Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy

✨ COUNTDOWN: TOP TEN BLOGS OF 2024 ✨ #1: Our most-read blog post of the year comes from Michael Moody and explores different types of philanthropic harm. We live in what might be called an Age of Scrutiny in philanthropy. Not only do we examine and judge more closely what donors and nonprofits do, but we also hear more open criticisms and debate more sharp and fundamental critiques. This list of philanthropic harms can help facilitate healthy conversations about intent and consequences in our field. Enjoy! → https://lnkd.in/ePMSx3Aw

✨ COUNTDOWN: TOP TEN BLOGS OF 2024 ✨ #2: The second most popular blog post of the year comes from Jeff Williams and Alexandra Akaakar, M.Sc and explores the fiscal sponsorship model. Launching a new nonprofit is complex work, requiring founders to be expert generalists who can set up back-office operations, navigate legal certifications, and establish donor cultivation protocols all at once. In response to these challenges, fiscal sponsorship is gaining ground as an increasingly popular alternative model, one that can lift a mission’s administrative burdens and accelerate the work. However, there are caveats and key questions that all partners should consider before stepping into a fiscal sponsorship arrangement. Read more → https://lnkd.in/gR4uPJtZ

✨ COUNTDOWN: TOP TEN BLOGS OF 2024 ✨ #3: Our third most-read article this year is a deep dive on Generation Z from Aimée Laramore, MBA. Gen Z — born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s — is entering adulthood facing compounding economic struggles, including higher living costs, weightier student loan debt, and increased expenses beyond what other generations have experienced. Despite limited disposable income, however, Gen Z shows a willingness to contribute to causes they care about, with statistics indicating higher donation rates and other markers of their commitment to the public good. As nonprofits and philanthropy consider how to engage — and what to expect — from this generation, a thorough understanding of their economic reality will be critical. Read more → https://lnkd.in/gCTmumU4

✨ COUNTDOWN: TOP TEN BLOGS OF 2024 ✨ #4: Coming in at number four this year is this summary and editorial for The Foundation Review, volume 15, issue 3 — a special issue on the Equitable Evaluation Framework™ (EEF). In this issue of #TheFoundationReview, the authors were encouraged to explore their personal experiences with using the EEF, including not only their intellectual but also their emotional reactions to exploring and seeking to apply it. Explore more → https://lnkd.in/gpcag7Y6

✨ COUNTDOWN: TOP TEN BLOGS OF 2024 ✨ #5: Our fifth most-popular blog post this year comes from Mandy Sharp Eizinger and Tory Martin. Originally published in our 2023 Trends report, this article looks at new organizational structure models that are toppling the staff pyramid. Too often, the weight of an entire organization can land on one set of shoulders — perpetuating cycles of burnout and economic and workplace inequity, while also denying team members critical opportunities to grow, share, and contribute. Now more nonprofits are looking for opportunities to spread the work, the responsibility, and the credit with more staff — and even other organizations. Read more → https://lnkd.in/gih_dy_q #philanthropy #trends

✨ COUNTDOWN: TOP TEN BLOGS OF 2024 ✨ #6: Coming in at number 6 this year is this piece from Kallie Bauer on AI, originally published in our 2024 Trends report. Philanthropy has already invested close to $1 billion in the development of artificial intelligence. With the advent of user-friendly AI interfaces like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard — as well as industry-specific tools that support grantwriting, fundraising, and other key areas of work — they’re beginning to make significant investments in human energy as well. The benefits of employing these tools are high, but nonprofits and foundations that venture into AI will need to be attentive to their potential shortcomings, as well. Read more → https://lnkd.in/gsVmTt-X #philanthropy #AI #trends

✨ COUNTDOWN: TOP TEN BLOGS OF 2024 ✨ #7: The seventh most-read blog post this year comes from Julie Couturier and Angie Vuyst and originally appeared in our 2023 Trends report. Public accountability is woven into the fabric of many social structures. In government, for example, elections serve as a direct avenue for voters to approve or disapprove of leaders’ actions. But the mechanisms for holding a nonprofit organization accountable — for its actions, fiscal choices, community relationships, etc. — have not always been so clear, accessible, or publicized. Thanks to web-based innovations as diverse as Form 990 databases and social media memes, that may be starting to change. Read more → https://lnkd.in/dxy5xkAw

✨ COUNTDOWN: TOP TEN BLOGS OF 2024 ✨ #8: Coming in at number eight this year is this piece from Aimée Laramore, MBA about how the "glass cliff" adversely affects women of color in the workforce. The “glass ceiling” is a well-known phenomenon affecting women and people of color as they advance through their careers. But increasingly, these same individuals — and especially Black women, who live at the intersection of gender and racial bias — are facing a further barrier to career success: the “glass cliff.” Research from inside and outside of philanthropy demonstrates how Black women and others are grappling with pay inequities, unrealistic expectations from boards and staff, and a generalized lack of support in their positions — all of which put workforce progress toward racial equity at risk. Read more → https://lnkd.in/g7_trJAA

✨ COUNTDOWN: TOP TEN BLOGS OF 2024 ✨ #9: Our ninth most popular blog post this year comes from Emily Brenner and Tory Martin on the growth of influencer philanthropy. To say influencer marketing has become big business is an understatement. In less than a decade, it’s grown into an industry valued at over $20 billion. While the presence and role of influencers in philanthropy is less visible — and less discussed in institutional philanthropic circles — these everyday celebrities are leveraging their audiences and the unique functions of platforms like TikTok and Twitch to raise millions of dollars for their causes. In a time of declining donor engagement and donation size, new partnerships and paradigms between influencers, nonprofits, and communities may be advantageous for all. Read more → https://lnkd.in/g5PEgpC6

✨ COUNTDOWN: TOP TEN BLOGS OF 2024 ✨ Coming in at number 10 this year is a piece from Tory Martin and Michael D. Layton on donor anonymity. Anonymity in the charitable sector has long been seen as an accepted norm — considered an important means of preserving donors’ safety and free speech and even increasing the moral value of a gift. However, debates about its public value and its potential pitfalls intensified after the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in 2010. Today, efforts to bring transparency to campaign finance are catching everyday nonprofits and donors in the spotlight, as well. The issue remains divisive, extending into discussions around donor-advised funds (DAFs), transparency and influence at universities and research institutions, and government overreach. Read more → https://lnkd.in/gsGRnmMN