Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy

Could faith-based philanthropy unlock new opportunities for climate action? A new Milken Institute Insights article by Kellen Silver explores this possibility. In 2023 alone, religious giving accounted for over $145 billion—the largest share of US philanthropy and nearly seven times more than funding directed toward environmental causes. Investing time, cultivating trust, and investing resources in collaboration with religious organizations can boost the impact of overall climate giving. Explore the untapped potential of religious giving and how it can amplify climate impact: https://lnkd.in/gGzStRqm #MilkenInstitute, #PhilanthropyForClimate, #ClimateAction, #FaithBasedGiving #Philanthropy

Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) is a rare disease that causes sudden, irreversible vision loss. Typically striking during adolescence or early adulthood, LHON disrupts education, careers, and family lives as individuals are plunged into a world in which they can no longer recognize faces, drive, or read.     Currently, there is no cure or therapy to reliably prevent, halt, or reverse LHON vision loss. A Giving Smarter Guide from SPARC showcases the five most impactful opportunities for philanthropic investment to foster a collaborative, strategic, and focused effort to advance LHON research, bridge funding gaps, and accelerate breakthroughs in therapeutic development and patient care.     Download our Giving Smarter Guide here: https://lnkd.in/eRWBAs7C     Read a short digestive on this rare disease: https://lnkd.in/efXeJVec     #LHON #RareDisease #VisionLoss #Philanthropy #HealthInnovation     Nadia Penrod Caitlyn Barrett

Launched in 2021, the Milken-Motsepe Prize in AgriTech was a $2 million  global #Innovation competition that challenged global innovators to demonstrate solutions for smallholder farmers in Africa to utilize technology to bring more food to the table. Over two years, winning teams introduced solutions that increased crop yields, reduced food waste, and strengthened local food systems, benefiting more than 200,000 individuals in sub-Saharan Africa. The prize funding enabled these innovators to scale their impact by hiring additional staff, acquiring advanced equipment, and conducting critical research. Discover how these innovations are creating lasting change: https://lnkd.in/ewRy8KpG #AgriTech #FoodSecurity #TechforAgriculture #MilkenInstitute #GlobalImpact #Sustainability

North Carolina Central University received a $1 million Google.org grant to establish the Institute for AI and Equity Research. The first of its kind at an HBCU, this is a major step toward ensuring equity in the #AI workforce and creating tools and data sets that benefit everyone. The SPARC team at Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy released several reports in 2024 highlighting the many ways that philanthropists can catalyze major, lasting change toward equity in AI. The most recent of these reports focuses on #healthequity: https://bit.ly/4eidtwf

Corporate philanthropy executives face immense pressure as they navigate politically sensitive environments and juggle the need for swift action while staying focused on long-term strategic goals. “We need to institutionalize solutions for the hard things so we can focus on the harder things,” said an executive from Google.org. We engaged around 60 corporate philanthropy leaders to document innovative strategies for tackling these challenges. The report Ford Philanthropy. Discover how companies are crafting thoughtful, impactful solutions to address the evolving needs of their communities and stakeholders: https://bit.ly/49oKg1L #MilkenInstitute #CorporatePhilanthropy #SocialImpact #CorporateResponsibility #CrisisResponse John Schellhase, Hilary McConnaughey Page, Melissa Stevens

Corporate philanthropy executives face immense pressure as they navigate politically sensitive environments and juggle the need for swift action while staying focused on long-term strategic goals. “We need to institutionalize solutions for the hard things so we can focus on the harder things,” said an executive from Google. org. We engaged around 60 corporate philanthropy leaders to document innovative strategies for tackling these challenges. The report features insights from organizations like Mattel, Inc., Google, and Ford Philanthropy. Discover how companies are crafting thoughtful, impactful solutions to address the evolving needs of their communities and stakeholders: https://lnkd.in/dGpDcPQ6 John Schellhase, Hilary McConnaughey Page, Melissa Stevens, Milken Institute #MilkenInstitute #CorporatePhilanthropy #SocialImpact #CSR #CorporateResponsibility

Breakthrough Discoveries for thriving with Bipolar Disorder (BD²) has been working to accelerate scientific research and advance medical care for people living with #bipolar. Led by our Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team, BD² has already made strides in launching a large-scale clinical study and has advanced progress through its collaborative research efforts. The 2024 Milestone Report has more: https://lnkd.in/e8mnxvXA 

Are you a climate scientist looking to diversify your funding streams? Climate philanthropy expert Sara J. ElShafie, Ph.D., presented at the #AGU24 conference today with actionable strategies to broaden funding opportunities, including:   1. Break complex issues into addressable topics. 2. Ask stakeholders what is needed. 3. Emphasize your collaborations.   At Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy, we are exploring how philanthropy can provide catalytic funding for climate action. American Geophysical Union #ClimateAction #ResearchFunding #ClimatePhilanthropy

From the ten semifinalists who participated in the exclusive Milken-Motsepe Prize in FinTech pitch session at the #MIGlobal Middle East and Africa Summit, three exceptional teams have emerged as finalists, advancing to the final round. Congratulations to the following finalists!   Chumz.io: Chumz is a gamified savings product that leverages behavioral psychology to help individuals save- at low cost.   Oze: Oze is a digital lending platform that bridges Africa’s credit gap by providing banks with a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)- focused app that digitizes financial data, enabling risk assessment and lending to small businesses.   Verto: Verto is a business-to-business cross-border payments platform for businesses in emerging markets powered by a unified network that eliminates intermediary fees, handles 49 currencies, and settles transactions faster.   These visionary innovators are transforming financial access and inclusion. They will showcase their solutions at the 2025 Milken Institute Global Conference, where they will compete for the prestigious $1 million USD grand prize to scale their companies.   Learn more about the teams here: https://lnkd.in/gCt9WgNa Emily Musil, Terry Mulligan, Adoma Addo, Martine Y. Polycarpe, MPH #MilkenInstitute Motsepe Foundation

DYK that Giving Tuesday has only been on the calendar since 2012? Today's flurry of emails can feel overwhelming, but giving at any level can have an impact, bearing these strategic fundamentals in mind.  EVP Melissa Stevens has more: https://bit.ly/3BnaBkd