Story of a Collaboration—Part 2

Abby Levine & Dara Steinberg, eJewish Philanthropy 

Part 1 took us through the evolving process of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable and Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah as we collaborated on the idea of a project that would strengthen the application of Jewish wisdom in the Jewish social justice sector. That early process resulted in a planning grant. We’re pleased to now share what happened during that planning grant and where we are now.

Kind’s Foundation Is Investing $20 Million To Teach Kids Empathy

Ben Paynter, Fast Company 

JFN member Daniel Lubetzky, founder of snack bar giant Kind, makes a big bet on empathy.

Fundraisers Must Adapt to New Breed of Wealthy Young Donors, Authors Say

Maria Di Mento, The Chronicle of Philanthropy 

A new generation of donors who are coming into wealth at a young age are going to be the most significant philanthropists in history, say the authors of a new book. Sharna Goldseker and Michael Moody admit the claim sounds a little breathless, but they offer plenty of evidence and intriguing insights to make their case in Generation Impact: How Next Gen Donors Are Revolutionizing Giving.

Applying Behavioral Economics to the Nonprofit Marketplace: Unpacking the Ideas of Richard Thaler

Steven Windmueller, eJewish Philanthropy 

In the early 1970s, when Thaler was a student, his professors didn’t argue that human beings were perfectly rational. They posited that human irrationality didn’t matter for the purpose of economic theory, because it wasn’t systematic. By exploring the consequences of limited rationality, social preferences, and lack of self-control, Dr. Thaler has shown how these human traits systematically affect individual decisions as well as market outcomes.

Ensuring that Our Help Does No Harm

Anthony Richardson, The Center for Effective Philanthropy 

For program officers like myself, we receive lots of requests from these development officers. And though there is an earnest desire to work with those in need to create positive change, it’s important for funders to listen and be discerning about what may be most helpful — and what may indeed be unintentionally harmful — to organizations doing challenging work on the front lines.

Nonprofits Battle to Get Charitable Deduction Extended to All Taxpayers

Alex Daniels & Megan O’Neil, The Chronicle of Philanthropy 

A proposal to extend the charitable deduction to all taxpayers, not just those who itemize, has a champion on Capitol Hill, but whether it can gain serious traction with lawmakers remains unclear as Congress attempts what President Trump calls a "once-in-a-generation" tax overhaul.

Is Anybody Listening? One Funder’s Foray into Social Media

Malcolm Macleod, The Center for Effective Philanthropy 

When we decided to grow our communications efforts, the objective was to increase the impact of the foundation’s grantmaking... The fact remains that using social media to add value has proven difficult for us and other foundations, and it brings us back to the question: is it worth the effort? We have done a lot of thinking about this question and whether or not we should keep going with this work... For now, we see several good reasons for us to keep trying:...

How Field Catalysts Galvanize Social Change

Taz Hussein, Matt Plummer, & Bill Breen, SSIR

Ending malaria. Achieving marriage equality. Dramatically reducing teen smoking. Surmounting these and other daunting social challenges can require an “invisible hand” that amplifies the efforts of many other players in the field. These behind-the-scenes catalysts are built to win campaigns, not to last forever, and they are galvanizing population-level change.

Philanthropy’s Missing Trillions

Jennifer Xia & Patrick Schmitt, SSIR

In the next 20 years, an estimated $30 trillion will be inherited in the United States as the large and prosperous Baby Boomer generation passes its wealth on to the next generation. This is the largest wealth transfer in human history, and may be the single greatest opportunity for philanthropy in the modern era.

My Summer Camp Burned Down in the California Wildfires

Laura Schultze [JTFN staff], Alma 

It’s hard to think about how a place so beautiful could be gone. So many bunks with names scribbled on them, stages where lip syncs were performed, and spaces where we all prayed for peace. When the news about Camp Newman came in, my social media brought tears and smiles all around. So many photos of friends hugging, arms draped over each other’s shoulders, cut up t-shirts, and face paint from Yom Sport. So many friends posted about their experiences, their memories that Camp Newman provided, and how they were changed forever.

More coverage of URJ Camp Newman:

• Camp Newman Family Mourns Devastation, Vows to Reopen | Dan Pine, eJewish Philanthropy 
• As Wildfires Torch California Summer Camp, Alums Come Together In Solidarity | Ari Feldman, Forward 
• Families Tell of Homes and Memories Lost in the Flames | Rob Gloster, eJewish Philanthropy 
• Grieving Newman Community finds Camp Spirit Lives On in Each Other | Maya Mirsky, eJewish Philanthropy 
• ‘Miracles’ in the Rubble as Newman Officials visit Burnt Camp | Rob Gloster, eJewish Philanthropy 

Shabbat shalom and have a great weekend!