Philanthropy Today

Corporations and nonprofits are reacting anxiously to an executive order from President Donald Trump attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. In addition to banning DEI work in federal agencies and among contractors, the order directs each federal agency to identify “‘up to nine potential civil compliance investigations’ that could include publicly traded corporations, nonprofits, and large foundations, among others.” Civil rights lawyers and experts on inclusion say programs “that give employment benefits, like jobs or promotions, to specific groups on the on the basis of their race” are most vulnerable, while safer programs likely include “unconscious bias training and fellowships or retreats that are dedicated to advancing employees of color, but are open to anyone’s participation.” (New York Times)

• Plus: Anti-DEI Activists Target Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase (Wall Street Journal— subscription)
• Background from the Chronicle: Corporations and Higher Ed Are Backtracking on DEI. Will Foundations Fold?

GoFundMe campaigns have raised more than $200 million to help the victims of the Los Angeles fires, more than three times the sum raised after the Maui wildfires in 2023. Thousands have donated to more than 1,700 verified fundraisers on the site. With its dense concentration of the wealthy and famous, Los Angeles “is a rich source for giving.” Property losses from the fires have been estimated at $35 to $45 billion. (Bloomberg)

• Plus: ‘Los Angeles Is Our Home.’ Companies With SoCal Ties Donate Millions in Wildfire Relief (Los Angeles Times)
• Background from the Chronicle: Living With Fire: Donors Want to Focus on Reducing Risk, Not on Disaster

More News and Opinion

• Alex Soros: ‘These People Are Bullies. And You Fight Back’ (Financial Times)
• Trump Administration Cancels Travel for Refugees Already Cleared to Resettle in the U.S. (Associated Press)
• Illinois Sued Over Nonprofit Demographic Data Requirements (Bloomberg Law)
• Menopause Research Is Globally Underfunded. It’s Time to Change That (Nature)
• The Ohio AG says he ran a ‘scam’ East Palestine charity. A congressman just hired him (Cleveland.com)

Arts and Culture

• How Brooklyn Museum Is Breaking the Mold: An Interview With Director of Curatorial Affairs Catherine Futter (Observer)
• What Happens to the Art When Museums Close? (Observer)
• Los Angeles’s Broad museum Hit With Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Lawsuit (Los Angeles Times)
• In San Antonio, an Orchestra Was Reborn. Can It Endure? (New York Times)

Note: In the links in this section, we flag articles that only subscribers can access. But because some journalism outlets offer a limited number of free articles, readers may encounter barriers with other articles we highlight in this roundup.