Stanford Social Innovation Review

MARCH 17, 2025

And as many are recognizing, philanthropic foundations that support their work must rally, and quickly, to their support. Many observers argue forand some foundations are announcing increases in grantmaking. Finally, only about one in 10 foundations share decision-making power with those most affected by their funding.

Environmental 104

Environmental Civil Society Philanthropy Participation and motivation 104

Candid

JULY 20, 2022

Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) released a new report, Philanthropy and COVID-19: Examining giving in 2021 , in May 2022 that details COVID-19-related philanthropic funding in 2021. During the pandemic, family philanthropy grew significantly , tripling in FY2020 compared to FY2019.

Philanthropy 131

Philanthropy Civil Society Disaster Relief Retail 131

Stanford Social Innovation Review

MAY 20, 2025

During COVID, philanthropy showed what it could be at its best: nimble, coordinated, unusually brave. Foundations, so often chided for sluggishness, moved with a kind of moral velocity. A few bold leaderslike the Skoll Foundation, Rippleworks, and the John D. Grant restrictions lifted. Frontline workers prioritized.

Philanthropy 125

Philanthropy Health Civil Society Public and Social Policy 125

NonProfit Quarterly

JULY 1, 2025

It is the foundation of belonging—and a critical lever of democratic power. This is our month-long narrative celebration of the unquenchable nonprofit and civil society voices fighting for our democracy—and our future. That is how civilizations heal. We don’t just report on civil society—we help shape it.

Civil Society 109

Civil Society Public and Nonprofit Management Collaborations Healthcare 109

Stanford Social Innovation Review

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

As a leader in the space, RRI plays a coordinating role as one of the fields system orchestrators , and the Skoll Foundation has deepened our understanding of land tenure by supporting and learning from their work. Magnify attention and mobilize resources through collaborative philanthropy. Enter collaborative funding.

Public and Social Policy 111

Public and Social Policy Civil Society Finance Collaborations 111

Candid

APRIL 9, 2025

The Communications Networks 2025 Pulse Polls | Survey #1 offers a snapshot of how nonprofits and foundations are adjusting their communications strategies under the new administration. Nonprofits (40%) were twice as likely to do so than private foundations (20%).

Communication 102

Communication Public and Social Policy Civil Society Governance 102

Candid

JUNE 23, 2022

Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) released a new report, Philanthropy and COVID-19: Examining giving in 2021 , in May 2022 that details COVID-19-related philanthropic funding in 2021. Brazil’s culture of giving and philanthropy has been growing since the 1980s.

Civil Society 98

Civil Society Philanthropy Collaborations Public and Nonprofit Management 98

NonProfit Quarterly

JANUARY 28, 2025

Image Credit: Katt Yukawa on Unsplash Editors Note: This article was republished with permission from the Center for Effective Philanthropy. A recent report from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at the University of Indiana notes that the proportion of U.S. What, then, should major donors and foundations do?I

Nonprofit Administration and Development 121

Nonprofit Administration and Development Charitable Organizations Philanthropy Homelessness 121

Stanford Social Innovation Review

JUNE 17, 2025

Their work often starts within civil society—with locally rooted organizations, many led by women and other historically excluded groups who are developing practical, grounded solutions to complex problems. Philanthropy’s Path Forward In moments of uncertainty, the world needs clear pathways.

Philanthropy 52

Philanthropy Public and Social Policy Governance Civil Society 52

NonProfit Quarterly

MAY 6, 2025

One early critique of the nonprofit sectors ability to impact large-scale change appears in the 2001 paper, The Decline of Progressive Policy and the New Philanthropy by Robert O. Bothwell charts the arc of American philanthropy over the prior 40 years with a focus on progressive, issue-oriented advocacy work.

Public and Social Policy 93

Public and Social Policy Public and Nonprofit Management Public Policy Nonprofit governance and management 93

Stanford Social Innovation Review

JANUARY 14, 2025

Together, we can explore countless new ways to support child-centred and youth-led civil society across the region. I also think we can expand our influence by example, by continued experimentation and innovation, and by speaking up to change how others in philanthropy approach their work.

Leadership 105

Leadership Civil Society Culture Children 105

Stanford Social Innovation Review

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

Were in a period of polycrisis, yet the business world, government, and civil society persist in their siloed approaches to solving it. Second, philanthropy can extend the capital stack. Philanthropy will need to continue providing the risk capital that allows innovators to pilot new approaches and models.

Governance 96

Governance Philanthropy Collaborations Finance 96

NonProfit Quarterly

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

To support South African democracy, philanthropy faces two challenges. One is that many foundations, under the guise of philanthropic pluralism , have supported a status quo that has harmed South Africa’s Black majority. Does Western philanthropy make a positive difference? Where is philanthropy?

Philanthropy 96

Philanthropy Public and Social Policy Poverty Civil Society 96

NonProfit Quarterly

JULY 8, 2025

To answer that question, let’s look at the roles of nonprofit staff, nonprofit leaders, and philanthropy. Here are some steps on how to do so: Many foundations ask grantees…demographic questions about staff. Foundations can do better! Foundations can also fund volunteer-related positions at grantee organizations.

Volunteerism 68

Volunteerism Volunteerism Public and Nonprofit Management Recruitment 68

Stanford Social Innovation Review

MARCH 23, 2023

In fact, city leaders often follow the pioneering innovations of civil society organizations. The initiation power of civil society organizations does not end with “small wins.” .” Diffusion between cities does not only happen on the level of city governments.

Civil Society 119

Civil Society Public and Social Policy Construction Governance 119

Philanthropy 2173

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

.* Here's my question for nonprofits and foundations and activists and associations - to civil society, basically - how do we trust you and your research? This is a sector-wide issue.

Civil Society 52

Civil Society Governance Culture Associations 52

Stanford Social Innovation Review

MARCH 11, 2025

The Systemic Climate Action Collaborative is bringing civil society, philanthropy, and public and private institutions to align climate ambitions, pool resources, and share knowledge. Siloed solutions to philanthropy will just not work under the polycrisis paradigm.

Agriculture 69

Agriculture Environmental Civil Society Collaborations 69

Stanford Social Innovation Review

DECEMBER 26, 2023

Lior Ipp of the Roddenberry Foundation examines the bias of scale and makes the case for funding more small, locally led organizations working on systemic issues. Nonprofit and foundation leaders explore the movement working toward reparations. So what should philanthropic leaders do differently to confront these problems?

Civil Society 136

Civil Society Philanthropy Foundations Nonprofit Capacity 136

Philanthropy 2173

NOVEMBER 4, 2022

We founded the Digital Civil Society Lab at Stanford in 2014 to examine and act on the ways digital dependencies effect civil society. What skills, expertise, and practices do nonprofits, foundations and other associations need access to in order to collect, use, store, and destroy data safely and effectively?

Civil Society 52

Civil Society Governance Associations Foundations 52

Bloomerang

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

The Report notes: “ Because nonprofit organizations are, and have been for at least a century, the bedrock of American civil society, providing important services and public goods that the government and the market either have not provided or will not provide.” 88% of nonprofits have budgets under $500,000. .”

Civil Society 113

Civil Society Participation and motivation Nonprofit governance and management Public and Nonprofit Management 113

Philanthropy 2173

MAY 11, 2023

And then there's this (which I reprinted with permission in the Blueprint 2022 ) [link] My question is are there examples of philanthropy that are clearly rooted in a sense of transition from one state to another? There are funds named for transitions - or at least there is the Just Transitions Fund - but are there others?

Philanthropy 59

Philanthropy Civil Society Agriculture Energy 59

Philanthropy 2173

MARCH 27, 2020

I've been arguing for several years now that civil society is dependent on digital systems, which are not neutral, designed with civil society in mind, or inately democratizing. This is the entire premise of the Digital Civil Society Lab. That's another way of saying civil society is digital civil society.

Civil Society 40

Civil Society Governance Activism Associations 40

Stanford Social Innovation Review

JUNE 23, 2025

Business Foundations Government Nonprofits & NGOs Social Enterprise Solutions Advocacy, Funding, Leadership, etc. Arts & Culture Cities Civic Engagement Economic Development Education Energy Environment Food Health Human Rights Security Social Services Water & Sanitation Sectors Government, Nonprofit, Business, etc.

Participation and motivation 103

Participation and motivation Nonprofit governance and management Health Public and Social Policy 103

Stanford Social Innovation Review

MAY 11, 2023

Yet, despite this consensus, the Rainforest Foundation Norway showed, in 2021 , that efforts to recognize Indigenous land rights and support their forest conservation were getting less than 1 percent of all climate financing, with the vast majority of funding going to international organizations or development contractors.

Civil Society 119

Civil Society Environmental Public and Social Policy Governance 119

Philanthropy 2173

APRIL 23, 2020

These days I'm not just writing and teaching about digital civil society, I'm watching as people all around me come to realize they're living it everyday. Some foundations are getting into the act. These are (simultaneously) problems of the fortunate, signs of grief, life-altering though not threatening, and opportunities.

Civil Society 52

Civil Society Public and Social Policy Public Policy Universities 52

NonProfit Quarterly

APRIL 8, 2025

Bringing in money and resources to organizations is a really important thing to do, but we miss this opportunity to build a foundation of civic and community engagement, she told NPQ. Philanthropy at schools happens without us talking about it. Philanthropy at schools happens without us talking about it.

Children 61

Children Philanthropy Education Education 61

Philanthropy 2173

AUGUST 16, 2021

Civil society suppression.the digital way On August 13, 2021, AlgorithmWatch , a German nonprofit focused on algorithmic accountability, shut down its work on Instagram because Facebook (owner of Instagram) threatened to sue the group for violations of its Terms of Service. All nonprofits and foundations should pay attention to this.

Civil Society 40

Civil Society Advertising Associations Foundations 40

Philanthropy 2173

OCTOBER 9, 2020

In so doing, we have enclosed civil society within the bounds of the marketplace and public sector, obliterating any meaningful sense of an independent sector. In so doing, we have enclosed civil society within the bounds of the marketplace and public sector, obliterating any meaningful sense of an independent sector.

Civil Society 40

Civil Society Nonprofit governance and management Public and Nonprofit Management Universities 40

Candid

MARCH 13, 2023

Building a “unified platform” is a goal Candid has been working towards since Foundation Center and GuideStar joined forces in February 2019. We also committed to developing a new generation of tools designed to champion the causes, organizations, and knowledge that power civil society worldwide. What is a unified platform?

Civil Society 98

Civil Society Production Foundations Universities 98

NonProfit Quarterly

JUNE 27, 2025

Based on the FEP’s Quarterly Fundraising Report for the fourth quarter of 2024, which aggregated information from over 12,000 nonprofits and 6.7 million donors, the nonprofit sector saw a 3.5 percent increase in fundraising dollars but a 4.5 percent decline in the number of donors, when compared to 2023.

Retention 53

Retention Philanthropy Health Associations 53

Stanford Social Innovation Review

DECEMBER 16, 2024

Where Strategic Philanthropy Went Wrong by Mark Kramer & Steve Phillips When it comes to solving our societys most urgent challenges, strategic philanthropy has been astonishingly ineffective. The Future of Philanthropy Is Trust-Based , a supplement from Trust-Based Philanthropy Project 19. by Seth Chalmer 16.

Civil Society 92

Civil Society Philanthropy Universities Communication 92

NonProfit Quarterly

JULY 1, 2025

I’m a public and international affairs professor who researches nonprofits and philanthropy. Funders who are very interested in the potential of data to increase impact, such as effective altruists , philanthropists who emphasize outcomes, and some large foundations, may be willing to bear the costs so others don’t have to.

Public and Nonprofit Management 52

Public and Nonprofit Management Philanthropy Production Civil Society 52

NonProfit Quarterly

SEPTEMBER 10, 2024

I think sometimes, when we talk about nonprofits and philanthropy, we get caught up in financial structures. I think that one of the unique aspects of this, we just brought an additional element, philanthropy. Are we saying philanthropy is separate from nonprofits? JH: Well, look at the example of the Ford Foundation.

Public and Social Policy 124

Public and Social Policy Law Governance Nonprofits 124

Stanford Social Innovation Review

JULY 12, 2023

By Lior Ipp If you’ve been working in philanthropy for longer than a week, you’ve probably come across a report, analysis, or opinion piece about systems change. As a collaborative effort with multiple funding partners , we have regular conversations with foundations from across the globe. It’s everywhere.

Civil Society 98

Civil Society Public and Social Policy Philanthropy Food 98

Candid

JULY 2, 2021

The Bill & Melinda Gates , Ford , and Open Society foundations have announced commitments of $2.1 The commitment includes $650 million to expand the foundation's support for women's empowerment collectives and efforts to strengthen the care economy, improve women's financial inclusion, and reduce barriers to paid work; and $1.4

Civil Society 91

Civil Society Health Governance Leadership 91

NonProfit Quarterly

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

Access to news is key to an engaged civil society, and without it, social worlds shrink and become suffused with disinformation and bias. foundation but one: the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, with $48 billion.” The same year, organized labor held $31.6

Public and Nonprofit Management 136

Public and Nonprofit Management Nonprofit governance and management Civil Society Foundations 136

Stanford Social Innovation Review

SEPTEMBER 8, 2022

Johnson Center for Philanthropy, which points to dozens of breakthroughs where open Form 990 data enabled new insights and practices. Making more robust use of open 990 data requires that nonprofits, foundations, researchers, and the IRS and federal government alike commit to sustained action. A Key to New Insights and Practices.

Public and Social Policy 126

Public and Social Policy Nonprofit governance and management Public and Nonprofit Management Governance 126