Dear Philanthropy Project: (What we’ve been hearing)
"This is tremendous!"
"Congrats on your important work. LMK how I can be helpful"
"An impressive undertaking and probably more so now as our democracy crumbles."
“Sounds fantastic and timely. How can I help?”
I've worked in the nonprofit field as a full-time fundraiser since 2016 and definitely see a need for philanthropy reform, especially concerning DAFs
I am very interested to see where this project goes and would be eager to help in any way that makes sense!
Reaction to the launch of the Philanthropy Project has been positive and encouraging, with multiple offers of information and connection. This campaign will be mobilizing a variety of voices and stories, including front line experiences and ideas from fundraisers, advocates and nonprofit board members. On the ground nonprofit reports on how these issues impact local communities are necessary to complement big number policy statistics. And we are thrilled to be in this with the people who see this every day:
I have a long career in nonprofit fundraising, and extensive experience working with institutional philanthropy in California. I have been long struck by the fundamental contradictions inherent in the way institutional philanthropy operates.
I've worked in nonprofit organizations for 15 years and in fundraising and fundraising operations for nearly 8. I'm deeply passionate in this type of work to reform the philanthropic sector and would love to engage as a volunteer, writer, etc!
We have also received several content suggestions, and look forward to many more like this (some of which will be nurtured into PP articles and write-ups:
I agree with the four focus areas outlined in the launch email and have ideas for the fifth area. I think this is what you were alluding to, but I see an issue with financial institutions hosting DAFs through associated nonprofits. Logically, it sets a clear incentive for them to grow and maintain funds held in their coffers in a way that is distinct from community foundations that host DAFs. To further emphasize this point, I saw a job posting recently from a DAF that's essentially looking to hire a fundraiser to bring as much money as possible from high-net-worth individuals under their management. I suspect this is directing funding away from operating nonprofits today more so than enlarging the pie so that nonprofits ultimately get more funding to support their work.
If the 17 Bay Area foundations that currently spend 10% of their endowment each year contributed half a percent (0.5%) of their endowment each year, they would contribute an additional $176M annually to build affordable housing. (based on 2020 & 2021 IRS 990s)
One reader combined support with a concern about possible duplication of effort:
"I just received your announcement. Curious how you'll distinguish this effort from the work that [the Institute for Policy Studies] is doing, but it is great to have you on the case. I wish you great success."
Great question! The Philanthropy Project is proud to have Chuck Collins and Bella DeVaan from IPS as members of our Working Group, and aim to be cooperative allies and message multipliers of the work of IPS’ Charity Reform Initiative, IPS remarkable report Gilded Giving 2024: Saving Philanthropy from Wall Street is profiled on PP’s website, and is recommended reading for nonprofit development staff, advocates and board members.
A particular goal for PP is to inform and mobilize the nonprofit sector to weigh in on philanthropy reform, and that absolutely involves the working with and promoting allied efforts, including IPS.
Our last reaction to the PP launch comes from the online publication Inside Philanthropy, which published a very thorough January 15 piece The Philanthropy Project Centers Nonprofit Needs in Push for Reform (with a stunning photo of the U.S. Capitol). After describing PP’s overall goals, working group and policy agenda, Inside Philanthropy reporter Dawn Wolfe went to Benjamin Soskis, senior research associate in the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute, to ask about the prospects for legislative success. His assessment was that it’s an uphill battle but not hopeless:
“The history doesn’t suggest that this is easy, but if reform is going to happen, it’s going to happen because policymakers across the country understand that these reforms deeply touch interests in their own constituencies,” Soskis said. “The most important indicator of nonprofit advocacy is when there is a broad constituency that policymakers are aware of, and it doesn’t seem like a trade interest that is professionalized and can be dismissed as another special interest.”
We’ll give the last word on this to the final paragraph of the Inside Philanthropy article:
"If the Philanthropy Project succeeds in making voters aware of the real harms being done thanks to the warehousing of wealth that’s supposed to be spent on charity, it may just create the kind of interest that will get lawmakers’ attention."
