Chronicle Insider

Illustration by Luke Lucas for The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Dear Subscriber,

As the nonprofit world continues to navigate major changes coming out of Washington, there are leaders taking action to help protect and galvanize the sector — one bold action at a time. (The recent package of the tax bill should only accelerate such efforts.) In the new July issue, we profile 12 of them.

, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights

Take Damon Hewitt (pictured above), president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Since January — and the flurry of executive orders threatening DEI efforts — Hewitt’s organization has counseled more than 160 nonprofits struggling with their approaches to diversity. Hewitt and his team are making the case that the attacks on DEI programs are not grounded in law. “It is not illegal to invest in Black people,” he told our Alex Daniels.

Or Abigail Disney, an heiress to the Disney fortune, who says wealthy people need to “fight like hell” to save democracy and counter threats of white nationalism. Her 30-year-old Daphne Foundation announced after the presidential election that it would spend down its multi-million-dollar endowment, saying that giving 5 percent a year isn’t enough. And she’s challenging others with wealth to get over their fear of stepping up. “The irony of people with resources is they’re the least inclined to take risks,” she told Sara Herschander.

Or Luciana Bonifacio, chief development officer of Save the Children, a nonprofit that focuses on ensuring children around the world grow up healthy. Her organization gets about 30 percent of its global funding from the U.S. federal government — and because of federal funding issues, it eliminated 300 of 1,000 U.S. positions through voluntary resignations or layoffs and had to close offices in some countries. But Bonifacio has been quick to seek out support from major donors and collaborate with other chief development officers to make joint funding requests. “What I said to my team from the very beginning was, ‘Let’s stay focused on what we can control, who we are, and why we are here,’” she told our Stephanie Beasley.

Make sure to read about the rest of these bold leaders.

Also in the new issue:

Rasheeda Childress reports that giving was up in 2024, according to “Giving USA,” and although nonprofits are dealing with a very different fundraising scenario this year, with stock market volatility and donor uncertainty, some foundations and individuals may decide to use market gains from last year to be generous now.

Nonprofits reported mixed results so far this year: Some donors have stepped up their giving, others have pulled back, and some have shifted their philanthropy to causes they feel need their support more. Most of the nonprofits Rasheeda interviewed worry about the second half of 2025.

But Wendy McGrady, chair of Giving USA, told Rasheeda, “The things that we did as fundraisers and as nonprofits last year to produce those kinds of numbers — those are the kinds of things we need to be doing more of this year. Close, consistent communication with stakeholders and talking about the impacts of funding cuts on their organization is really critical.”

From the Hip Photo

Drew Lindsay takes a look at a small movement that’s tackling polarization via localized efforts — and earning modest investments from self-styled “pro-democracy” funders. Its advocates argue that America’s deep divisions lose their hard edge when people come together for the common good — or, specifically, for the good of their community through projects to fix everything from sewage to schools to civic culture.

Despite the current rage and fury in Washington, leaders of this movement talk about an increasing number of Americans eager to step up and do for their community what our dysfunctional politics can’t.

“We have more of an opportunity today than maybe at any other time I’ve been doing this work,” says Rich Harwood, whose nearly 40-year-old Harwood Institute for Public Innovation is helping a Reading, Pa., community develop an education agenda.

Plus: More nonprofits are turning to AI to save time and money, tips on how to better engage with conservatives to meet your mission — from a conservative, how one leader is fighting to maintain $20 billion in grants (opinion), and why philanthropy should help build a better State Department (opinion).

Hosted by our CEO Stacy Palmer, Nonprofits Now: Leading Today dives into how nonprofit leaders solve problems. Topics for this season include how to manage an intergenerational workplace, how to hire and retain top talent, and how to better engage with boards.

In a recent episode, Stacy spoke with Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation and a senior adviser to President Obama through all eight years of his presidency. Jarrett shares what she learned in the White House about responding to crises and insights on how to assemble and build a great executive team. Listen on your favorite platform.

The best way to keep up with all the offerings from the Chronicle is to sign up for our Philanthropy Today newsletter. You’ll get updates every day about new items we have posted, plus a guide to what else you need to know from reporting by other news organizations.

By subscribing to Philanthropy Today, you’ll also receive a special newsletter delivered to your inbox every Thursday afternoon that’s dedicated to The Commons, our project that examines how philanthropy and nonprofits can best bring Americans together in a time of hyperpolarization.

In case you missed it, The Commons has recently featured:

• Barbara Kingsolver on the urban-rural divide and how philanthropy can better serve Appalachia. You can watch a recent conversation with Kingsolver.
• Matt Watkins on the perils of nonprofit jargon and why using clear language is critical.
• Jim Rendon on conservative climate groups and the potential for bipartisanship.

Also, on July 24 at 2 p.m. Eastern, we’re hosting a webinar on planning now for big year-end gifts. Nonprofits raise as much as a third of their annual fundraising revenue in the final quarter of the year, but savvy major gift officers know how to keep major donors and potential big donors informed and engaged all year long. Hear experts offer smart ways to map out donor meetings, craft compelling messages, and track key metrics to ensure you hit your 2025 goals.

Thanks, as always, for being a subscriber. (And thanks to senior editor Marilyn Dickey for contributing to this edition of Insider).

With gratitude,

Andrew Simon, editor-in-chief, Chronicle of Philanthropy