Mei Hing Chak has seen incredible success in her life, often after pushing against the traditional way of doing things. As a businesswoman in China, she is in a class of her own. The growth of her Heungkong Group would be a crowning achievement for any business leader. But for Ms. Chak, her greatest source of pride is the Heungkong Charitable Foundation, China’s first non-publically sourced foundation. With her success in business and her groundbreaking work in philanthropy, she has found a way to inspire all levels of society.
While the Heungkong Charitable Foundation has been in operation for over a decade, Ms. Chak’s passion for philanthropy goes back much further. Since founding the Heungkong Group with her husband, Liu Zhiqiang, the conglomerate has given away $150 million to various causes. Prior to that, Ms. Chak demonstrated exceptional business acumen, as well as bold confidence. Instead of choosing the typical route and sitting for college entrance exams, she jumped straight into creating a company and running a business. The education she received through this experience set her up for the great success that she would find throughout the coming decades.
Heungkong Charitable Foundation
Taking a page right out of Andrew Carnegie’s book, Ms. Chak and the Heungkong Charitable Foundation seek to do “real and permanent good in this world.” The scope of these efforts is truly remarkable. Over the years, the foundation has worked tirelessly in education, poverty alleviation, and rescue and disaster relief. Early efforts found both success and support, with ambitious projects including the “Five 1,000 Project”, in which they built a thousand charity libraries, helped a thousand impoverished families, sponsored a thousand orphans, subsidized a thousand underprivileged students and recruited a thousand volunteers.
Since 2005, the foundation has reached over two million people, but just as notable is the standard they set. China now has over 3,300 registered non-profit charity foundations, all of which look to Heungkong Charitable Foundation as their forebear. The Foundation is finding success not only in the work they are doing, but also in their vision of “making charity a kind of fashion, style and culture.” And Ms. Chak is not slowing down, having received prestigious awards including “Children’s Humanitarian of China,” “Most Active Woman of China,” and “The First Poverty Alleviation Medal in China.” Her impact has been so notable that she was chosen to be the 100th torchbearer of the 2008 Olympic Games.
Heungkong Charitable Foundation
Ms. Chak’s faith in her vision has not only been a boon to her business efforts, but has been an inspiration to millions, especially to women throughout China who aspire to greatness. And her success has only made her more engaged in philanthropy, which she says is her main motivation to remain involved in her commercial efforts. In 2011, she told the BBC: “When I started my business, I wanted to escape from poverty. But I’ve come to think that our real value lies in what we should be contributing to society.” Certainly, she is an inspiration both in the business and philanthropic sectors, showing what can be achieved and what is worth fighting for.
How do you measure good? That is the challenge facing the philanthropic sector. In storybooks it is easy, of course. A fairy waves a magic wand, Snow White smiles. The real world is less straightforward.
Source: National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Now, help has arrived, in the form of analytical programs that seek to measure impact and bring science to the world of giving. GuideStar Platinum, a platform that allows nonprofit organizations to submit information about their progress and results, celebrated its first birthday in May. More than 2,100 organizations have provided information to date, and the goal is to reach about 10,000 by 2020, says Eva Nico, GuideStar’s director of nonprofit programs.
This additional data is creating more transparency, but measuring impact in the nonprofit sector remains a major challenge, she says. “There is such a broad variety of outcomes that it’s hard to get to a way of assessing impact,” Nico says. “It’s one very small word that stands for many different things.”
GuideStar Platinum tries to answer at least some questions about results. Donors and other players in the philanthropic field are increasingly demanding data on outcomes and impact, and the sector is grappling with how to best collect and use such information.
About 70 percent of organizations using GuideStar Platinum are choosing pre-selected measuring tools to describe their results, while 30 percent rely on custom measures, Nico says. The hope is that over time, it will be possible to determine which measures best define success, so it is easier to see who is performing the best. A long-term goal is to allow users to search by outcome, for example, “graduation rate” for an educational program.
Other platforms and organizations that try to measure impact have also popped up in recent years. ImpactMatters creates “impact audits” to measure nonprofit organizations’ results. Dean Karlan, a Yale economics professor who started the organization in late 2015, says half a dozen audits have been completed so far. The goal is to develop standards that others could mimic, he says.
“There is tremendous demand for data, but it’s a question of focusing it in the right way and creating a clear product that can be systematically applied to lots of organizations,” Karlan says.
Another organization is GiveWell, which conducts in-depth research on programs’ accomplishments and ranks the top charities. But it is limited in scope, as it focuses on a small number of charities. The organization is often cited as an example of “effective altruism,” a movement that encourages people to consider a number of questions and evidence to determine which charities and causes have the greatest impact.
The field of effective altruism is growing, but out of the top 50 donors, only a couple are true effective altruists — Dustin Moskovitz, the Facebook co-founder, and his wife, Cari Tuna, says Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Dustin Moskovitz and Cari Tuna (Photo by Good Ventures)
“I think [effective altruism] is adding rigor to how donors think about things and it’s getting more popular, but I don’t think it’s transformed the way people give,” Palmer says. “It’s forced a lot of people to ask, ‘How do I make sure my money goes the furthest?’ instead of ‘What is it that makes me feel good as a donor?”
Many nonprofit organizations want to produce better data, but lack the funding and trained staff needed to conduct proper evaluations, Palmer says. She adds that some funders are now incorporating this cost into their grants.
Charity watchdog groups say they are aware of donors’ hunger for impact data, but are still trying to figure out best to quantify an often elusive concept. As part of its efforts, Charity Navigator is partnering with others in the field to make available data from 1.5 million digitized tax records filed by nonprofit organizations. The hope is to be able to map and analyze the data, says David Bruce Borenstein, Charity Navigator’s lead data scientist.
“This work is, in one sense, the Rosetta Stone — it allows us to greatly expand our comprehension of how the nonprofit sector ticks,” Borenstein says. “On the other hand, it’s a Pandora’s box, because it opens up the door to profound misinterpretation, misunderstanding and finger-pointing, some of which may be fair and deserved, and some of which may not. It runs the risk of introducing new myths about what makes organizations work and not.”
Another challenge is that many foundations and nonprofit organizations remain apprehensive about providing more data. Dan Petegorsky, senior fellow and director of public policy at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, says it is important to distinguish when data is being collected as part of a grant from when it’s being gathered as part of a learning environment.
Source: National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Petegorsky also says he is concerned about the growing disregard for data in the current political environment. He mentions the recent attitude to reports from the Congressional Budget Office as one example.
“We do have to address the fact that data itself is under attack and being politicized,” he says. “That is something that is certainly a mark of the moment and something that is relatively new for philanthropy to try to take on.”
When it comes to measuring impact, there is no shortage of challenges, but the philanthropic field seems eager to tackle them. The biggest question remains: how do you measure success on issues that may take years, or even decades, to change? Ultimately, however, analysing philanthropic efforts will allow us to target resources more effectively and show those who want to help others what their generosity achieves.
One might be inclined to think that there is nothing that Sir James D. Wolfensohn cannot do. He has received the most prestigious honors from around the world, mastered an eclectic and diverse number of disciplines, and has fought tirelessly to make the world a better place. He is a true renaissance man, and those who only know him as a past president of the World Bank or from his success at his own investment and advisory firm are aware of just a small part of Sir James’ story.
Many who have found this level of success are, unsurprisingly, tough individuals. But few embody this quality quite as literally as Sir James. He served as an officer in the Royal Australian Airforce and went to the 1956 Olympics as a member of the Australian fencing team. And along with his more well-known enterprises, he has shown exacting mental resilience in positions such as special envoy for Gaza disengagement and as a member of the American Philosophical Society. This all-around strength has made him a much sought after leader, and he regularly brings organizations to a level of success that was previously unimaginable.
Carnegie Hall at 57th Street and 7th Avenue December 29, 2004 in New York City. (Photo by Peter Kramer/Getty Images)
One of Sir James’ most enduring connections has been with the distinguished Carnegie Hall. Starting out as a board member in 1970, Sir James later rose to become chairman of the board for over a decade. Within those years he led an extraordinarily successful effort to restore the New York landmark to its former glory. But he also took the more traditional approach to getting to Carnegie Hall – Practice, practice, practice. At the age of 41, he began taking cello lessons from the renowned player Jacqueline du Pré, with the understanding that he would grace the stage of the Hall on his 50th birthday. Not only did he succeed in this brave ambition, but he has held repeat performances, pulling along some top-notch talent including Yo-Yo Ma and Bono.
Bono of U2 and former President Bill Clinton at the Birthday Party Concert of World Bank President James D Wolfensohn (Photo by David S. Holloway/FilmMagic)
Sir James’ far reaching passions also include a variety of academic pursuits. A member of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, he spent many years as chairman of the board for the Institute for Advanced Studies at Princeton University. Upon finishing his second term as president of the World Bank, he set up the Wolfensohn Center for Development at the Brookings Institute, which ran for five years and studied topics including poverty alleviation, youth development, and economic reform.
Thanks to his public service, as well as his time spent fighting corruption when he was at the head of the World Bank, Sir James is widely respected across the political spectrum and around the world. He has been honored by more countries than most people have visited. These include a knighthood of the Order of the British Empire (KBE), the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun of Japan, the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the award of Officer of the Order of Australia (AO).
In a rare interview with The Australian, Sir James spoke about his ability to give, saying, “Quite honestly it was something I always had in my mind as a kid but it proved to be totally beyond me, but when I started to do a bit better and the bank account was not in debt then one of the things I immediately thought about was how can one contribute to society in a different way?” The world is certainly a better place thanks to his passionate approach to life and philanthropy.
Shelby White has elevated philanthropy to an art form, with both style and substance in all her decisions. Frankly, she is very good at giving money away. She has been deeply involved in philanthropy for many years, starting by helping her husband, Leon Levy, decide how to put his wealth to good use. Many decades later, she has only increased her impact on the world of giving, and her connections to the causes she supports makes it clear that being a philanthropist was her true calling.
Ms. White’s philanthropy can be read as a love letter to what shaped her, what she’s passionate about, and what she values. She and her husband were a great team, giving millions of dollars to a wide variety of organizations, so it was little surprise that the Leon Levy Foundation sprang up in 2004, shortly after his passing. Since then, Ms. White has been the unwavering leader, ensuring that her husband’s fortune would be put to good use.
The variety of programs run by the Foundation might seem somewhat disparate, but they are all causes for which Ms. White has an undeniable passion. The Leon Levy Fellowship for Neuroscience is her opportunity to best honor her late husband, focusing on his interest in finding out just how the brain works and its impact on human behavior. It is the one program in the Foundation that bears his name, the rest speaking to the shared passions of the couple.
Ever since working at Encyclopedia Britannica, Ms. White has loved studies of the ancient world – she and her husband were avid collectors of art from ancient civilizations. The Foundation, unsurprisingly, has done lots of work in related studies and archeology. Less expected is how often Ms. White (literally) gets her hands dirty in these matters, taking part in yearly digs in Israel, including being part of the team that discovered the ancient Canaanite city of Ashkelon. As she told Philanthropy Roundtable, “I like to dig. What shall I say? I love to be in a little hole the size of a small box for five hours in the broiling sun digging up a pot or a bone. I find doing this kind of detailed work exciting.” And she is just as eager about teaching as she is about donating, regularly giving her time and resources to museums, schools and institutions.
Brooklyn Public Library in Brooklyn, New York on April 15, 2016. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
Brooklyn is lucky to be able to call Ms. White a hometown girl. A daughter of immigrant parents in the city, she has been a reliable resource for funding many things that beautify and enrich both the borough and all of New York City. Along with being a member of the board for the New York Botanical Garden, she has also contributed significantly to both Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. One can imagine how much joy and peace these places brought to a young girl growing up in the bustling metropolis. And the Leon Levy Foundation has been a key benefactor to the Brooklyn Public Library, which remains one of the best free resources that the city has to offer.
Thanks to a wide variety of interests and passions, it is almost impossible to talk about all the work Ms. White and the Leon Levy Foundation has done. Her work as a successful journalist and author have inspired free speech programs, growing up in a Jewish immigrant family has brought about significant support for Jewish cultural institutions in New York, and her childhood in the Brooklyn Birding Club has resulted in numerous efforts to save our feathered friends. The things that have provided Ms. White with inspiration and happiness are the focus of the Foundation, ensuring that they will provide similar delights and motivation to many others. She is surely a model to others who wish to give, and has also built a lasting legacy to her late husband.
Tour group leader and educator Laureen Fredella teaches immigrant history to a group of visiting Israeli teens outside the Lower East Side Tenement Museum on April 9, 2013 in New York City. The landmark museum preserves the history of more than 7,000 immigrants from more than 20 nations that lived, often in very cramped conditions, in the building between 1863 and 1935. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Car Services, Groceries and Retailers are All Collecting Change
IT is a truly modern form of giving. The ridesharing company Lyft recently launched an initiative allowing customers to round up their fare to the nearest dollar for charity.
The innovative scheme hardly leaves donors out of pocket, but adds up to a big boost for charities. In May, Lyft partnered with United Services Organizations in honor of Military Appreciation Month, while June’s collaborator was the Human Rights Campaign, in honor of Pride Month.
Photo by Nisian Hughes via Getty Images
More than 40,000 passengers donated over $100,000 in support of the two causes in the program’s first two months, according to Lyft.
Lyft is the latest major company to allow consumers to round up for charity. Grocery stores, mass merchandisers and specialty retailers are among those that allow customers to donate their change to various causes. As technology and digital platforms make such giving easier, the trend of rounding up for charity is likely to grow.
A study by Engage for Good found that in 2016, 73 “charity checkout campaigns” raised more than $441 million, up by 4.5% since 2014. E-Bay topped the list, raising more than $56 million for consumers’ favorite charities, followed by Walmart, with $37 million going to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and Petco, with more than $28 million for animal welfare organizations.
Megan Strand, Engage for Good’s communications director, says point-of-sale fundraising is an efficient way for companies to raise money for good causes.
“We have been seeing greater interest in round-up from both retailers and researchers over the past several years,” she says. “Several retailers we’re familiar with are using this tactic as a second bite at the apple and offering the option to round-up to consumers if they indicate they don’t want to donate a flat amount. Other retailers are using round-up as their primary ask and finding great reception from customers.”
She says such campaigns will likely grow and include more digital platforms. Some websites already offer this option. For example, GoDaddy, which lets people buy and build websites, has a “Round Up for Charity” box that allows customers to round up their order to the nearest dollar. The company says more than 14 million customers have chosen the option.
Round It Up America, a non-profit organization that partners with restaurants, allows patrons to round up their credit card bills for donations. And there are of course plenty of ways to donate physical loose change. One of UNICEF’s longest running programs is Change for Good, a partnership with the airline industry that allows passengers on some flights to donate unused currency. The program has raised more than $150 million. Coinstar, which has kiosks where people can exchange their coins for dollar bills, runs a “Coins that Count” charity program, allowing users to give money to organizations such as the American Red Cross and World Wildlife Fund.
Coinstar kiosks in a large supermarket. The typical Coinstar coin cashing kiosk is green and the size of a large vending machine. They are located at grocery stores, drug stores, larger merchants, banks or other retail locations. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Una Osili, professor of economics and associate dean for research and international programs at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, says companies are increasingly aware that consumers care about their involvement with charitable causes.
“You now have the ability to do it in a very low-cost way, for the consumer and the company,” she says. “And I think it fits into the demand side. Consumers want to purchase from companies that are good community and global citizens.”
Experts in philanthropy say that, as with all charitable giving, consumers should research where their money goes and what the impact is. Osili says it is also worth paying attention to what kinds of partnerships are involved. For example, a fried chicken company that teams up with a breast cancer cause is questionable since such food is usually unhealthy, she says.
Dean Karlan, a Yale economics professor whose research includes charitable fundraising, says it is difficult to say how successful efforts such as Lyft’s are. Positive effects may include people learning about charities they did not previously know about, he says. But a negative effect could be that if people donate a little here and there, they may be more inclined to turn down a request for a larger donation. On the other hand, Karlan says donating change regularly could make some people feel so good that they become more charitable.
“Every one of these makes sense, but the ultimate question is empirical and we just don’t have all the answers,” Karlan says. “It would be great to set up some experiments to find out.”
So whether you hold on to your pennies or donate them, be aware that even small change can have a big impact.
Everyone has a hero. Someone to look up to. Someone to emulate. These heroes run the gamut from family members to international celebrities. One person may become a doctor thanks to his mom, while another might pursue international development having been inspired by a pop-star. And while a hero is never a one-size-fits-all proposition, it is hard to imagine that there are people who would not be inspired by Kris Tompkins.
As the CEO of the outdoor apparel company Patagonia, Kris proved how profitable it could be to have a company with a strong set of ethics. And post-Patagonia, she taught the world another lesson by combining forces with her husband, North Face founder Doug Tompkins, dedicating her time and wealth to protecting the earth. But how do you describe Kris, a woman who has led an undeniably extraordinary life, and successfully capture all that is inspiring about her?
A sign hangs over the entrance to the Patagonia outdoor clothing shop in Vail, Colorado. The retail chain is based in Ventura, California. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
If you see yourself as an entrepreneur, leader, or even adventurer, there is no doubt that Kris’s story is worth hearing. After meeting Yvon Chouinard, a renowned climbing gear maker, she was given an opportunity to work for his new company. At age 23 she became part of the fledgling brand Patagonia, and in the course of the next 20 years, became the CEO. She steered the company to both exceptional commercial success and unprecedented ecological activism. Her leadership proved that a company can have a strong ethical backbone, dedicated to helping preserve the earth, and still thrive in a competitive marketplace.
Of course, her work with Patagonia could be an inspiration to ecologists and nature-lovers, but it pales in comparison to what comes next. Having found such great success at the top of the company, she decided to leave it behind to focus on philanthropy and ecology full-time. She and her soon-to-be husband moved to Chile and focused their fortunes on protecting the land there. While their work was initially met with some skepticism, it has since been lauded by environmentalists throughout the world, as well as the governments and the people of Chile and Argentina. Together, Kris and Doug helped preserve over 10 million acres of land, and have donated $300 million to the cause.
Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) territorial male watching over females in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Doug tragically passed away in 2015, but he still is an inspiration to Kris, and Kris remains an inspiration to a countless number of environmentalists, philanthropists, and women. She was named one of National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year and won the Lowell Thomas Award from the world famous Explorer’s Club. In fact, if there is an award for adventure or conservation that Kris has not won, it is simply a matter of time. Outside Online included Kris in their recent article “The Future Is Female and These 40 Women Are Proof” and she is clearly not slowing down in her efforts to do good in the world. In fact, her nonprofit, the Tompkins Conservation, has been seeing remarkable success in the process of reintroducing wild animals to parts of Chile and Argentina where they had been previously driven out. This rewilding effort is sure to inspire animal lovers everywhere.
As Kris told National Geographic, “People need to get up every day and do something that has nothing to do with themselves.” The money she puts into saving the earth is the easiest part of the equation. Kris makes a difference by going out and devoting her time and energy to changing things for the better, and she is hoping that her example will be an inspiration to others. When it comes to heros, there is surely no one more deserving of admiration than Kris.
How Individuals and Foundations are Helping Deliver the News
ProPublica’s president, Richard Tofel, says classical music and journalism have something in common.
“We know that classical music was once popular music,” he says. “It is no longer popular music and it does need philanthropic support. We need to explain to people that an analogous transformation has occurred in journalism.”
Staff of the New York Daily News and ProPublica, and Lee C. Bollinger (4th R), president of Columbia University, are seen on the stage during the 2017 Pulitzer Prize Award Ceremony in New York, the United States, on May 22, 2017. The New York Daily News and ProPublica won the prize for public service for uncovering how police abused eviction rules to oust hundreds of people, mostly poor minorities, from their homes. Pulitzer Prize Administrator Mike Pride announced the winners of the 2017 Pulitzer Prizes in the World Room at Columbia University on April 10 in New York. (Xinhua/Wang Ying via Getty Images)
Without philanthropy, certain important kinds of journalism will disappear, Tofel says. At ProPublica, an independent, Pulitzer Prize-winning non-profit newsroom, philanthropy accounts for more than 95 percent of the funding. The 2016 Presidential election led to most of the 26,000 donors who gave last year, a sharp increase from 2015, when 3,400 donated. Tofel believes that the key now is to ensure this is not a short-term phenomenon.
“Journalism needs to go on the list of charitable options that people consider when they think about how they spend their charitable funds,” Tofel says. “We’re trying to build a new class of cultural institutions in this country, and just as people need to support private universities, hospitals, art museums, history museums and theatres, they’re going to need to support some kind of journalism.”
The 2016 presidential campaign put a spotlight on how fast inaccurate news can spread, and the challenges in correcting that. And the current administration has been openly attacking the media, creating tension that only seems to be escalating. Several foundations have recently stepped in to support journalism by funding projects in areas such as fact-checking, journalism ethics, and investigative reporting. But even beyond grant-making, those in the journalism field are hoping for a major shift, where the public starts to see journalism as a regular charitable option.
Henderson, Nevada, A Future to Believe In, Press Pass for Presidential Candidate, US Senator Bernie Sanders.. (Photo by: Visions of America/UIG via Getty Images)
Donations in the news business are not new – journalism has long been seen as the bedrock of democracy, and press freedom is enshrined in the First Amendment. Journalism serves a critical role in ensuring the public’s access to information and holding the government accountable. Still, Rodney Benson of New York University estimated early last year that foundations only gave about $150 million directly to news organizations. Inside Philanthropy lists more than 30 foundations that fund various journalism projects.
It is difficult to measure the impact of philanthropy on the news business, but there have been some notable efforts recently to bolster the field by supporting investigative and local reporting, countering fake news, and funding ethical journalism practices. Here are some examples:
Pierre Omidyar, 2011 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy honoree, Founder and Chairman of eBay and the Omidyar Network (Photo by James Leynse/Corbis via Getty Images)
• E-bay Founder Pierre Omidyar announced in April that his philanthropic firm would donate to $100 million to address the “global trust deficit,” which includes strengthening independent media and supporting investigative journalism. For example, up to $4.5 million will go to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism, which produced the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Panama Papers” series about how politicians and others participate in corruption.
Founder of Craigslist Craig Newmark attends IAVA 7th Annual Heroes Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on November 12, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for IAVA)
• Craig Newmark, founder of the Craigslist website, has supported journalism for years and in December 2016, his foundation donated $1 million to Poynter to fund a faculty position focusing on journalism ethics. The gift was Poynter’s largest single donation from a foundation since its founding in 1975. Indira Lakshmanan, who recently started the job, said she hopes to examine issues that include fake news; she pointed out that the 20 most popular hoax stories during the 2016 election campaign were shared and liked on Facebook 1.3 million times more than the 20 most popular real news stories.
• The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Democracy Fund and the Rita Allen Foundation announced in June they were distributing $1 million for 20 projects that aim to improve the flow of accurate information. Some projects focus on engaging the public in news gathering, while others zero in on issues such as media literacy and tools for better fact-checking. Also in June, Knight Foundation and the Democracy Fund announced a $2 million pledge to kick off a campaign to support nonprofit journalism.
Jerry Lenfest talks with the media preview of the new LOC Experience, which will feature interactive exhibits and touch-screen technology in the Jefferson Building on April 9, 2008. (Photo By Douglas Graham/Roll Call/Getty Images)
There are other examples of how philanthropy is helping deliver the news, including supporting non-profit and for-profit news organizations, as well as helping start new ones. In his book “The Givers: Wealth, Power, and Philanthropy in a New Gilded Age,” David Callahan lists such examples, including Robert Wood Foundation giving more than $10 million to National Public Radio since 2008, and Ford Foundation funding coverage of inequity issues at the Los Angeles Times and Minnesota Public Radio.
The Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy forum on the challenges facing the philanthropic sector featured: David Callahan, founder and editor of Inside Philanthropy; Sacha Pfeiffer, investigative reporter at the Boston Globe covering wealth, nonprofits, and philanthropy; and Karl Zinsmeister, vice president of The Philanthropy Roundtable. Moderated by Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the June 22 forum was held at Carnegie Corporation of New York’s headquarters in New York City.
Kelly McBride, Poynter’s vice-president, says the organization has had some longtime funders, including the Knight Foundation, Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Tegna Foundation, Gannett Foundation, and the Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Foundation. But there have definitely been some new players in the space, including a number from Silicon Valley, she says.
“I think all of these organizations recognize that journalism is vital to democracy,” she says, “and if you care about democracy, there are very few places to actually put your money. You can put it into voting efforts – efforts to get people to register to vote and educate them about voting issues – or you can put it into journalism.”
Many U.S. news organizations now find themselves in confrontation with the new administration. President Trump has called the media the “opposition party,” and “the enemy of the American People,” and the White House has sometimes blocked or limited journalists from covering certain events and press briefings. Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has said the organization is very concerned about Trump’s “hostile rhetoric toward the media,” and CPJ has documented a series of recent incidents, including arrests of reporters covering protests and the president’s inauguration in January.
Some media outlets also continue to struggle financially as they adapt in the digital age and cope with mergers and other challenges. In 2016, print and digital circulation of newspapers fell by 8 percent from the previous year, marking the 28th consecutive year of declines, according to Pew Research Center. Newspaper advertising revenues dropped by 10 percent from 2016 to 2015. This year, several outlets announced layoffs. In June, Time Inc. said it would cut about 300 jobs and The Huffington Post announced 39 layoffs. The New York Timessaid in March it was offering buyouts and potentially laying off people in an effort to reduce editing staff and add more reporters.
McBride, of Poynter, says journalism remains under duress, but there are plenty of ways for individuals to help, including becoming a paid subscriber, a member of a journalism organization, or a regular supporter.
“Individual citizens are going to have to step up more in their giving,” she says. “One of the messages we are trying to get out is that if you support journalism, you should pay for journalism. We have not traditionally thought of journalism as a cause worthy of charitable giving, but I think you can definitely make that argument now in the United States.”
That way, journalism can continue to thrive and enrich the lives of new audiences for many years to come, just like classical music.
There is a new type of philanthropist on the scene. Thanks to the fortunes made in Silicon Valley, there is a fresh crop of billionaires who are eager to, in tech-parlance, disrupt the current system. Many are starting their own foundations, looking for new ways to give, and even seeking out suggestions from the public.
As the first full-time employee of eBay, Jeff Skoll found his wealth before the turn of the century, and has been one of the most prolific and successful philanthropists to emerge in recent years. His approach, which is both pragmatic and eye-catching, should be at the top of the list for other new philanthropists who want to ensure impact.
Within a year of making his fortune, Jeff set up the Skoll Foundation, and two years later he left his job to focus entirely on the best way to use his wealth. His efforts have been lauded both within the worlds of Silicon Valley and philanthropy. And you’re probably more aware of Jeff Skoll’s work than you realize. With a diverse set of foundations and projects, his impact has been felt far and wide.
(L-R) Jeffrey Skoll, Bonni Cohen, Al Gore, Jon Shenk, Diane Weyermann, and Richard Berge attend the ‘An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power’ press conference during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2017 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Paramount)
Through the Skoll Foundation, as well as the Skoll World Forum, Participant Media, and many others, Jeff Skoll has led the way in creating a new form of effective philanthropy. As he told the New York Times “We began to build the organization, focused on investing in and celebrating social entrepreneurs. Not long after that, we realized there was another opportunity to help bring them together and tell their stories.”
Going strong for nearly two decades, the Skoll Foundation aims to achieve sustainable peace and prosperity by focusing on innovation and creativity to tackle large-scale problems. It is through the Skoll Foundation that many of his future efforts begin to take flight, including the World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship and Participant media. In fact, Jeff has probably done more to raise the awareness of social entrepreneurship than anyone else on this planet, with his foundation locating those who seek to change old systems and create innovative new ones. The foundation finds people and programs that are already bringing positive change to the world and does everything in its power to provide a chance to extend their reach and deepen their impact. And they have seen great success, investing over $400 million and giving out over 100 Skoll Awards to social entrepreneurs who are making a lasting impact.
2017 Skoll World Forum
And Jeff continues to provide opportunities for social entrepreneurs to flourish, thanks in no small part to the Skoll Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford University, and the annual Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship. These programs are a critical opportunity for social entrepreneurs and partners to connect, learn, and develop the burgeoning area of philanthropy. As a new approach to the world of giving, social entrepreneurship is still finding its way, and with the help of the Skoll Center, people are quickly learning and adapting. It is through these connections that large-scale social change is able to happen. The connections that are made are an excellent reflection of Jeff Skoll – both emotionally inspiring and cerebrally innovative.
Of all the projects Skoll has begun, the one that is most revolutionary is Participant Media. While not everyone is familiar with the production company, the films they have produced have been blockbusters and world-changers. Dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change, Participant Media has produced such films as Beasts of No Nation, Denial, An Inconvenient Truth, Lincoln, The Help, and over 70 others. This is where Jeff Skoll truly shines, recognizing the importance of storytelling in bringing about change, and producing it on a scale that no other philanthropist or organization has ever imagined. It is testament to his efforts that he has achieved an extraordinary eleven Academy Award wins.
Jeff is a mix of contradictions, an empathetic pragmatist and an interview-averse storyteller. He cites former Carnegie Corporation president John Gardner as a chief role-model, providing the Skoll Foundation with their mantra – “Bet on good people doing good things.” Hopefully this new generation of philanthropists will follow Jeff’s inspirational lead.
Generation Y is Tapping into its Power as Consumers, Employees and Citizens
Most of them are charitable and have volunteered. They use their cell phones to donate, and see their workplace as somewhere they can make a big difference. They will account for half the workforce by 2020, and outnumber everyone else by 2030.
They are millennials – and foundations, non-profits and others interested in philanthropy are paying close attention to their charitable giving and engagement. Millennials – or Generation Y – are the first group to embrace mobile giving, and are not afraid to support international causes, or use their consumer and political power. But most of them are still at early points in their careers, and their full impact on philanthropy will not be known for years.
Children’s Literacy Center volunteer tutor from East High School, Clare Curwen, left, works with Jaydan Guzman at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library November 20, 2014. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
The term “millennial” is used for those born between 1980 and 2000 (some researchers use the early 1980s as a starting point, and the early 2000s as the end point). Their sheer numbers are prompting the philanthropy world to track them closely – in less than 15 years, they are expected to outnumber non-millennials. They are the first cohort to grow up with cell phones and social media, which has greatly influenced the way they approach charity.
“They’re the first generation to realize that the minute they make a gift, they can tell 1,000 of their friends in a nanosecond,” says Eileen Heisman, president and CEO of the National Philanthropic Trust. “The idea that you’re going to tell the world immediately is a way to invite people to give, a way to highlight a cause.”
In 2014, 84 percent of millennials made charitable donations, and 70 percent said they spent at least an hour volunteering, according to research by the Achieve group. Millennials are particularly interested in giving to marginalized or disenfranchised groups, and supporting causes that promote equality, equity, and opportunity, the study found.
They are also very engaged in global causes and the environment, says Una Osili, research director at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.
“Those are two sectors that are relatively new to charitable giving and relatively small compared to say, religion or education giving,” she says. “But that’s an area that they’ve shown a lot of interest in.”
What Three Social Issues Interest You Most?
Source: 2016 Millennial Impact Report
Experts say millennials also know how to leverage their consumer power. They are more likely to buy brands they believe are giving back, whether that be TOMS shoes or Warby Parker eyeglasses. Osili and others point out it is important to research how effective such companies are in giving back, however, and evaluate the impact of their claims.
“Some ‘cause’ marketing campaigns have been less effective and there is also a question about how much actually goes to charity versus the company,” she says. “But overall, the idea that you can have impact, not just through charitable giving, but through a range of consumption and investment decisions, is very attractive to millennials. They want to work in companies that are involved in social good and buy from companies that are good corporate citizens and good community members.”
“Millennials are looking for companies to stand up for something and to make it clear that they should be standing up for certain issues and rights of individuals,” he says, “not just for their consumers, but for the betterment of their communities, neighborhoods and employees who live in those neighborhoods.”
Wheelock College student volunteers, or corps members, part of the Jumpstart early education program, work with pre-schoolers at the Crittenton Center at the Madison Park complex. Here, they lead kids in a dance. (Photo by George Rizer/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Researchers say millennials are also exercising their power as citizens, and engaging in philanthropy in response to political events. The 2016 Presidential election prompted many of them to get even more involved, they said. The 2017 Millennial Impact Report found their cause engagement increased in the first quarter of 2017, compared to the last quarter of 2016.
“I think charitable giving is a manifestation of how you look at the world and your political views,” Heisman says. “You are supporting what you believe in.”
Feldman, from Achieve, says another key characteristic that distinguishes millennials is that they view all of their assets equally, whether that be their money, their time, or their networks. They do not see themselves as donors or volunteers, but as supporters of a particular cause or issue, he says. Organizations such as the ACLU, Amnesty International and ONE are aware of this, and incorporate grassroots movement building and participation into their strategy before ever asking for money, he says.
Most millennials are still early in their careers, so their long-term impact is yet to be determined. Many are getting jobs and building families later than the previous generations, and have not reached their peak income. The jury is still out on what impact they will have – but the philanthropy field is watching with close attention.
Unlike many a millionaire, Julian Robertson Jr. has been enjoying the opportunity to give away his wealth. He made his money in the finance world, where he is still regarded as a wizard of Wall Street. But the impact he has had on the philanthropic world is hard to overstate, and is likely to reverberate for many years to come. He brings his hedge fund acumen to non-profits, placing his money in successful and diverse programs, ensuring he gets maximum bang for his buck.
The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan, New York City, 1971. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images)
Much of Robertson’s work revolves around opportunity. And while many philanthropists lament getting started later in life, he has a different take, saying, “Once you get into the giving game, it is so much fun that you give all your money away. If I had started younger, I wouldn’t have anything left to give.” He views his wealth as a unique opportunity, and happily uses his money to provide opportunities big and small to others. His efforts have gone to small towns and big cities, art museums and stem cell research facilities, public parks and military families. The variety is nearly overwhelming. And he has used his stature in the finance community to bring new recruits to the world of philanthropy.
Robertson’s efforts show his ever-growing list of interests. Like many philanthropists, much of his money goes towards projects and programs that are connected to his life. The Blanche and Julian Robertson Foundation, named after his parents, is concentrated on his home town, the city of Salisbury, North Carolina. Quite simply, its aim is to improve life there – revitalizing neighborhoods, helping families in crisis, giving access to art, and supporting at-risk young people. In addition, Robertson Scholars Leadership Fund provides scholarships to North Carolina University and Duke University. Of course, he has not forgotten where he made his money either, providing both funding and help to various New York programs, including the Boys Club, Central Park, and Lincoln Center. And having fallen in love with New Zealand after his first visit in 1978, he set up the Aotearoa Foundation (Aotearoa being the Maori word for the country), having a big enough impact to earn him an Honorary Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
New Zealand. Wellington. Oceania. (Photo by: Hermes Images/AGF/UIG via Getty Images)
But with such a wide variety of works, how is Robertson most likely to be remembered? Often times a philanthropist will hone in on one particular topic, and build a single foundation with a relatively narrow area of focus. Clearly this is not Robertson’s way. He may be starting a new foundation to tackle a new issue as you read this. Such a wide net makes it easy to overlook what might be his biggest impact – getting others involved. Awards like the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy and programs like the Giving Pledge go a long way toward keeping the conversation about philanthropy going, but Robertson goes one step further. While the Robertson Foundation is the most visible of his efforts, the lesser-known Tiger Foundation could have the biggest impact on the future. Focused on breaking the cycle of poverty in New York City, it is notable not so much for its aims, but for its engagement. As Robertson says, “I started the Tiger Foundation because I knew we had so many talented people.” By bringing aboard top employees from his extraordinarily successful hedge fund, Tiger Management, the Tiger Foundation is stocked with top-level talent. More importantly, it is bringing new blood into the world of nonprofit work, perhaps laying the groundwork for the next Gates, Bloomberg, or Carnegie. The Tiger Foundation continues to thrive, and multiple new foundations have sprung up from it, including the Lone Pine Foundation, the Blue Ridge Foundation, and the Shumway Foundation.
“Give talented people the opportunity and they will make the most of it.” Julian Robertson Jr.’s lesson has been proven true time and time again. And that bodes well for the future of giving.
