Work & Opportunity Philanthropy News
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The Home Depot Foundation Invests in the Tool-Wielding Trades
The corporate foundation has gotten behind the Boys & Girls Clubs’ skilled trades training pilot program for young people.
Many Boys and Men of Color Struggle. This California Funder Network Is on the Case
California Funders for Boys and Men of Color has been around since 2014 and has notched wins in the state, despite ongoing national setbacks.
Business for Good: Ed Mitzen’s Approach to Hands-On Philanthropy
The Albany-based entrepreneur and Tulsa Race Massacre advocate has also spearheaded a variety of economic equity projects in his home state, and aims to take the approach national.
King Charles’ Charity Helps Young People with Confidence, Courses and Careers
The King’s Trust has been working outside its home country for 10 years, continuing a long legacy of youth development begun in the U.K.
How Fashion Mogul Tory Burch Boosts Fellow Women Entrepreneurs
The designer and businesswoman aims to support fellow women entrepreneurs toward the goal of adding $1 billion to the economy by 2030.
A Steep Hill to Climb: Six Workers’ Rights Funders to Know
Although labor and workers’ rights haven’t been top priorities for philanthropy, there are still a number of funders in the mix. Here are a few to keep an eye on.
Takeaways From Our Deep Dive on Workforce and Workers’ Rights Funding
Here are some top highlights from our recently updated report on how philanthropic funders are backing workers in the U.S.
A Champion of Puerto Rico: Billionaire Orlando Bravo Focuses on Entrepreneurship
Hurricane Maria sparked the Puerto Rico-born investor’s first big foray into organized philanthropy. His giving now centers on economic opportunity there.
As Charles Koch Looks to His Legacy, Here’s a Look at His Stand Together Foundation
Koch’s billions are making their way through his vast network of nonprofits. We dug into what he’s backing through the Stand Together Foundation.
Melinda French Gates Wants to Eliminate Workforce Barriers for Women
The final piece of the megadonor’s $1 billion commitment earlier this year: $150 million for workplace equity.
Nonprofit Sector Workforce Still Struggling with Low and Poverty Wages, Studies Show
Reports from Independent Sector/United for Alice and the Federal Reserve show that many nonprofit workers and organizations are still underfunded.
The Implications of the Fearless Fund Lawsuit for Downtown Revitalization
In the wake of a consequential legal settlement, guest author Ilana Preuss calls for philanthropy to double down, and not shy away, on supporting historically excluded entrepreneurs.
Will More Philanthropies Step Up to Help Workers? Recent Funding Developments to Note
With Labor Day just behind us, here’s a primer on some of the ways philanthropy is supporting workers in the face of ongoing threats to labor rights.
How the Irvine Foundation Navigates the Intersection of Economic Mobility and Civic Engagement
In 2022, the California grantmaker launched Just Prosperity, an initiative to advance policies that reflect the priorities of low-income workers, with an eye toward boosting their sway in civic life. How’s that been playing out?
This California Foundation Has Supported Progressive Causes for Almost 90 Years
It’s not the biggest in the state, but the Rosenberg Foundation — established in 1935 — has long played an important ecosystem role for a whole range of social justice causes. Here’s a look at what it’s backing today.
How Funders Can Help Immigrant Workers Win the Protections They Deserve
As we recognize Workers’ Memorial Day, guest author Janice Fine offers one way philanthropy can powerfully support immigrant workers: by helping them access the federal Deferred Action for Labor Enforcement program.
Merging Trust-Based Philanthropy and VC-Style Support to Help Communities Bloom
VC investor Peter Levine backs workforce development and climate justice with a blend of trust-based practices and non-monetary support. We take a closer look at Levine Impact Lab and Southside Blooms, a Chicago-based grantee.
This Public-Private Partnership Is Using Arts and Culture as a Catalyst for Racial Justice in Oakland
The City of Oakland is partnering with local foundations to combine organizing and arts and culture work in pursuit of racial justice. The latest round backs BIPOC-led business cooperatives and more.
This Nonprofit Is Using DAF Money to Combat Inequities in Venture Capital
The $200 billion-plus accumulating in donor-advised funds is mostly invested traditionally. Inspire Access wants to mobilize some of that money to support start-ups founded and led by women and people of color.
Six Questions for Jason Lee, Founder of Hollywood Cares Foundation
Jason Lee’s Hollywood Unlocked media brand has millions of followers, but he got his start in unions. He’s returned to his organizing roots by launching a charity that supports underserved youth.
A Conversation With Jim Shelton of Blue Meridian Partners
Jim Shelton is president of Blue Meridian Partners, a funding collaborative backed by multiple billionaire donors. We talk about his fascinating career path, what drew him to education, and his views on the role of philanthropy.
How This Accessible Chicago-Based Funder Targets Entrepreneurship, Health and Disabilities
Established in 1951, the Coleman Foundation focuses on entrepreneurship, health and rehabilitation, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. We take a closer look at this accessible place-based funder.
The Robin Hood of the West: Inside the Antipoverty Work of Tipping Point Community
Modeled on NYC’s Robin Hood Foundation, this grantmaker draws support from high-profile California donors as it takes on problems around housing, early childhood, education and employment in the Bay Area.
Bloomberg Backs New High Schools Tailored to Boost the Healthcare Workforce
To address a nationwide shortage of healthcare workers, Bloomberg Philanthropies is plowing $250 million into an initiative to underwrite public high schools that’ll pair regular academics with specialized job training.
“Central to a Just Economy.” How a Collaborative Fund is Supporting Labor Rights in Brazil
Backed by the Ford Foundation, Laudes Foundation and Open Society Foundations, the Labora Fund is working to advance workers’ rights in Brazil, where nearly half of the labor force is made up of informal workers.
Gates Sticks With U.S. Antipoverty Giving, But Deeper Structural Questions Remain
In a year-end update, the Gates Foundation announced $100 million in new stateside antipoverty commitments. But amid sky-high wealth inequality, the chances that billionaire giving will get to the roots of the problem remain slim.
Here’s What You Need to Know About MacKenzie Scott’s 2023 Giving
In a new letter published on MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving site, she announced $2.2 billion in donations to 360 organizations in 2023. Who were the big winners? What were her top priorities? We crunched the numbers.
Military Experience Is Less Common Today, But These Funders Are Staying True to Veterans
Philanthropy for veterans often stems from personal or family experience, making a decline in the percentage of Americans who’ve served a cause for concern. But these veterans-focused funders bucked that trend in 2023.
Major Philanthropies Launch $50 Million Fund to Shepherd Federal Dollars on Jobs, Climate
With the launch of BuildUS, another intermediary fund enters an increasingly crowded field of regrantors, in the climate space in particular. We learned more about how this one will work, and the rationale for its creation.
Is the Cleveland Foundation’s New Headquarters the Future of Place-Based Philanthropy?
The Cleveland Foundation’s new building is anchoring a developing innovation district in an underserved part of the city. Lililan Kuri, the new president and CEO, explains how it could redefine the role of institutional philanthropy.
