entrepreneurship skills development and sexual health lessons to hundreds of girls at risk of child marriage, teenage pregnancy and school dropout.

    “We call ourselves ‘watoto wa Michelle Obama,’ which means ‘the children of Michelle Obama,’” she said. “So, everyone feels so proud to have such a mother who is very strong, who is very powerful and who is very loving.”

    The Girls Opportunity Alliance fund is intentionally designed to provide a range of support. Drake said anyone can apply for up to $50,000. The grant does not support general operations but instead goes toward a specific project outlined by the recipient.

    Once they’ve joined the network, community leaders have access to monthly training sessions online and in-person gatherings, where they share strategies and learn from larger nongovernmental organizations such as UNICEF and Save the Children.

    Girls Opportunity Alliance funds an undisclosed amount and then uses its wide reach to help organizations raise the rest on GoFundMe pages. The campaigns are promoted publicly on its social media accounts and throughout its donor network of celebrities and corporations.

    The idea, according to Drake, was to use their “megaphone” to heap additional attention on and garner more support for organizations that often struggle to get by in more remote locations. Girls Opportunity Alliance hopes everyday individuals are inspired to join them.

    “We didn’t want to just tell people and say, ‘Google how you can help,’ Drake said. “We wanted to give them a place where they can take action.”

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Oct. 2025

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  • Harry and Meghan ask families to join fight against predatory social media policies

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    NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle urged parents to stand against social media companies that they said prey upon children with exploitative algorithms as the “explosion of unregulated artificial intelligence” adds to their concerns that technologies’ benefits are inseparable from its dangers.

    To underscore that point, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex cited research from advocacy group ParentsTogether that found researchers posing as children experienced harmful interactions every five minutes they spent with an artificial intelligence chatbot.

    “This wasn’t content created by a third party. These were the companies’ own chatbots working to advance their own depraved internal policies,” said Prince Harry at Spring Studios in Manhattan Thursday night as he and Markle were named Humanitarians of the Year by the nonprofit Project Healthy Minds. “But here’s what gives us hope: these families aren’t facing this alone.”

    To build their movement of families fighting for online safety, the couple also announced Thursday that their foundation’s Parents Network would join forces with ParentsTogether.

    Their remarks came at the annual gala for Project Healthy Minds, a Millennial- and Gen Z-driven tech nonprofit that runs a free online marketplace aiming to connect patients with the exact mental health care they seek.

    The couple has made youth mental health a cornerstone of their philanthropic work since launching the Archewell Foundation in 2020 after stepping aside as working royals. Through its network for families who have experienced online harm and support of youth-led organizations shaping responsible technology, the nonprofit works to make digital spaces safer.

    Prince Harry has previously stressed the need to hold powerful social media companies accountable. He warned last year that young people are experiencing an “epidemic” of anxiety, depression and social isolation driven by negative experiences online.

    According to numerous studies, few guardrails exist to mitigate kids’ exposure to age-inappropriate content including pornography and violence on social media, where they also face cyberbullying and sexual harassment.

    The issue could also be considered personal for the couple. Markle has been open about her mental health struggles due to what she describes as the royal family’s intense pressures and tabloid attacks. Harry’s own personal life has been the subject of much tabloid reporting, including targeted phone hacking and surveillance.

    Prince Harry brought his awareness campaign to a reception Wednesday night hosted by men’s health nonprofit Movember. In a conversation with television journalist Brooke Baldwin, he emphasized that men should not feel isolated because he repeatedly hears the same struggles when he speaks with them.

    “The biggest barrier is the belief that no one will understand,” he said in comments reshared on his blog. “Loneliness convinces you you’re the only one, which is rarely true.”

    “Culture makers” such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are important voices in mental health conversations because they inspire their enormous audiences to seek care, according to Project Healthy Minds CEO Phil Schermer.

    But Schermer emphasized that the “moment of inspiration is fleeting” and it’s important for celebrities to take the extra step of partnering with trusted organizations that can actually deliver care.

    He pointed to NBC television personality Carson Daly, the gala’s host, as an example. Daly opened up about his own anxiety on the air after reading a 2018 essay by NBA champion Kevin Love about an in-game panic attack.

    Daly, a Project Healthy Minds board member, said mental health is now the most common topic that comes up when fans recognize him in public.

    “I was like, ’I want to put all my eggs in this basket’ because I see the power even when I tell my story, it unlocks so many other people telling their story,” Daly told the Associated Press. “And I think that process — that’s how the destigmatization works.”

    The money raised Thursday night will help the nonprofit build new filters that break down care options by their insurance providers and preferences for in-person or telehealth service options, according to Schermer. He compared the features to those on travel planning sites such as Expedia that allow users to choose the times, prices and airlines of their flight options.

    Schermer said that having a recognizable host in Daly also helps “make it cool to talk about your emotions.”

    “It’s not just the absence of a stigma,” Schermer said. “It’s also the presence of a sense of pride that by being vulnerable, being honest, being open, that that’s actually your greatest superpower.”

    Thursday night’s other honoree was Indianapolis Colts co-owner and chief brand officer Kalen Jackson. The NFL executive — who talks openly about dealing with anxiety — has continued the team’s staunch support for mental health after the death of her father and beloved former owner Jim Irsay.

    Project Healthy Minds recognized Jackson with its inaugural Sports Visionary of the Year Award, presented by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Jackson leads her family’s Kicking The Stigma initiative, which raises awareness about mental health disorders and tries to expand access to care across Indiana and country.

    ______

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ask families to join fight against predatory social media policies

    [ad_1]

    NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle urged parents to stand against social media companies that they said prey upon children with exploitative algorithms as the “explosion of unregulated artificial intelligence” adds to their concerns that technologies’ benefits are inseparable from its dangers.

    To underscore that point, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex cited research from advocacy group ParentsTogether that found researchers posing as children experienced harmful interactions every five minutes they spent with an artificial intelligence chatbot.

    “This wasn’t content created by a third party. These were the companies’ own chatbots working to advance their own depraved internal policies,” said Prince Harry at Spring Studios in Manhattan Thursday night as he and Markle were named Humanitarians of the Year by the nonprofit Project Healthy Minds. “But here’s what gives us hope: these families aren’t facing this alone.”

    To build their movement of families fighting for online safety, the couple also announced Thursday that their foundation’s Parents Network would join forces with ParentsTogether.

    Their remarks came at the annual gala for Project Healthy Minds, a Millennial- and Gen Z-driven tech nonprofit that runs a free online marketplace aiming to connect patients with the exact mental health care they seek.

    The couple has made youth mental health a cornerstone of their philanthropic work since launching the Archewell Foundation in 2020 after stepping aside as working royals. Through its network for families who have experienced online harm and support of youth-led organizations shaping responsible technology, the nonprofit works to make digital spaces safer.

    Prince Harry has previously stressed the need to hold powerful social media companies accountable. He warned last year that young people are experiencing an “epidemic” of anxiety, depression and social isolation driven by negative experiences online.

    According to numerous studies, few guardrails exist to mitigate kids’ exposure to age-inappropriate content including pornography and violence on social media, where they also face cyberbullying and sexual harassment.

    The issue could also be considered personal for the couple. Markle has been open about her mental health struggles due to what she describes as the royal family’s intense pressures and tabloid attacks. Harry’s own personal life has been the subject of much tabloid reporting, including targeted phone hacking and surveillance.

    Prince Harry brought his awareness campaign to a reception Wednesday night hosted by men’s health nonprofit Movember. In a conversation with television journalist Brooke Baldwin, he emphasized that men should not feel isolated because he repeatedly hears the same struggles when he speaks with them.

    “The biggest barrier is the belief that no one will understand,” he said in comments reshared on his blog. “Loneliness convinces you you’re the only one, which is rarely true.”

    “Culture makers” such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are important voices in mental health conversations because they inspire their enormous audiences to seek care, according to Project Healthy Minds CEO Phil Schermer.

    But Schermer emphasized that the “moment of inspiration is fleeting” and it’s important for celebrities to take the extra step of partnering with trusted organizations that can actually deliver care.

    He pointed to NBC television personality Carson Daly, the gala’s host, as an example. Daly opened up about his own anxiety on the air after reading a 2018 essay by NBA champion Kevin Love about an in-game panic attack.

    Daly, a Project Healthy Minds board member, said mental health is now the most common topic that comes up when fans recognize him in public.

    “I was like, ’I want to put all my eggs in this basket’ because I see the power even when I tell my story, it unlocks so many other people telling their story,” Daly told the Associated Press. “And I think that process — that’s how the destigmatization works.”

    The money raised Thursday night will help the nonprofit build new filters that break down care options by their insurance providers and preferences for in-person or telehealth service options, according to Schermer. He compared the features to those on travel planning sites such as Expedia that allow users to choose the times, prices and airlines of their flight options.

    Schermer said that having a recognizable host in Daly also helps “make it cool to talk about your emotions.”

    “It’s not just the absence of a stigma,” Schermer said. “It’s also the presence of a sense of pride that by being vulnerable, being honest, being open, that that’s actually your greatest superpower.”

    Thursday night’s other honoree was Indianapolis Colts co-owner and chief brand officer Kalen Jackson. The NFL executive — who talks openly about dealing with anxiety — has continued the team’s staunch support for mental health after the death of her father and beloved former owner Jim Irsay.

    Project Healthy Minds recognized Jackson with its inaugural Sports Visionary of the Year Award, presented by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Jackson leads her family’s Kicking The Stigma initiative, which raises awareness about mental health disorders and tries to expand access to care across Indiana and country.

    ______

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • MacKenzie Scott Just Donated $42 Million to This Education Nonprofit

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    Billionaire author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott is continuing her tradition of donations to educational programs, offering a $42 million grant to 10,000 Degrees, a San Rafael, California-based nonprofit that provides college scholarships to low-income students.

    The donation, which came through Scott’s Yield Giving organization, will help 10,000 Degrees in its mission of disrupting cycles of poverty.

    “A gift like this, when we think about what’s going on around us, this has put such wind into our sails and such hope that MacKenzie Scott is spreading throughout the world,” says Kim Mazzuca, CEO of 10,000 Degrees. 

    The organization was founded in 1981 and, over the course of its history, has given $113 million in scholarships to more than 80,000 students. Over the past year, 10,000 Degrees has handed out $9 million in scholarships and helped students secure $73 million worth of financial aid.

    The nonprofit does not require participating students to meet GPA or test score qualification levels. It, instead, pairs scholarship funds with college and career mentors. It boasts an 80 percent graduation rate for four-year college students.

    Mazzuca says the grant will be used in a number of ways. 10,000 Degrees is just completing a five-year strategic plan. The upcoming one is more ambitious about reaching students and plans to expand beyond the San Francisco Bay Area and Utah, where the company operates now. There are also plans to explore taking parts of its model national, working alongside other nonprofits. Some of the money will also go toward 10,000 Degrees’ endowment fund, where it can grow.

    Mazzuca got the call informing her about the grant on September 10, she says, but she had to keep it a secret from the board and the rest of the company until the money was transferred to the corporate account. (Staff learned of the grant Wednesday at noon PT.)

    The company’s chief financial officer, however, was on vacation when the funds were transferred on September 22 and couldn’t be reached. Mazzuca says she got an urgent call later that day from the CFO saying “something happened to our account.”

    MacKenzie Scott’s history of giving

    The gifts from Scott follow a number of donations she made to educational groups last month. In September, she gave $70 million to the United Negro College Fund, which offers scholarships to Black students and provides scholarship money to 37 private historically Black colleges and universities. That same month, she donated $50 million to the Native Forward Scholars Fund, which offers educational support to Native American undergraduate and graduate students.

    Scott had previously made smaller donations to both organizations in 2020.

    In 2022, she gifted the Southern Education Foundation, a 155-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing education equity and opportunity in the South, $6 million. That same year she also donated $5 million to Breakthrough Collaborative, which offers Teaching Fellowships to recruit college students to become teachers.

    Scott announced plans five years ago to donate the majority of her $33 billion fortune. That amount is tied to Amazon stock, and has since increased substantially as the company’s stock has increased about 35 percent over that time.

    Scott, who divorced Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019 after 25 years of marriage and was part of the founding team of the company, has given roughly $19.3 billion to more than 2,450 nonprofits so far. Some of those donations have been widely announced. Others have not.

    Scott has opted to focus her philanthropic efforts on organizations that are working to address societal and community issues, including early learning, affordable housing, and gender and race equity. Included among the organizations she has made large gifts to are the Girl Scouts of the USA (which received $85 million in 2022 to help it recover from the pandemic); Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, which received $25 million that same year; and Local Initiatives Support Corp., which she gave $65 million last year to aid with community development and housing stability.

    Despite her philanthropic giving, Scott remains the world’s 49th richest person, according to Bloomberg, with a net worth of $42.1 billion. 

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    Chris Morris

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  • The MacArthur Foundation’s ‘genius’ fellows: The full 2025 class list

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    The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced its 2025 class of fellows on Wednesday, a prize often called the “genius award.”

    The MacArthur fellows receive a $800,000 prize paid out over five years that they can spend however they choose. The foundation selects fellows over the course of years and consider a wide range of recommendations. Fellows do not apply for the recognition or participate in any way in their selection.

    The 2025 fellows are:

    Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, 37, Madison, Wisconsin, an atmospheric scientist whose research deepened knowledge about what drives weather patterns in the tropics.

    Matt Black, 55, Exeter, California, a photographer whose black and white images investigate poverty and inequality in the United States.

    Garrett Bradley, 39, New Orleans, a filmmaker who leverages many types of material, including archival and personal footage, to tell almost lost and intimate stories, especially about the lives of Black Americans.

    Heather Christian, 44, Beacon, New York, a composer, lyricist, playwright and vocalist who creates complex, immersive musical theater performances that interweave the sacred and mundane.

    Nabarun Dasgupta, 46, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, an epidemiologist who helped create tools to identify unregulated substances in street drugs and designed other harm reduction interventions.

    Kristina Douglass, 41, New York, an archaeologist whose research revealed new understandings of Indigenous conservation practices in places sensitive to climate variability.

    Kareem El-Badry, 31, Pasadena, California, an astrophysicist who developed new approaches to understanding existing datasets that have revealed new knowledge about how stars form and interact.

    Jeremy Frey, 46, Eddington, Maine, an artist whose mastery of Wabanaki basket weaving both carries on traditional practices and finds new possibilities in the materials and techniques.

    Hahrie Han, 50, Baltimore, a political scientist whose research illuminated what helps people participate in civic life and how to help them connect across differences to solve collective problems.

    Tonika Lewis Johnson, 45, Chicago, a photographer and activist who created participatory projects that reveal the consequences and legacy of segregation in her neighborhood of Englewood on the city’s South Side.

    Ieva Jusionyte, 41, Providence, Rhode Island, a cultural anthropologist whose diverse ethnographies investigate the ethical and practical issues that national border policies create for workers and communities who live in border regions.

    Toby Kiers, 49, Amsterdam, an evolutionary biologist whose research helped document how plants, microbes and fungi cooperate to trade the resources that each need to survive.

    Jason McLellan, 44, Austin, Texas, a structural biologist whose research into viral protein structures helped advance the understanding of viruses and helped to develop new vaccines.

    Tuan Andrew Nguyen, 49, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, a multidisciplinary artist whose projects in film and sculpture draw on personal testimonies and community archives to document and heal from histories of war and displacement.

    Tommy Orange, 43, Oakland, California, a fiction writer whose books illuminated the experiences past and present of Native Americans in the Oakland area.

    Margaret Wickens Pearce, 60, Rockland, Maine, a cartographer whose maps document the relationships of Indigenous people in North America to their land and that narrate histories, incorporate knowledge and detail the ongoing dispossession of Native people.

    Sébastien Philippe, 38, Madison, Wisconsin, a nuclear security specialist whose research revealed that past nuclear testing by France and the U.S. exposed many more people to radiation than was previously documented.

    Gala Porras-Kim, 40, Los Angeles and London, an interdisciplinary artist whose exploration of museum collections challenged conventions of curation and often highlight what is lost or unknown about cultural artifacts.

    Teresa Puthussery, 46, Berkeley, California, a neurobiologist and optometrist who identified a type of cell in the retina that helps clarify how humans process visual information.

    Craig Taborn, 55, Brooklyn, New York, a musician and composer known for his improvisations and collaborations and whose performances reveal the full range of the piano’s capacity as an instrument.

    William Tarpeh, 35, Stanford, California, a chemical engineer who developed techniques to extract valuable minerals from wastewater that can be turned into fertilizers or cleaning products.

    Lauren K. Williams, 47, Cambridge, Massachusetts, a mathematician whose research is in algebraic combinatorics and also contributed to solving problems in other areas through interdisciplinary collaborations.

    ___

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • This year’s MacArthur Foundation’s ‘genius’ award winners hold a mirror up to our world

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    A political scientist who studies what helps people connect across differences. A novelist whose books about Native American communities in Oakland, California, sparked a passionate following. A photographer whose black and white images investigate poverty in America.

    Hahrie Han, Tommy Orange and Matt Black are among the 22 fellows selected this year by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and announced Wednesday. It’s a recognition often called the “genius award,” which comes with an $800,000 prize, paid over five years that fellows can spend however they choose.

    The foundation selects fellows over the course of years, considering a vast range of recommendations, largely from their peers.

    “Each class doesn’t have a theme and we’re not creating a cohort around a certain idea,” said Marlies Carruth, director of the MacArthur Fellows program. “But I think this year, we see empathy and deep engagement with community figures prominently in this class.”

    Through different methodologies, many of the fellows “boldly and unflinchingly” reflect what they see and hear from deep engagement with their communities, she said.

    Because fellows don’t apply or participate in anyway in their selection, the award often comes as a shock and sometimes coincides with difficult moments. Nabarun Dasgupta, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, had just left a team meeting where he shared that a longtime collaborator in harm reduction work had died when he saw multiple missed calls from a Chicago number, which then called again. It was the MacArthur Foundation.

    They were awarding him the fellowship in recognition of his work, which includes helping to start a testing program for street drugs to identify unregulated substances and helping to overcome a shortage of naloxone, which reverses an opioid overdose.

    To make sense of the intense moment that mixed deep loss and recognition, Dasgupta wrote the following in a journal.

    “We are surrounded by death every day. Sometimes, you have to give yourself a pep talk to get out of bed. Other mornings, the universe yells in your ear and tells you to keep going because what we’re doing is working.”

    In an interview with The Associated Press, he added, “I feel like this couldn’t have been any clearer of a signal that the work has to go on.”

    Other fellows were contacted by the foundation through email asking to speak with them about potential projects. Tonika Lewis Johnson, a Chicago-based artist, planned to take the call in the car. The foundation representatives tried to get her to pull over before breaking the news, but she declined.

    “They were definitely worried about my safety,” she said laughing, and she did then stop driving.

    Johnson’s projects are rooted in her neighborhood of Englewood, located on Chicago’s South Side. She has photographed the same addresses in north and south Chicago, beautified residents’ homes and made predatory housing practices visible. All together, her work reveals the very specific people and places impacted by racial segregation.

    “This award is validation and recognition that my neighborhood, this little Black neighborhood in Chicago that everyone gets told to, ‘Don’t go to because it’s dangerous,’ this award means there are geniuses here,” Johnson said.

    For Ángel F. Adames Corraliza, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the award is also a recognition of the talent and grit coming from Puerto Rico, where he is from, despite the hardships his community has endured. His research has uncovered many new findings about what drives weather patterns in the tropics, which may eventually help improve forecasting in those regions.

    Adames said usually one of his classes would be ending right when the foundation would publish the new class of fellows, so he was planning to end the lecture early to come back to his office. He said he’s having trouble fathoming what it will be like.

    “I am low-key expecting that a few people are just going to show up in my office, like right at 11:02 a.m. or something like that,” he said.

    Before getting news of the award, Adames said he was anticipating having to scale down his research in the coming years as government funding for climate and weather research has been significantly cut back or changed. He said he had been questioning what was next for his career.

    The prize from MacArthur may allow him to pursue some new theoretical ideas that are harder to get funded, he said.

    “I think people do care and it does matter for the general public, regardless of what the political landscape is, which right now is fairly negative on this,” he said about climate and weather science.

    ___

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • MacKenzie Scott Donates $50M to Nonprofit Boosting Native Student Scholarships

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    Angelique Albert has headed the Native Forward Scholars Fund since 2017. Courtesy Native Forward Scholars Fund

    When Angelique Albert, CEO of the Native Forward Scholars Fund, received a call from a representative of MacKenzie Scott, she initially thought her organization was about to receive a $15 million donation. In reality, the gift was $50 million for America’s largest provider of scholarships to Native students. “What do you do but cry?” Albert told Observer.

    Scott’s contribution, one of the largest-ever gifts to a Native nonprofit, marks the second time the philanthropist has supported the Native Forward Scholars Fund with an unrestricted donation. In 2020, she gave $20 million to the group, enabling it to launch an endowment fund, create six programs and strengthen its internal operations.

    This time, Albert is determined to channel the money directly to students. Native Forward has already earmarked part of the donation to award scholarships to an additional 400 students, while also considering the creation of a pooled endowment to ensure long-term support.

    “I don’t know that people really understand how transformative it is when you take a $5,000 scholarship and put it into the hands of someone who is brilliant and talented,” said Albert, who has led Native Forward since 2017.

    Alumni supported by the Albuquerque, N.M.-based nonprofit include Debra Haaland, the first Native person to serve as a U.S. cabinet secretary; Pulitzer finalist Tommy Orange; and Cynthia Chavez Lamar, director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian.

    Founded in 1969, Native Forward offers scholarships, programming, funding and mentorship to Native students pursuing undergraduate, graduate and professional opportunities. Its impact, which includes contributing to 1,700 law degrees and 2,200 Ph.D. degrees, has aided some 22,000 scholars from more than 500 Tribes across all 50 states.

    Still, demand far outpaces supply. “We can only fund about 22 percent of the students who apply—and that’s on a typical year,” said Albert, who noted that scholarship applications have surged 35 percent in 2025. Of roughly 7,000 applicants this year, only about 1,000 have received aid.

    Albert attributed the increased need in part to a rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and recent changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). “It’s critically important that we are intentional with this funding so that it can continue to give to students in the future in the most impactful way,” she said.

    The size and flexibility of Scott’s gift align with her broader trust-based approach to philanthropy, which relies on quiet research and major, unrestricted donations. With an estimated net worth of $33.1 billion—much of it tied to her Amazon shares—Scott has given away nearly $20 billion since pledging in 2019 to donate most of her fortune.

    Her giving has increasingly emphasized education. In September, she donated $70 million to UNCF, a nonprofit that supports historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), boosting endowments at more than three dozen schools across the U.S.

    “She is changing the landscape of Native higher education, not to mention all of the other fields that she’s impacting,” Albert said of the philanthropist. Given the transformative results of the 2020 gift, she is eager to see what this new one will accomplish. “It’s a much different world than it was five years ago, and I look forward to seeing what this looks like in another five years.”

    MacKenzie Scott Donates $50M to Nonprofit Boosting Native Student Scholarships

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  • Lin-Manuel Miranda Gave Millions to Puerto Rican Artists After Hurricane Maria. He’s Pledging More

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    SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — As Hurricane Maria roared over Puerto Rico in September 2017, Marena Pérez and Aureo Andino hunkered down inside their ballet studio. The couple never imagined that they, their daughter and Pérez’s parents would live there for three months, sleeping on pullout couches and relying on a gas generator.

    The Category 4 hurricane flooded Pérez and Andino’s house with 4 feet of water. Unable to return home, the founders and directors of Mauro Ballet decided to open their doors to the community, teaching a free dance class each afternoon.

    “It became an oasis for dancers in Puerto Rico,” said Andino. But Mauro Ballet still struggled — the dance company didn’t make money for 18 months.

    Instead of being forgotten, artists assumed essential roles, helping the archipelago grieve from Maria’s devastation and articulating the challenges Puerto Ricans faced.

    “You can use the arts in so many ways to express your feelings, and to heal,” said Pérez.

    The Flamboyan Arts Fund has supported 110 Puerto Rican arts organizations and 900 artists. Now the Miranda family and the D.C.-based Flamboyan Foundation are committing an additional $10 million to Puerto Rican arts and culture.

    “It just gives us too much back,” said Miranda, 45. “If you have ever enjoyed the work that comes from this island and its descendants, to invest in that future is important.”

    The destruction was so vast that Marianne Ramírez Aponte, executive director and chief curator of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo in San Juan, worried the cultural sector could not overcome it.

    What happened instead was “quite the opposite,” she said.

    Arts groups opened their spaces as relief hubs and activated mutual aid networks. “Cultural brigades” deployed their talents to comfort and entertain.

    “It was a horrible situation, but we were able to prove the importance of art in the social process,” said Yari Helfeld, executive director of the community theater company Y No Había Luz.

    Helfeld got requests to perform from isolated communities in Puerto Rico’s central mountains just weeks after the storm. She was surprised to be asked for theater when people still struggled to access food and water.

    “They said, ‘You’re helping heal the spirit,’” said Helfeld.

    Artists could also channel and contextualize the public frustration over the U.S. territory’s slow recovery. Maria exposed the consequences of what many Puerto Ricans still consider a colonial relationship with the U.S.

    Help from federal and local government came slowly and sometimes not at all. Federally imposed austerity measures tied to massive public debt exacerbated economic woes. Power outages disrupted daily life.

    Poetry, paintings and performances confronting these realities helped people “process intellectually, emotionally, what had happened to the country,” said Ramírez Aponte.

    Artists like Rayze Michelle Ostolaza Oquendo expressed the territory’s hopes and disappointments.

    “I have a dream, and it’s simple: to be allowed to be from here, to die on this land and whistle like the coquí, it’s not much to ask,” she wrote in her 2024 poem “Ser Puertorriqueño,” or “To Be Puerto Rican.”

    Money from the Flamboyan Arts Fund supported fellowships for Ostolaza Oquendo and other writers. It helped pay studio rent and wages, and restored a flooded wing of the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico.

    The funding bolstered the sector’s resilience, equipping museums and cultural centers with solar panels and batteries, emergency food and first-aid kits to continue arts programming and support communities after disasters. A sweeping effort to digitize 1,200 art pieces and artifacts across the archipelago became a lifeline during the COVID-19 pandemic, when museums could continue their programming online.

    The Miranda Family Fund and the Flamboyan Foundation planned to wind down the project after granting all $22 million. Instead, they’re committing more and encouraging donors to join them.

    “Because it’s been successful, but mostly because it’s needed still, we’ve decided to continue it,” said Kristin Ehrgood, who co-founded the Flamboyan Foundation with her husband Vadim Nikitine and serves as its CEO. “Funding for arts and arts organizations continues to decline.”

    President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, all of which support Puerto Rican institutions. The Puerto Rico Humanities Council saw its 2025 general operating grant cut by over half.

    Ehrgood said the two families want the new funds to also go beyond emergency relief, amplifying Puerto Rico’s talent and even stimulating its economy.

    Miranda called Bad Bunny’s approach “brilliant.”

    There are more artists who can carry those messages, if they’re backed.

    “To support voices that speak on behalf of the island and tell the story of the island is a net plus,” said Miranda. “Puerto Rico always tell us what’s going on.”

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Progressive Nonprofits Condemn Trump’s Targeting of George Soros and His Foundations

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Dozens of progressive nonprofits condemned President Donald Trump’s general attacks on his political opponents and a specific report of a potential investigation into billionaire George Soros’ philanthropy, Open Society Foundations.

    “Targeting those you disagree with is a threat to the democratic values our organizations work tirelessly to defend, and is an attempt to silence those who disagree with President Trump,” the groups — including the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Oxfam America — said in a statement Monday. “It is a continuation of the attacks on law firms, universities and the media. It is an attack on our most sacred value of free speech.”

    The comments follow a report in the New York Times that the U.S. Department of Justice had directed prosecutors to consider possible charges against Open Society Foundations, echoing accusations Trump made in August that Soros and his foundations were funding violent protests.

    Soros’ office sent a letter to “friends and colleagues” on Monday, stating, “Allegations that George or OSF are in any way engaged in unlawful activity or in fomenting or promoting violence are 100% false.” The letter also asked supporters to “make your voice heard” for the values they stand for, as well as signing a petition from the People for the American Way looking to “stop the weaponization of the Justice Department.”

    In a statement Thursday, Open Society Foundations said they “unequivocally condemn terrorism and do not fund terrorism,” and that their work in the U.S. is dedicated to strengthening democracy. The foundations have not been contacted about any potential investigations or had any direct contact from the federal government, a spokesperson said.

    Later on Thursday, Trump ordered a crackdown on “left-wing terrorism,” specifically naming Soros and billionaire Reid Hoffman, who helped start PayPal and the networking site LinkedIn. Hoffman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    In response, the nonprofits said they stood in solidarity with Open Society Foundations. Soros has also been a major donor to Democratic candidates and causes in the U.S.

    The groups supporting OSF Monday include both tax-exempt charitable nonprofits, social welfare groups, which are allowed to do more political lobbying, and the Working Families Party, which supports progressive political candidates.

    Interfaith Alliance, which advocates for religious freedom and social justice, was one of the groups that signed onto condemn the targeting of the Open Society Foundations. Its president and CEO, Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, said nonprofits and especially religious groups need to stand up for people and groups that the administration targets.

    “I think people on all sides of the political spectrum should be showing up right now, recognizing the danger of what this is,” he said. “Just as they showed up, for instance, around Jimmy Kimmel from very different parts of the political spectrum, recognizing the danger of the suppression of free speech. This is another example of that.”

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Home Bakers Donate Fresh Bread to Food Banks Thanks to This Seattle Nonprofit

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    On a recent Saturday near Seattle, Cheryl Ewaldsen pulled three golden loaves of wheat bread out of her kitchen oven.

    The fragrant, oat-topped bread was destined not for her table, but for a local food bank, to be distributed to families increasingly struggling with hunger and the high cost of groceries.

    “I just get really excited about it knowing that it’s going to someone and they’re going to make, like, 10 sandwiches,” said Ewaldsen, 75, a retired university human resources director.

    Ewaldsen is a volunteer with Community Loaves, a Seattle-area nonprofit that started pairing home bakers with food pantries during the COVID-19 pandemic — and hasn’t stopped.

    Since 2020, the organization headed by Katherine Kehrli, the former dean of a culinary school, has donated more than 200,000 loaves of fresh bread and some 220,000 energy cookies to food banks. They come from a network of nearly 900 bakers in four states — Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho — and represent one of the largest such efforts in the country.

    “Most of our food banks do not get any kind of whole-grain sandwich bread donation,” she said. “When we ask what we could do better, they just say, ‘Bring us more.’”


    Anti-hunger experts expect to see more need

    Ewaldsen’s bread goes to the nearby Edmonds Food Bank, where the client list has swelled from 350 households to nearly 1,000 in the past three years, according to program manager Lester Almanza.

    Nationwide, more than 50 million people a year receive charitable food assistance, according to Feeding America, a hunger relief organization.

    Gauging the impact, however, could soon be more difficult after the U.S. Agriculture Department recently said it would halt an annual report on hunger in America, saying it was redundant, costly and politicized “subjective liberal fodder.” After 30 years, the 2024 report, to be released on Oct. 22, will be the last, the agency said.

    “Ending data collection will not end hunger, it will only make it a hidden crisis that is easier to ignore and more difficult to address,” Crystal FitzSimons, president of the Food Research & Action Center, an advocacy group, said in a statement.

    Almanza said federal funding for his food bank has dropped at least 10% this year, meaning that every donation helps.

    “It’s something that a lot of people rely on,” he said.


    Food bank breads are often highly processed

    That includes people like Chris Redfearn, 42, and his wife, Melanie Rodriguez-Redfearn, 43, who turned to a food bank in Everett, Washington, last spring after moving to the area to find work. They had to stretch their savings until she began a new position this month teaching history at a local college. Chris Redfearn, who has worked for decades in business, is still looking.

    “The food pantry assists with anywhere from $40 to $80 worth of savings weekly,” he said. “We’ve been able to keep ourselves afloat.”

    Finding homemade bread from Community Loaves at a food pantry was a surprise, the couple said. Often, surplus bread sent by grocery stores includes highly processed white breads or sweets donated near their expiration or sell-by dates.

    The breads come in three varieties — honey oat, whole wheat and sunflower rye — all made with whole grains and minimally processed ingredients.

    “They make it really wholesome and fibrous,” Chris Redfearn said. “It mimics most of the health-conscious breads that are out there.”


    Many food banks don’t accept donated baked goods

    The notion of donating home-baked bread came to Kehrli, 61, during the pandemic, when she was displaced from her job at the busy Seattle Culinary Academy.

    “I love to bake and just an idea sparked: Would it be possible for us to help from our home and get important valuable nutrition to our food banks?” she recalled.

    Many food pantries don’t accept or distribute donations of homemade baked goods. Feeding America warns individual bakers against the practice, saying “since food banks can’t confirm how your baked goods were made or their ingredients, they can’t be donated.”

    But health department rules vary by state, Kehrli learned. In Washington and the other three states where Community Loaves now operates, bread is one of the few foods allowed to be donated from a home kitchen through a program like theirs.

    “We wouldn’t be able to donate custard pies. We wouldn’t be able to donate lasagna,” Kehrli said. “But bread is deemed safe. Anything that is fully baked and does not require refrigeration.”

    Still, Community Loaves bakers must follow approved recipes for the bread and two types of energy cookies. They obtain flour from common sources, and bake and deliver on a shared schedule twice a month.

    The bakers buy their own supplies, donating the cost of the ingredients as well as their time. Most make a few loaves per baking session before delivering them to local “hubs,” where other volunteers collect the bread and transport it to the food banks.

    Bakers range from former professionals to beginners. A robust website with recipes and how-to videos backstops every step, Kehrli said.

    Baking the bread is satisfying on several levels, said Ewaldsen, who has donated nearly 800 loaves in less than two years. Part of it is addressing the physical need for food, but part is also addressing the spiritual hunger for connection with neighbors.

    “It’s the opportunity for me to bake something and to share something with others in the community, where they don’t necessarily need to know who I am, but they know that there’s a community that loves and cares for them,” she said.

    While such sentiments are sincere and admirable, anti-hunger experts stress that individual donations can’t take the place of adequately funded government services for struggling Americans.

    “It’s beautiful that our communities act this way,” said Gina Plata-Nino of the Food Research & Action Center. “But it is a loaf of bread. That is going to feed one person — and there are millions in line.”

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Walmart Heir Rob Walton Donates $115M to ASU to Establish Conservation School

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    Rob Walton served as Walmart’s chairman for more than two decades. Photo by Rick T. Wilking/Getty Images

    Rob Walton, son of Walmart founder Sam Walton and the former chairman of the retail giant, is donating $115 million to Arizona State University (ASU), the largest donation in the institution’s 140-year history. The funds will support a new school dedicated to conservation and offering training, educational and career opportunities. “Students bring fresh ideas, energy and innovation,” said Walton in a statement. “By getting involved now—through research, advocacy or fieldwork—they gain the skills to drive real change.”

    The donation will establish the Rob Walton School of Conservation Future within ASU’s newly renamed Rob Walton College of Global Futures. Walton’s gift will also fund the school’s chair, create three professorships in research and education, and launch a scholarship fund.

    Set to open by the end of the year, the school will provide conservation training programs for high school students, workers and executives, issue certificates for organizations and government agencies, and expand workforce opportunities in the field. Over time, it will add graduate and undergraduate degree programs.

    “Through its central mission of transforming conservation education for a thriving planetary future, this new academic entity is not just preserving ecosystems—it is developing adaptive solutions to ensure sustainable pathways for future generations,” said Peter Schlosser, vice president of ASU’s Global Futures College, in a statement.

    The Walton family’s philanthropic legacy

    Walton, 80, has an estimated net worth of $123.1 billion. He served as chairman of the Arkansas-based retailer from 1992 to 2015, during which he pursued corporate conservation strategies, including working with Conservation International on sustainability goals such as reducing waste across Walmart’s global operations.

    This isn’t Walton’s first conservation-related gift to ASU. In 2012, Walton and his wife, Melani, donated $27.5 million to advance sustainability initiatives, a figure that grew to $31.8 million by 2019. ASU later named a planetary health facility in their honor.

    Walton’s philanthropy is part of a broader family tradition. The Walton family, the wealthiest in America, channels much of its giving through the Walton Family Foundation, created by Sam Walton in the 1980s. The foundation focuses on education, environmental programs and regional development in Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta, distributing nearly $550 million in grants last year.

    His siblings, both also centibillionaires, have made major philanthropic moves as well. Jim Walton made headlines in 2019 with a $1.2 billion Walmart stock donation, the largest gift of that year. Alice Walton has given more than $1.5 billion to the arts and founded institutions such as the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

    Walmart Heir Rob Walton Donates $115M to ASU to Establish Conservation School

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  • After global aid cuts, nonprofits seek new energy and new partners on the UN sidelines

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    NEW YORK — A passing comment in a hotel hallway at one of the many conferences on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly’s annual high-level meetings this past week may have turned into a solution.

    A global antipoverty nonprofit executive, recently returned from Zambia, mentioned that a hospital there had just one incubator, warmer and resuscitator for the fifty-some babies born daily.

    The conversation could’ve ended there with an empathetic response. But in this case, leaders of a corporate-nonprofit alliance providing medical equipment to those in need heard the story. And in this case, Children International President Susana Eshleman said help may come by year’s end.

    “It’s very encouraging and inspiring to be here,” she said. “It feels like a shot in the arm sometimes when the work that we’re doing is hard and the global situation, given all the recent developments, is particularly hard.”

    In a year marked by significant foreign aid pullbacks from the U.S. and other wealthy countries, the exchange provides a glimpse into the unique connective tissue that still draws foundations, nonprofits, corporations and international actors to what attendees call UNGA week.

    The meetings at Manhattan ballrooms and intimate townhouse dinners solidify relationships and hasten coordination, made even more impactful by the sheer number of parties. This year, attendees described more pragmatic, focused and galvanizing discussions than before, placing a greater emphasis on the roles companies and philanthropies must play in shaping an uncertain future.

    Conversations, in private and on stages, would generally open with the impact of aid cuts on a particular organization, but quickly move to the group’s pivots and current needs. Former President Bill Clinton began the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting with a list of the world’s issues currently worrying him. But he ended it with the message: “Be caught trying.”

    Philanthropists’ interest in engaging with the private sector was evident in some of the heaviest hitters’ announcements.

    At his global forum on Wednesday in The Plaza Hotel, billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg unveiled a new partnership with the African Development Bank Group to bring more investment to the continent.

    “There’s certainly no shortage of challenges to discuss over there,” said Bloomberg, referencing the U.N. headquarters. “But the truth is, in a world that’s more interconnected and fast-moving than ever, the biggest problems can’t be solved by national governments alone.”

    At the Clinton Global Initiative, which retooled this year’s meeting to focus on working groups, ballrooms across the New York Hilton Midtown were packed with hundreds of front line workers, policy experts, foundation donors and NGO representatives divided into groups of 10 to discuss specific problems and potential solutions.

    The working groups yielded numerous new initiatives, ranging from a social enterprise fund from Kiva Microfunds alongside corporate foundations to a new Global Network for National Service.

    At Rockefeller Foundation headquarters, former heads of state, major foundations’ leaders and global health experts gathered around a table Monday to reimagine international development systems weakened by foreign aid cuts.

    The Rockefeller Foundation committed $50 million to the effort. Rajiv Shah, the foundation’s president, said that includes upgrading a critical famine early warning system, created by the U.S. Agency for International Development, and diversifying its financing so no one political party can take it away.

    The Clinton Health Access Initiative announced its partnership with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Unitaid, and Wits RHI to provide Gilead Sciences’ HIV prevention drug lenacapavir in 120 low- and middle-income countries. The Gates Foundation announced a similar deal with Indian pharmaceutical manufacturer Hetero Labs.

    Bill Gates also announced the foundation would pledge $912 million to the Global Fund’s replenishment campaign to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

    But, for all the talk of non-governmental funders’ importance, philanthropic leaders emphasized they cannot do it alone. Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman said he hopes their commitment to the Global Fund spurs the U.S. and other countries to step up.

    “There is no possible way any philanthropy, any combination of philanthropies, can fill the gap,” Suzman said Wednesday.

    International Rescue Committee CEO David Miliband, who reported losing $600 million in U.S. grants, said aid is being spread too thin. He called on his sector to more effectively deliver assistance with new technologies and find alternative financing streams.

    “We’ve got to embrace innovation. And we’ve got to persuade newly wealthy countries — like those in the Gulf would be one example — that there’s a real potential to have lifelong impact on the people we’re helping,” Miliband said. “And we also have to appeal to philanthropy in the countries where we’re working.”

    Whether they work in health, climate, migration or any other issue facing funding setbacks, nonprofit leaders reported a different feel to this year’s programming.

    Conversations carried a heightened urgency and like-minded groups were forced to better coordinate their goals. Some advocates trod lightly between rallying their cause and avoiding any missteps that might suggest opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. Concerns about obtaining visas prompted some to travel with fewer staff than usual.

    There was real worry that “we wouldn’t have UNGA,” according to USA for UNHCR Executive Director Suzanne Ehlers.

    Her nonprofit had already begun developing a $15 million campaign to fund refugee women’s scholarships. But with everything “thrown up in the air,” she said, many questioned the point of coming.

    “And here we are,” said Ehlers, who announced the campaign this week. “It’s actually more consequential than ever, I would say.”

    The challenge is identifying who has financial resources in this new aid landscape, said Charity Wallace, a past adviser to former first lady Laura Bush. Her consulting firm, Wallace Global Impact, focuses on cross-sector solutions to world problems.

    “Frankly, some people bemoan, as if it was still February and we wish that USAID still existed,” said Wallace, adding that many now see “they have to step up in a different way” in this different reality.

    Matt Freeman, executive director of Stronger Foundations for Nutrition, said previous UNGA weeks have been filled with concurrent events where advocates fight for the same limited audience. He sensed a stronger spirit of collective action this year.

    “That’s been really heartwarming,” he said. “Because you could imagine in a moment of scarcity that everyone’s elbows become sharper and they’re fighting for the pie.”

    Kitty van der Heijden, the deputy executive director of partnerships at the United Nations Children’s Fund, said her week on the sidelines had been a mix of disappointment and excitement. She said UNICEF, which faces at least a 20% cut in revenue next year, will cut staff and look for other ways to save money.

    On one hand, she said there was both “withdrawal from governments” and “depression” the state of the multilateral system. On the other hand, she said she saw many philanthropic and private sector actors “really trying to lead now in difficult times.”

    “I have no time for depression,” she added. “I only have time to build more partnerships, to be out there, to deliver, because I know that we can. And we cannot do it alone.”

    ___

    Associated Press writers Thalia Beaty and Glenn Gamboa contributed to this report.

    ___

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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  • Philanthropist John Kluge Jr. Turns Pandemic Epiphany Into Net-Zero Meadery With Global Mission

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    John Kluge Jr. pictured in Thistlerock’s net-zero production facility. Courtesy Thistlerock Mead Company

    John Kluge, a Virginia-based philanthropist and entrepreneur, came to a realization while holed up on his farm amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the past few years, he had become increasingly disengaged from nature—and he wasn’t alone. The connection between people and nature has declined by more than 60 percent during the past two decades, according to a recent study. Out of this revelation came the Thistlerock Mead Company. Launched by Kluge last year, it aims to become the first net-zero meadery in the U.S. and relies on regenerative agriculture and beekeeping practices to produce its honey wine. Just about everything to do with Thistlerock is sustainable, from its ingredient sourcing to its solar electricity and 100 percent post-consumer recycled glass bottles.

    Kluge didn’t just create Thistlerock to help consumers rekindle a bond with nature, but also to show the broader beverage industry that their industry is ripe with opportunities to tackle biodiversity challenges. “We are little—we can’t do this by ourselves,” he told Observer.

    To that end, Thistlerock is partnering with Bee:Wild, a division of the Leonardo DiCaprio-founded organization Re:Wild, and advocacy platform Global Citizen with a mission to bring other beverage companies into the fold. A new effort unveiled by the groups today (Sep. 24) will focus on assembling a coalition of corporations united by common goals that include mobilizing some 5 million pollinator-friendly actions, protecting 1 million acres of rainforest and generating $10 million in conservation funding.

    The announcement comes at a pressing time for pollinators. Honeybee colonies in the U.S. are expected to decrease by up to 70 percent this year compared to previous annual losses of 40 percent to 50 percent, according to researchers at Washington State University. They attributed the loss to factors like nutrition deficiencies, viral diseases and pesticide exposure. Despite the threats to their sustainability, pollinators remain integral to the world’s food supply and are responsible for three-quarters of food crops and 90 percent of all flowering plants.

    Woman in beekeeping gear holds a hive Woman in beekeeping gear holds a hive
    Allison Wickham, Thistlerock’s director of apiary operations, inspects a hive. Courtesy Thistlerock Mead Company

    A mixed bag of strategies

    As part of the initiative, Kluge is working with other members of the Virginia Mead Guild to help them source honey. The meaderies’ efforts will include integrating Indigenous-produced honey from Amazonian communities to ferment different styles of honey wine. A percentage of the proceeds from such products will be earmarked for reinvestment into the Bee:Wild campaign.

    It isn’t just beverage companies that have signed up for the collaborative coalition, but more than a dozen players across fields like fashion and beauty. The bulk of them incorporate pollen products across their business model. Other members who don’t directly work with pollinators are taking more creative approaches to the partnership. The Dubai Airport, for example, will focus on providing biodiversity-friendly messaging to the more than 90 million travelers who pass through annually, while A.I. startup G42 plans to work on a mapping tool that can indicate climate stressors to users. “They come to it from different sides,” Eva Kruse, executive director of Bee:Wild, told Observer.

    Bee:Wild is expecting a mixed bag of strategies to accomplish the cohort’s goals of boosting pollinator protection, biodiversity and conservation. According to Kluge, signing a petition advocating for pollinator rights could be one tactic, as could working with local institutions to rewild garden space or encouraging lawmakers to designate cities as members of Bee City USA, a commitment to support native pollinators.

    “The hope is that progress builds progress, and we will inspire each other to do more work together on behalf of our pollinators,” said Kluge, who wants the partnership to not only revive a connection to nature but also an appreciation for it. “Your morning coffee, the apple you pack for your kid’s lunch, the cocktail you have in the evening—these are things that depend on pollination and bees, and we take them for granted.”

    Philanthropist John Kluge Jr. Turns Pandemic Epiphany Into Net-Zero Meadery With Global Mission

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    Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly

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  • Oracle founder Larry Ellison has pledged to give away 95% of his $393B fortune—but sudden leadership changes fuel a mystery | Fortune

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    Oracle founder and potential TikTok overlord Larry Ellison’s current net worth is estimated at $393 billion, making him the second-richest person in the world in 2025, only behind Elon Musk. His fortune has grown rapidly due to massive gains in Oracle’s stock, driven by the AI boom, and a significant stake in Tesla.

    Ellison pledged to donate 95% of his wealth as part of the Giving Pledge in 2010. Since then, he’s distanced himself from traditional nonprofits and says he’s opting to give away wealth on his own terms. He founded the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), a for-profit philanthropic organization at The University of Oxford.

    But Ellison’s EIT has recently been destabilized by leadership changes, according to a report in The New York Times. In 2024, he hired scientist John Bell to head the research. But in August, Ellison announced he had hired former University of Michigan President Santa Ono to “collaborate” with Bell. Just two weeks later, Bell announced his departure from the “very challenging project.”

    The Times reports there are tensions over “how best to commercialize Mr. Ellison’s scientific research, along with persistent questions about how much the institute could trust Mr. Ellison to deliver on his financial commitments.”

    Here’s what we know—and don’t—about Ellison’s plans to give away his fortune eventually.

    Net worth (2025)

    Philanthropy and plans for giving

    Amounts already given and future commitment

    Ellison’s net worth has reached record highs in 2025, and though he has pledged to give away almost all of it, his giving is uniquely structured—focusing on large self-driven projects such as the Ellison Institute, rather than broad public charity.

    For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.

    Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.

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    Ashley Lutz

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  • Agnes Gund, Relentless Arts Patron and Supporter of Justice-Impacted Artists, Dies at 87

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    Agnes Gund. (c) 2013 Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

    There are many signs that the art world has reached the end of an era, and the passing of arts patron and philanthropist Agnes Gund on Friday, September 19 is one of the most definitive. Her death marks the departure of an entire generation of committed collectors, leaving the industry to grapple with who will step into their place and sustain a system that has grown vast and unwieldy.

    Gund died at age 87, as reported by the New York Times. The cause has not been disclosed, though her daughter Catherine Gund confirmed her passing.

    A relentless supporter of art and culture, Gund was among the most influential U.S. patrons of the past half-century (even taking a spot on our 2023 Business of Art Power List). As president emerita of the Museum of Modern Art, where she served as president for more than 11 years, she played a transformative role in expanding the museum’s reach and collection, directly helping raise the funds that made its most recent expansion possible.

    She sat on numerous boards, supported generations of artists and championed art as a tool for education, equity and systemic change. She reportedly gave away two-thirds of her assets each year to sustain New York’s cultural life and was a fixture at galas, including those of El Museo del Barrio, YoungArts, The Kitchen and MoMA PS1, where she was seen this summer.

    Her collection included some of the greatest names of the past century—artists she not only supported but knew personally. Masterpieces by Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist, Jasper Johns, Brice Marden, Agnes Martin, Yayoi Kusama and Louise Bourgeois (and the list just goes on) formed part of an encyclopedic collection that spanned the breadth of contemporary art across media and styles.

    Gund had already donated hundreds of works to MoMA, which honored her with the exhibition “Studio Visit: Selected Gifts from Agnes Gund,” showcasing around 50 of the more than 800 works she gave. In total, over 900 artworks from her collection have been gifted or promised to public institutions nationwide. As for what’s left, it remains to be seen which auction house will secure this trophy estate.

    She was also a longtime advocate for arts education and social justice. In 1977 she founded “Studio in a School,” an innovative program that placed professional artists in New York public schools, inspiring tens of thousands of children. She extended her civic influence by serving on the New York State Council on the Arts and as chair of the Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission of New York City.

    In 2017 she sold her beloved Roy Lichtenstein Masterpiece to hedge fund investor Steven Cohen for $165 million to launch Art for Justice, a catalytic six-year fund targeting the racial inequities of mass incarceration. The fund sunsetted in 2023 after distributing more than $127 million in grants. “Agnes is not done,” Helena Huang, Art for Justice’s project director, told Observer at the time, noting Gund’s growing focus on reproductive rights and her enduring concern for the state of the world.

    In November 2023 she sold another Lichtenstein, directing more than $2 million to the Groundswell Fund, which advocates for reproductive rights, and to Michigan’s Reproductive Freedom for All ballot measure. “She would say that there’s less art to sell,” Huang commented, when asked whether Gund would continue parting with works for charity. “But she’ll continue to leverage everything that she has.”

    Who was Agnes Gund?

    Agnes Gund was born on August 13, 1938 in Cleveland. Her father, George Gund II, built a fortune in real estate, brewing and investing and served as president of the Cleveland Trust Company, Ohio’s largest bank. After his death in 1966, she inherited a substantial trust and soon purchased a Henry Moore sculpture, beginning what would grow into a collection of some 2,000 works.

    Her passion for art began in childhood with visits to the Cleveland Museum of Art and deepened at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Conn., where she enrolled after her mother’s death in 1954. “I had a magical art history teacher who didn’t just give you the artist’s name and the date of the picture; she showed you how to look at artwork,” she told Lifestyles magazine in 2010.

    Gund graduated from Connecticut College for Women (now Connecticut College) in 1960 with a degree in history. Three years later she married Albrecht “Brec” Saalfield, a private-school teacher and heir to the Saalfield Publishing Company. The marriage ended in divorce, as did a second marriage to Daniel Shapiro, a lawyer and teacher. She had four children with Saalfield—Catherine, David, Anna and Jessica—and is also survived by her brothers Gordon and Geoffrey Gund, her sister, the theater producer Louise Gund, and 12 grandchildren.

    The passing of Agnes Gund leaves a profound void in New York’s art world and beyond, sharpening the question of who will carry forward the work of her generation and ensure the future of cultural patronage.

    Agnes Gund, Relentless Arts Patron and Supporter of Justice-Impacted Artists, Dies at 87

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    Elisa Carollo

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  • Bill Gates Calls US Aid Cuts a ‘Paradox’ Amid Historic Global Health Progress

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    Bill Gates says recent breakthroughs could save millions—but only if governments maintain support. Photo by Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images

    Funding for global health is shrinking rapidly amid steep foreign aid cuts by the Trump administration. At the same time, however, scientific breakthroughs are making today’s health innovations more promising than ever. These two realities amount to “the paradox of this moment,” Bill Gates wrote in an op-ed for Time Magazine published yesterday (Sep. 18).

    At such a critical juncture, the Microsoft co-founder is doubling down on global health through the Gates Foundation—while urging governments not to abandon their commitments. “The choices they make now—whether to go forward with proposed steep cuts to health aid, or to give the world’s children the chance they deserve to live a healthy life—will determine what kind of future we leave the next generation,” wrote Gates.

    Gates has repeatedly criticized the Trump administration’s pullback from global health programs, including cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and HIV relief initiative PEPFAR. Earlier this year, he denounced the role of Elon Musk, then head of the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), for contributing to “the deaths of the world’s poorest children.”

    The retreat comes at a time of unprecedented progress. In 2000, more than 10 million children died before the age of five, Gates noted in the op-ed. That number has since fallen by half, and the philanthropist believes it could be halved again within two decades—if funding is sustained or increased.

    The Gates Foundation is committing heavily to that future. In May, Gates announced the foundation, with an endowment of $77 billion, will wind down by 2045 after distributing $200 billion in grants. Much of that money will target preventable maternal and child deaths, as well as diseases like polio, malaria and guinea worm. Since its launch in 2000, the foundation has already given away more than $100 billion, much of it to health initiatives.

    But philanthropy alone can’t replace government support. “The fact remains: we won’t get there without rich countries giving a small fraction of their budgets,” said Gates.

    He has spent much of this year lobbying lawmakers and the Trump administration to protect aid programs. In recent testimony to Congress, he warned that a sharp reduction in U.S. funding could cause the deaths of an additional eight million children by 2040. He has also personally met with Trump, urging him to scale back the severity of cuts. “If you make a very modest cut, we’ll make sure that the money is well spent and there’s no additional deaths,” Gates told TIME in an interview, which was also published yesterday. “But if you have the kind of cuts that are, in fact, the reality today… there will be millions of additional deaths.”

    The urgency will soon be tested. In November, the Global Fund, a financing partnership founded in 2002 to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, will hold its next replenishment conference. The U.S. has contributed $27.6 billion to the fund to date, making it its largest donor. Gates said his foundation will announce its own contribution next week.

    The upcoming conference will show “just how high of a priority this is for countries,” Gates wrote. “I’ll be interested to see what governments bring to the table.”

    Bill Gates Calls US Aid Cuts a ‘Paradox’ Amid Historic Global Health Progress

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    Alexandra Tremayne-Pengelly

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  • “A New Kentucky Home” – Home Dedication Enlivens and Enriches Local Community

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    MAYFIELD, Ky., September 4, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    On September 2, 2025, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear attended a home dedication ceremony hosted by the Hope Initiative, a Mayfield organization devoted to rebuilding in the aftermath of the tragic December 2021 storms. This home is the 55th built in Mayfield by the organization, and MRCOOL® is honored to have helped with development efforts through the donation of three mini split systems. “When I brought this to MRCOOL®, it wasn’t a hard sell,” said Stephen Boyken, CEO of the Hope Initiative. “The heart of the company’s leadership is to leave an impact.”

    Built by 356 Industries, the home consists of three repurposed shipping containers provided by MrRTO, facilitating a quick construction. The Hope Initiative also received three MRCOOL® Ductless Mini Split systems for heating and cooling. The versatility and affordability of the donations make this home an ideal example of the new IronCLAD series established by the Hope Initiative, which prioritizes building homes that are “cost-effective, livable, affordable, and durable.”

    The home was given to 2021 tornado survivors Trina Cruse and her family as a permanent and affordable housing option. “We’re excited and ready to get in there,” said Cruse. “This is my home! I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

    Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and Team Kentucky have been longtime supporters of the Hope Initiative. Beshear, who presented Cruse with the keys to her new home, said, “These home dedications are a great reminder, not just to Mayfield or Kentucky, but to the United States of America about what’s actually important.”

    “I can’t think of another natural disaster where three and a half years later, so much work has been done,” Beshear continued. “Mayfield’s rebuilt housing faster than just about anywhere after a natural disaster. What it means is it might have been knocked down, but it wasn’t knocked out.”

    Boyken mentioned that these homes are a safe solution that cuts down on response time to disasters. “The people that have been involved in this rebuilding process, they themselves were impacted and affected by the same storm that Mrs. Trina was. People that were hurt are helping those that are still hurting.”

    “Nearly everyone I know was affected by the tornado four years ago,” said Jason Ingram, Managing Member at MRCOOL®. “We were happy to make a difference in the lives of Trina and her family. Her new home is one that she can finally relax in, and we’re glad that we could support the rebuilding efforts in this community.”

    “It’s an incredible act of generosity,” said Governor Beshear when asked about the donation of the mini splits. “And it really works! For anybody else out there looking for a great product that’ll cool down your home, I’ve been in this one.”

    MRCOOL® is grateful to have their donation recognized by the governor, and hopes to continue being a part of creating a “New Kentucky Home” for those in need. For more information on MRCOOL®, visit https://www.mrcool.com/.

    Contact Information

    Rebekah Quarles
    rebekah.q@mrcool.com
    270-366-0457

    Source: MRCOOL

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  • Nonprofits face a tough funding landscape. They hope better storytelling will bring more donations

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    MIAMI — Cindy Eggleton has always believed in the power of a story.

    But the CEO and co-founder of Brilliant Cities, a Detroit-based early childhood development nonprofit that supports learning in underserved communities, never expected someone to tell hers. And definitely not in a sleek documentary with a slick soundtrack and plenty of images of other Detroit institutions, such as General Motors, Diana Ross, and the historic Fox Theatre.

    “It’s never been about me,” said Eggleton, adding that participating in the “Nevertheless: The Women Changing the World” documentary series on YouTube was her way of honoring her late mother, Geraldine, who inspired her to speak out and help others in their community.

    However, as they face an increasingly uncertain funding landscape, nonprofits are focusing more on storytelling in outreach to donors – both big and small – and raising production values for videos and podcasts.

    “Storytelling is how we’re able to draw people in and get them to connect to a deeper truth about themselves or about the world or a problem that needs to be solved,” said Elevate Prize Foundation CEO Carolina Jayaram Garcia. “It’s connecting those issues back to you as a human and not saying, ‘Well, that’s their problem. That’s all the way over there.’ The story allows it to be human.”

    The foundation launched the production house Elevate Studios earlier this year to tell more of those stories, Jayaram Garcia said. “Nevertheless: The Women Changing the World,” Elevate Studios’ first series, has already generated more than 3 million views on YouTube and will debut its second season in the summer of 2026.

    “It’s been incredible to see the growth we’ve had on YouTube and how it’s resonated so quickly with so many people,” Jayaram Garcia said. “We know we’re on to something here.”

    Philanthropic support of storytelling has been ongoing for decades, mostly through donors funding documentary projects. Open Society Foundations created the Soros Documentary Fund in 1996 before the Sundance Institute took it over in 2002, with the George Soros-backed nonprofit’s continued monetary support. The Ford Foundation formalized its funding plans in 2011, creating its JustFilms program that still supports 25-30 documentary films annually. Earlier this month, Firelight Media, a New York-based nonprofit supporting documentary filmmakers of color, launched the Firelight Fund, which will offer directors $50,000 grants for their projects.

    But Lance Gould, founder and CEO of media strategy firm Brooklyn Story Lab, says what Elevate Prize Foundation and others are doing is different. He says it reflects both technological improvements that have lowered the cost of documentary storytelling and the rise of social media, which allows nonprofits to interact with donors directly.

    “Being able to tell your story well is paramount,” said Gould, whose firm works with nonprofits to help them produce their own story-driven content. “But storytelling is not only about reaching viewers, it’s also about having the right message for the right viewers.”

    He suggests that nonprofits connect their work to larger initiatives like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals — an ambitious list of 17 efforts from eliminating extreme poverty and hunger to guaranteeing every child a quality secondary education by 2030 — to attract more attention and support.

    Gould, who was previously executive editor of The Huffington Post and editor in chief of The Boston Phoenix, said “everyone can be their own media company at this point.”

    That’s a point Nicole Bronzan, vice president of communications and content for the Council on Foundations, hopes is not lost in the push for more storytelling.

    “We don’t want people to feel that they have to make big technological investments in order to tell better stories,” Bronzan said. “We wouldn’t want anyone to feel like they have to have a big fancy studio, but certainly the news that folks are investing in storytelling is great for us and for the whole sector.”

    In a Council on Foundations report released last year, “ A New Voice for Philanthropy: How Deeper Stories and Clearer Language Can Build Trust,” researchers, including Bronzan, reported that people had positive attitudes toward foundations, but most didn’t really understand how foundations worked. Bronzan said stories that provide more transparency about how donations are used and how those decisions are made help connect people to a nonprofit and its work.

    “If you’re telling those stories,” she said, “I can only imagine that people will be more inclined to open up their pocketbooks and say, ‘Oh, OK, these are causes that need my support.’”

    So far, that has been the case for Brilliant Cities, which saw an increase in donations after Eggleton’s episode debuted on YouTube.

    “We have a funder who wants to increase his gift from $7,000 to $100,000,” said Eggleton, whose nonprofit turns a neighborhood’s vacant homes into community centers with family services ranging from tutoring to mental health support groups. She said new donors have also reached out. “It’s kind of incredible.”

    Though Brilliant Cities doesn’t rely on federal funding for its services, Eggleton said government aid cuts have made a tough funding environment even tougher because the competition for non-governmental donations becomes even tougher.

    “Everybody’s being told what’s being taken away,” she said. “People are pulling at grant officers and individuals with stock market gains. I think it’s more than the funding, though. I think it’s about really recognizing how the world already feels so disconnected and now feels even more so.”

    Storytelling, Eggleton said, helps reduce that. By focusing on female changemakers, Elevate Studios makes an even stronger point, she said, adding she’s been quoting Spanish poet Antonio Machado — “There is no path/We make the path by walking” — as she explains the power of the series.

    “This is the time that we really do need to figure out how we build empathy through stories and not necessarily saying, ‘You’re wrong or you’re right,” she said. “You just show the world what can be and what should be.”

    _____

    Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

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