The Latest Breaking News from Philanthropy

MacKenzie Scott rewrote the rules of philanthropy. Who will follow her lead?

Diversity pledges have curdled into anti-DEI PR, while Black-led organizations receive less than 1% of philanthropic giving.

Fortune · Apr 7

The Guardian view on Cambridge’s £190m gift: billionaires won’t fix universities’ problems

Editorial: Philanthropy increases the gap dividing highly selective, elite higher education from the rest. Ministers need a plan for the sector overall

The Guardian - UK · Apr 6

Why Americans give: New research finds 5 distinct profiles for generosity

Given that fewer Americans are donating and volunteering and that people in the U.S. appear to be losing trust in one another, it may seem like generosity has eroded in the United States.

The Conversation · Apr 3

Indiana University Philanthropy Group Linked to Hamas-Backed 'Sham Charity' Scandal

Indiana University's philanthropy programme under investigation for alleged ties to a Hamas-linked charity, raising oversight and credibility concerns

International Business Times UK · Mar 20

Less than 10 out of 256 billionaires have kept their promise to give away their fortune—and a philanthropy CEO says Elon Musk is right about why

Exclusive: The CEO who gives away billions for a living says Elon Musk is right: philanthropy is very hard—but stop waiting on billionaires to do it.

Fortune · Mar 18

Peter Thiel is actively convincing billionaires to abandon The Giving Pledge — and it may be working

In an interview with the New York Times, the PayPal cofounder called it an “Epstein-adjacent boomer club”—and says he’s talked people into quitting.

Fortune · Mar 16

Teresa Younger, outgoing CEO of Ms Foundation, reflects on the pursuit of equality

The outgoing head of the Ms. Foundation says the fight for political equality in the U.S. is far from over

The Independent UK · Mar 16

MacKenzie Scott gave away more than $7 billion last year—but her secretive style got her snubbed from a top donors list

“MacKenzie Scott is among the notable absences on the Philanthropy 50 list,” the Chronicle of Philanthropy said.

Fortune · Mar 11

Billionaire tops Philanthropy 50 list of biggest donors for third year in a row

Michael Bloomberg is followed on the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s list by three donors who each gave $1 billion or more to charity last year

The Independent UK · Mar 10

Gifts from top 50 US philanthropists jumped to $22.4B in 2025 − Mike Bloomberg, Bill Gates and the estate of Paul Allen lead a list of the biggest givers

The 50 American individuals and couples who gave or pledged the most to charity in 2025 committed US$22.4 billion to foundations, universities, hospitals and more. That total was 35% above an inflation-adjusted $16.6 billion in 2024, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s latest annual tally of these donations.

The Conversation · Mar 10