Episodes

Tuesday Jun 15, 2021
239: (news) DAF legislation & Nonprofit Wins Pulitzer
Tuesday Jun 15, 2021
Tuesday Jun 15, 2021
Nonprofit news summaries for the week of June 14th, 2021.
Featured product: A new Inclusivity Language Tool from Whole Whale. Helping organizations check their websites for inclusive language.
New Federal Legislation Aims To Speed Up Donor Advised Funds’ Impact To Charities
New proposed legislation introduced by Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) seeks to speed up the process by which donor-advised funds (DAFs) would be disbursed to nonprofit organizations. While controversial within certain philanthropic circles, the Accelerating Charitable Efforts (ACE) Act would establish timeframes for DAF distribution and new rules for DAFs, including both 15 and 50-year options.
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Chicago-based Journalism Nonprofit Wins Pulitzer
The Invisible Institute, a nonprofit news organization based out of the south side of Chicago, along with the staffs of The Marshall Project, Alabama Media Group, and The Indianapolis Star, have won a coveted Pulitzer Prize in the “National Reporting” category for investigative reporting that looked into Police K-9 units.
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Summary
- Big law firms are donating pro bono hours to block unions at legal nonprofits where their partners are board members
- EveryAction’s Acquisition Spree Lands Salsa Labs
- Square Launches $5M Bitcoin Fund to Promote Crypto Inclusion
- What the donor-advised fund payout rate means for philanthropy and how it fits into the bigger charitable giving picture
- How An Oklahoma STEM Nonprofit Is Empowering Students To Digitally Rebuild Tulsa's Black Wall Street

Monday Jun 14, 2021
238: How To Travel Ethically - Author interview
Monday Jun 14, 2021
Monday Jun 14, 2021
Interview with Sarika Bansal, Editor and Author of Tread Brightly, a series of curated essays on Ethical Travel. George Weiner interviews Sarika about the themes and topics covered by some of the essays. They also dive into the creation and closing of Sarika's nonprofit BRIGHT Magazine.
About Tread Brightly
Are there ways we can turn travel from passive consumption to an active exchange? Is it possible for our travel to leave a positive impact on the lives of others? This book of seventeen original essays and photo-essays, edited by Sarika Bansal, gets to the heart of what it means to travel ethically.
“Tread Brightly” discusses the ethics of orphanage tourism, cruise ships, and study abroad programs. It asks how one’s identity as a traveler—like one’s country of origin, gender, and race—impacts a travel experience. It considers the climate consequences of non-essential travel.
About Sarika
Sarika Bansal is the editor-in-chief of "Tread Brightly." She is an editor, storytelling consultant, and mentor with the Aspen Institute's New Voices Program. She was the founder and editor-in-chief of BRIGHT Magazine, an award-winning digital magazine that told fresh, solutions-oriented stories about social change. Prior to that, she incubated two social impact publications at Medium, developed curriculum for journalists at the Solutions Journalism Network, and served as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. Her byline has appeared in the New York Times, Guardian, VICE, and other publications.
She holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard College and a Masters in Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).
Sarika has lived on five continents, speaks four languages, and is currently based in a cottage in a forest in Nairobi, Kenya. She lives with her husband, daughter, and elderly German shepherd.

Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
237: (news) Direct mail price hikes & OpenSecrets.org Launches
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
Tuesday Jun 08, 2021
Nonprofit news summaries for June 7th
Direct mail price hikes and a push for transparency in politics by nonprofits.
USPS Price Increase May Lead To Headache For Nonprofits
The United States Postal Services (USPS) has filed for an increase in prices averaging nearly 6.9% system-wide, according to the Nonprofit Times. As many nonprofit organizations still rely on direct mail strategies for reaching donors, the average increase of 7.8% for Nonprofit Marketing Mail (NMM) could prove to be disruptive for organizations seeing slim net fundraising revenue from mail outreach. A decrease in mail volume of over 28% over the last decade has put the USPS in an awkward position, forcing it to balance public service with ever-decreasing revenue.
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Political Data Transparency Nonprofits Merge To Form OpenSecrets
Two leading “money-in-politics” accountability nonprofits, the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP), have merged to form OpenSecrets, a “state-of-the-art democratic accountability organization.” This announcement comes on the heels of a contentious 2020 election that far surpassed previous elections in terms of spending. “This merger brings together decades of expertise, massive data sets, and the kind of analysis that researchers, journalists, advocates and individuals rely on to understand the influence of spending on politics,” according to OpenSecrets Executive Director Sheila Krumholz. Nonprofits, PACs, and other advocacy organizations operating within this space should pay attention to increasing calls for (and expectation of) financial transparency.
Summary
- Once a Bastion of Free Speech, the A.C.L.U. Faces an Identity Crisis
- Black-led nonprofit receives 'reparations payment' from slaveholder's descendant
- Charity: Water launches celebrity-funded Bitcoin Water Trust
- 50 brands giving back to the LGBTQ community
- Hackers Stole $650,000 From Nonprofit and Got Away, Showing Limits to Law Enforcement’s Reach
- Nonprofit 'spokescat' saving the world one post at a time

Wednesday Jun 02, 2021
236: (news) Nonprofits in Tulsa & USAID Russian Hack
Wednesday Jun 02, 2021
Wednesday Jun 02, 2021
Nonprofit News for the week of June 1st, 2021.
Tulsa Massacre After 100 Years: Nonprofits Part Of Efforts To Bring Justice
The Tulsa massacre, one of the most egregious examples of racial violence in American history, marks its 100th anniversary. After “Black Wall Street” was destroyed by mobs of white supremacists, efforts to bring justice are underway. The Oklahoma Archaeological Survey, associated with the University of Oklahoma, will begin work to find, identify and preserve victims’ remains. The nonprofit Centennial Commission is building a historic center to preserve the oft-overlooked history of the massacre, though the organization has drawn criticism for not providing reparations to victims directly. Events and programs marking the 100-year milestone include a visit to Tulsa by President Biden to meet with survivors.
Russian-Backed Hack of USAID Leaves NGOs Potentially Compromised
Russia state-backed hackers are believed to have breached USAID’s external communication client, sending malicious emails to over 3,000 accounts from over 150 organizations, according to Microsoft Vice President Tom Burt. The attack appears to have targeted humanitarian organizations, human rights NGOs, think tanks, and civil society organizations. Burt notes that the attack, carried out by the same actor responsible for the high-profile SolarWinds breach, is yet “another example of how cyberattacks have become the tool of choice for a growing number of nation-states to accomplish a wide variety of political objectives.” This breach comes just weeks before President Biden is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Geneva.
Summary
- Warning Signs Emerge for Fundraisers in Latest Economic Reports
- What North Carolina's donor privacy bill would, and wouldn't, do for nonprofits
- ExxonMobil loses a proxy fight with green investors
- Nonprofit buys 6,150 acres for conservation in Georgia
- Nonprofit Powers Creation of Low-Cost Covid Vaccine
- Nonprofit supports families of America’s fallen soldiers

Tuesday May 25, 2021
235: (news) Carbon Capture & Fighting Voter Suppression
Tuesday May 25, 2021
Tuesday May 25, 2021
Weekly nonprofit podcast news.
Nonprofit Fights Carbon Emissions With Financial Marketplace
University of Chicago professor Michael Greenstone has created a nonprofit called Climate Vault, which could revolutionize how we offset carbon emissions in the marketplace. Using the current cap and trade infrastructure to its advantage, the organization seeks to redirect capital to environmentally-conscious startups in exchange for “pollution permits.” The goal is to merge financial profit with environmental sustainability in hopes of driving investment in products that help the planet in the long-run.
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Nonprofit Advocacy Groups & Native Tribes Team Up To Combat Voter Suppression
New voting legislation in Montana, which critics cite as an attempt to suppress the vote of indigenous communities, is facing a legal challenge from a joint effort of multiple tribes and nonprofits. The tribes challenging the legislation include the Blackfeet Nation, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Fort Belknap Indian Community and Northern Cheyenne Tribe. These tribes, along with Native get-out-the-vote organizations Western Native Voice and Montana Native Voice, are being represented by the Native American Rights Fund, in conjunction with the ACLU. Not only do nonprofits fill a vital gap in our social safety infrastructure, but they are an essential part of our democratic society, and constitute a rapidly growing civil society movement both in the U.S. and abroad. Read the legal complaint here.
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Summary
- YMCA brings in new CEO to revamp struggling nonprofit
- Greenpeace Stops Accepting Bitcoin Donations, Cites High Energy Use
- Steve Bannon's Nonprofit Sued for Destroying Wild Butterflies' Habitat with Donald Trump's Border Wall
- S.F. nonprofit lost $650,000 to hackers and a 'money mule.' The boss had to investigate it herself
- Nonprofit takes veterans on flights on WWII-era biplane

Thursday May 20, 2021
234: Volunteering through the Pandemic with Golden
Thursday May 20, 2021
Thursday May 20, 2021
Karisha Martinez interviews Sam Fankuchen, the Founder & CEO of Golden.
Volunteering is a proven driver of happiness and provides a myriad of physical,
mental and social benefits, from living longer and feeling more fulfilled to
increasing the chances of being hired. Because of these benefits, we believe
volunteering should be a part of every self-care routine.
In 2015, Golden launched to do just that by removing all barriers to engaging in
service. Volunteers can sign-up for a volunteer opportunity, or "Golden
Opportunity", in a click of a button - No more paperwork, wait time or back-and forth communication. And the best part? The Opportunities are personalized to
every individual based on what they like to do for fun. By pairing service with a
hobby, we strive to put users in their Golden Moments - when one is carefree,
loving life and aware of the feeling.

Tuesday May 18, 2021
233:(news) $1B Meme Coin Donations & Nonprofit job report
Tuesday May 18, 2021
Tuesday May 18, 2021
Weekly nonprofit news updates.
Crypto Billionaire Donates $1 Billion In Meme Coin To India
The founder of the cryptocurrency Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, announced that he has donated approximately $1 billion in the meme coin Shiba Inu to nonprofit organizations battling COVID-19 in India. The announcement comes at an interesting moment as philanthropists are increasingly taking up cryptocurrency and disbursing the digital coins to nonprofits. While the volatility of cryptocurrency raises many questions about such donations, nonprofits should increasingly pay attention to this trend as cryptocurrency becomes more mainstream.
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Nonprofit Jobs Report Shows Net Increase But Less Significant Growth
With the increase in jobs, the nonprofit sector has recovered half of total jobs lost because of the pandemic, according to a new report based on data from the Center for Civil Society Studies (CCSS) at Johns Hopkins University. In line with national job statistics, job growth slowed in April compared to March. While arts, entertainment, & recreation jobs grew 12%, education and health-care sectors lost a small percentage of jobs. Experts say it remains to be seen whether the slowed growth represents a broader trend or a mere “blip” on the monthly job totals.
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Tuesday May 11, 2021
232:(news) Gates Foundation Divorce & Vaccine Awareness work
Tuesday May 11, 2021
Tuesday May 11, 2021
Bill & Melinda Gates File For Divorce
After 27 years of marriage, Bill and Melinda Gates have filed for divorce, rocking one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the process. The Gates Foundation, which began working with providing internet to libraries, now manages nearly $5 billion in annual grants and employs nearly 1,600 people, tackling problems all over the world. The organization has recently given nearly $1.6 billion to fight COVID-19 globally. The New York Times quotes Megan Tompkins-Stange, a public policy professor at the University of Michigan, who notes that “the foundation’s $50 billion endowment is in a charitable trust that is irrevocable” that “cannot be removed or divided up as a marital asset.” She says that while change may come, she doesn’t see this “as a big asteroid landing on the field of philanthropy as some of the hyperbole around this has indicated.”
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Nonprofits & Foundations On The Front Lines Of Tackling Vaccine Hesitancy
The United States is more and more finding that decreasing demand, not limited supply, is limiting vaccine intake among the general population. Organizations such as the Ad Council, Kaiser Family Foundation and others are working hard to both understand what motivates vaccine hesitancy and then educate the public about vaccines and answer common questions about them. These organizations represent just a few of the nonprofit, philanthropic, and other public policy and health organizations working hard to educate the public at a critical juncture of the pandemic.
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Summary
- Twitter launches Tip Jar, a potential pathway to nonprofit donations
- A Nonprofit Promised to Preserve Wildlife. Then It Made Millions Claiming It Could Cut Down Trees
- What if trees covered half of New Orleans? City teams with nonprofit to try
- ‘Every Day We're Getting Survivors': Nonprofit Overwhelmed by Uptick in Domestic Violence Cases

Monday May 10, 2021
231: Your Voice Matters: Author Interview
Monday May 10, 2021
Monday May 10, 2021
We interview Erline Belton the Author of Your Voice Matters.
Erline Belton is President and CEO of Belton’s Crossing, LLC a real estate Development Corporation and the CEO and Founder of the Lyceum Group, an organizational development-consulting firm. The mission of her consulting firm, The Lyceum Group, is to influence societal and workplace re-thinking to encourage new possibilities. Her life’s work is to be of service to others in their search for truth-based principle and strategies that support positive business results. Her focus is US and international markets. Her most recent international assignments were in South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya, Cote Te Voire and Zimbabwe. She has spent 25 years as a senior corporate executive in the high technology industry, and in the insurance industry, and eight years in higher education.
“Your Voice Matters,” is a compelling achievement by Erline Belton. Her writings lead readers on a personal journey of self-exploration. Her book helps readers find the courage to speak the unspoken, and to realize the amazing grace of offering their voice and life stories. Speaking what is on your heart, speaking what you are feeling, and thinking opens the pathway to embracing all of who you are and who you alone are meant to be.

Tuesday May 04, 2021
230:(news) Redistricting Battles & Thinning Girl Scout Cookie sales
Tuesday May 04, 2021
Tuesday May 04, 2021
Nonprofit News for the week of May 4th, 2021
Democratic Nonprofit Sues Ahead of Potential Redistricting Fight
Off the heels of a contentious and troublesome 2020 census, the next political fight shaping up with substantial impact might be redistricting. Acknowledging these tense political battles yet to come, a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit National Redistricting Action Fund, associated with the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, is filing lawsuits in an attempt to make the results of any political impasses fair. While the specifics of the case or complex, nonprofits and advocacy groups should know that redistricting can significantly impact both national and local politics for a decade. Redistricting alone could mean the difference between a Democrat and GOP - controlled House of Representatives, according to experts. The politics of redistricting are such that in most cases, states themselves decide who ends up in a particular district, actively franchising and disenfranchising communities in the process.
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Atlanta Girl Scouts Left With $3 Million In Unsold Cookies
For local Girl Scouts, the fundraising gap left by nearly 700k+ unsold boxes of cookies could mean the difference between affording to be able to partake in scout-related activities and not being able to do so. The decrease in efficacy of door-to-door selling and other more commercial fundraisers should be a warning to nonprofits that so heavily rely on typically in-person fundraisers, especially during the pandemic.
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The Summary...
Having trouble reading these articles with popups? Use the Feedly Boards linked at the bottom to quickly go through curated articles.- Independent Sector Statement on the American Families Plan and 28% Deduction Cap
- CHERP builds first nonprofit solar panel factory | Claremont Courier
- Organ-donation nonprofit Mid-America Transplant plans $10.5M development in Dogtown
- New York Life launches $1 billion impact investment initiative
- 145 House members call for $360 million in nonprofit security grant funding
- Nonprofit hopes to resettle refugee families in Va. town

