OVERVIEW: Craig Newmark Philanthropies supports organizations working with veterans and military families, trustworthy journalism, voter protection, pigeon rescue, food security, women in technology, A.I., cybersecurity and tech safety.
IP TAKE: Craig Newmark Philanthropies continues to stick closely with the funding areas that have long defined its mission: cybersecurity, journalism, veterans, and democracy/voter protection. Interestingly, all of these areas have skyrocketed in relevance since the funder’s 2015 founding, and Craig Newmark has doubled down on his commitments, giving away over $100 million to these and a handful of other causes in a recent year. Newmark told IP reporter Ade Adeniji that he plans to continue his track record of rapid, generous giving. “My intent is to punch way above my weight, particularly when it comes to voter protection,” he said. Newmark describes himself on the philanthropy’s website as “an old-school nerd helping to protect the people who protect our country.”
This is an accessible funder that accepts unsolicited grant inquiries via an online form, asking grant seekers to carefully assess whether their organization aligns with Newmark’s funding priorities. While the process is accessible, the odds of success seem low. Newmark doesn’t provide information about grantees on its website, but tax filings reveal a host of grants going to organizations that tend to be larger and established. Still, Newmark is open to new grantees, and it’s an important funder to know for groups whose interests align with Newmark’s funding priorities.
PROFILE: Established in 2015, Craig Newmark Philanthropies is the primary philanthropic vehicle for Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist. Craig Newmark studied computer science at Case Western Reserve University, and worked at IBM and Charles Schwab before developing Craigslist, a web service that brings people together to exchange information, largely in the form of online classified ads. Since retiring from Craigslist, Newmark dedicates his time and resources to philanthropy. Newmark has served on the boards of a range of nonprofits, including Blue Star Families, Center for Public Integrity, Girls Who Code, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Poynter Foundation, Sunlight Foundation, VetsinTech, and Women in Public Service Project.
Craig Newmark Philanthropies lists military families and veterans, cyber civil defense and cybersecurity, democracy and voter protection, trustworthy journalism, and pigeon rescue as top funding priorities; it also supports women in technology, and A.I. literacy and education, and food security. Craig Newmark Philanthropies should not be confused with the Craigslist Charitable Fund, which is the philanthropic arm of Craigslist.com and a separate entity.
Grants for Military and Veterans
The Philanthropies’ military and veterans grants are handled by the Bob Woodruff Foundation. Like many military funders, the Philanthropies focus on veterans’ mental health and reintegration into society after service, rather than memorials or historical archives.
- In 2023, Newmark pledged $100 million to be split between the Woodruff Foundation and Blue Star Families for veteran mental health and homelessness, as well as another $25 million to Blue Star Families in 2024.
- Other grantees that support veterans’ and military families’ health and wellbeing, include Blue Star Families, Student Veterans of America, IAVA and Vets inTech.
- Newmark has also worked with the funding platform DonorsChoose.org to build a new donation option on its site for schools that serve military families.
- Newmark gave over $25 million to food security organizations, many focused on veterans and military families, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grants for Journalism
Newmark believes that a “trustworthy press is the immune system of democracy.” He has given almost $200 million to the cause since 2016. He supports organizations and initiatives that are working to promote journalistic transparency and fight disinformation, convening these parties to form a large network to accelerate collaboration and scalable solutions. The Philanthropies’ site links to the American Press Institute’s guiding principles for funders of nonprofit media, which offers further insight into how this funder seeks to shape their giving for journalism and digital media.
- Ongoing support goes to CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.
- Another grantee, the Poynter Institute, received $5 million in 2019 to establish the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership.
- Newmark has also made grants to Common Sense Media, the Robert Maynard Institute for Journalism Education and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, among others.
Grants for Civic Engagement and Cybersecurity
Newmark’s civic grantmaking focuses on voting rights and protecting consumers from cyberthreats and scams.
- This funder works closely with organizations that protect voting rights, including the Brennan Center for Justice, Civic Hall, PolitiFact, Rock the Vote, Sunlight Foundation, and Voto Latino, among others.
- In 2022, Newmark pledged $50 million to groups focused on educating Americans about cybersecurity threats. Newmark has supported Do Something’s Spot the Scam Program, which educates younger consumers about on-line risks. The Philanthropies also run a signature program, Take9, that encourages people to pause and reconsider for nine seconds “before you click, download, share.”
- Other grantees in this area include Black Girls Hack, the Stanford Internet Observatory, the Institute for Security and Technology’s anti-ransomware program and Carnegie Mellon University’s CyLab Security and Privacy Institute.
Grants for STEM Education, Women and Girls
Promoting inclusion is highly important to Newmark, so he partners with organizations that commit to gender diversity, especially in the tech world.
- Support has gone to Who Tech, for the organization’s first-ever Women Startup Challenge, an initiative to encourage the broader participation and representation of women in the tech community.
- Other grantees include Women in Cybersecurity, Girls Who Code, the Feminist Majority Foundation and Girl Security.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range from $50,000 to $11.4 million, although the vast majority of Newmark’s grants stay under $3 million.
- While Newmark supports many large and well-established nonprofits, the philanthropies also give to organizations doing innovative work, especially related to journalism and technology.
- Apply for a grant at any time at the application page. Grantseekers working in the areas of veterans and military families will need to apply via the new grants portal on the Bob Woodruff Foundation website.
- For information about past grantmaking see a list of Craig Newmark’s board memberships or the organization’s tax filings.
Contact this funder via the contact page. A phone number is listed as (415) 399-5200.
PEOPLE:
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