Philanthropy Today

A tweak in 2023 to Google’s advertising rules has nonprofits struggling to be seen on the search engine and, in some cases, taking major hits on donations. When the search giant began allowing advertisers to use other organizations’ trademarks, citing its efforts to comply with EU law, smaller search engines flooded Google’s automated ad auctions, often outbidding charities, and then using those charities’ trademarks to draw traffic. These advertisers sometimes mislead users into thinking they will be directed to a charity’s website, when in fact a click takes users to that search engine. Meanwhile, some charities either deplete their ad budgets outbidding these search engines or give up trying. (New York Times)

GoFundMe appeals have raised huge sums for the victims of the Los Angeles fires, but the varying success of its many campaigns underlines the inequities of crowd-funded aid. Research has repeatedly shown that campaigns for people who are better-off are more successful, thanks largely to their networks of people who can afford to make generous donations. Meanwhile, “the government and insurance companies are increasingly either unable or unwilling” to step into the assistance role played by these platforms during a crisis. (Guardian)

Plus: These Palisades natives raised over $120,000 for fire relief on GoFundMe. Now what? (Los Angeles Times)

More News and Opinion

• Q&A: What Are the Challenges and Opportunities of Small-Town Philanthropy? (Daily Yonder)
  
  • Background from the Chronicle: Rural America Is Struggling. Where’s Philanthropy?
• The Free-Speech War Inside the ACLU: When Should a Core Value Change? (New York)
• MIT Shuts Down Internal Grant Database After It Was Used to Research School’s Israel Ties (Intercept)
• Here’s how MacKenzie Scott’s Chicago donations stack up (Crain’s Chicago Business — subscription)
  
  • Background from the Chronicle: The Ripple Effects of MacKenzie Scott’s Philanthropy
• President Biden Pardons Criminal Justice Advocate 24 Years After Her Release From Prison (Essence)

The Los Angeles Fires

• L.A. Wildfires Shine Spotlight on Obscure Firefighting Charity (Los Angeles Times)
• Huge Volunteer Force Mobilizes in L.A. to Provide for Wildfire Victims (Washington Post)
• ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Disgraced Writer Elisabeth Finch Defends Personal Fundraising Amid L.A. Wildfires (Hollywood Reporter)

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