Ford Foundation

Two relative newcomers to private philanthropy — the Arcus and Gill foundations, which were started in 2000 and 1994, respectively — have given more money to gay causes than any other grant maker, according to a new report by Funders for LGBTQ Issues.

Overall, 799 grant makers have contributed more than $771 million to lesbian and gay issues since 1970, the report says. The money has gone to 6,000 charities working in 117 countries.

While many Americans give generously to help people, many others make donations of a different sort: building museums to house their art collections; underwriting new wings in hospitals or halls named for them at their alma maters; using their money and influence to sway public policy and influence political campaigns; or seeking to solve problems in distant lands rather than in their own backyards.

While charitable giving rose slightly over all in 2010, gifts to organizations that address basic human needs fell 6.6 percent, according to Giving USA.

The Association of Development Officers will host its 9th annual Philanthropy Awards Breakfast on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at Tappan Hill, in Tarrytown, N.Y. The breakfast honors those who have made a positive impact in the nonprofit community, either through their philanthropic efforts or their dedication to their mission in the roles of Philanthropist, Nonprofit Board Member, Corporate or Foundation, Professional Fundraiser, and Youth. The standing-room-only event draws a large representation of nonprofits and the organizations that support them.

Merck, the pharmaceutical giant, announced at the Clinton Global Initiative a $500-million commitment over the next decade to help reduce the number of women who die in pregnancy and childbirth. Details of the plan are forthcoming, but the company says it will work with Save the Children, among other groups.

The announcement was one of several made during the opening day of President Clinton’s annual philanthropy event. To attend the event, donors and nonprofit leaders must make a “commitment” to effect change on a specific topic.

Today, dozens of MBA and undergraduate programs teach philanthropy as an academic subject, exposing students to both the art and science of giving. Some schools — including Stanford, Columbia Business School, and the Boston University School of Management — teach entire courses focused solely on the topic, while others weave philanthropy into the curriculum of social-enterprise courses. The topic appeals to business students because many may wish to serve eventually on the boards of nonprofits or become philanthropists themselves, professors at those schools say.

GOOD, a fast-growing publishing and marketing business that promotes social causes, is acquiring Jumo, a social networking site that raises money and support for nonprofit groups.

The deal may signal the beginning of a consolidation in the world of online intermediaries set up to help nonprofits, which have proliferated in the last few years.

Jumo will drop its name and become tied to a growing audience that includes GOOD’s online magazine with an estimated three million unique visitors a month and Good’s nascent advertising and marketing business, GOOD/Corps.

Public school systems around the country may have spent the past several years starving for cash in this financially troubled era, but a new report shows that philanthropists doled out $684 million in private grants from 2000-08 to organizations involved in reforming the teaching profession.

The analysis, the first comprehensive examination of philanthropy activity in this area, showed that the biggest chunk of the money — 38 percent — went to teacher recruitment, while 22 percent was spent on professional development, 14 percent on teacher preparation and less than 10 percent for everything else.

In recognition of its 75th anniversary, the Ford Foundation announced $100,000 awards to 12 social innovators who, through their extraordinary vision and courageous work, are improving the lives of millions of people. In a period of uncertain transformation in global society, politics and the economy, the Ford Foundation Visionaries Awards seek to raise the profile of leaders whose innovative efforts on the frontlines of key social issues offer pathways to improved economic opportunities and expanded political and social participation for millions of marginalized people worldwide.

In April, a panel of experts gathered at Spelman to address how women are leveraging this economic power to redefine philanthropy in the 21st century. "Funding the Future: How Women are Shaping Philanthropy" honed in on how women are changing philan
thropy as heads of foundations, individual donors and major supporters of a variety of institutions and projects.

Grants by the biggest U.S. foundations to support social justice totaled $3.1 billion in 2009 and accounted for more than 14 percent of their grant dollars, virtually flat compared to 2008, and 11 percent of their grants, a new report says.

Forty-seven percent of social-justice grant dollars supported international activities, says Key Facts on Social Justice Grantmaking, a report by the Foundation Center.