International Youth Day

8/3/2021

The theme for International Youth Day on August 12, 2021, is Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health. It aims to provide a platform for young people to continue the momentum from the ECOSOC Youth Forum (EYF) in the lead-up to the high-level Food Systems Summit through youth education, engagement, innovation, and entrepreneurial solutions. This year, International Youth Day will virtually convene by DESA in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Major Group for Children and Youth. 

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Black Philanthropy Month

8/3/2021

Black Philanthropy Month (BPM), observed every August, is a global celebration and concerted campaign to elevate African-descent giving. A new organizing concept frames the BPM campaign each year. The theme for 2021 is “TENacity: Making Equity Real.” This year marks the 10th anniversary of Black Philanthropy Month. 

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Solve: A Marketplace for Social Impact Innovation

8/3/2021

The HAND Foundation is a proud supporter of Solve an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a mission to solve world challenges. Solve is a marketplace for social impact innovation. Through open innovation Challenges, Solve finds incredible tech-based social entrepreneurs all around the world. Solve then brings together MIT’s innovation ecosystem and a community of Members to fund and support these entrepreneurs to help them drive lasting transformational impact. 

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Through the Lens of Trauma and Resilience

6/22/2021

Leah's Pantry is a California-based nonprofit committed to a vision of all people being nourished, regardless of socioeconomic status. Their programs and products are designed to ensure all people have access to healthy food and feel competent in preparing easy, nutritious meals for themselves and their families.

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286 Teams Empowering Voices the World Needs to Hear

6/22/2021

Too often, headlines that grab attention are focused on the dollar amounts. MacKenzie Scott writes in her latest announcement that the headline she hopes for this post is "286 Teams Empowering Voices the World Needs to Hear." $2.7 billion for 286 nonprofits - this is what MacKenzie Scott has committed in her latest round of giving. $2.7 billion will be the headline, but let us not lose focus on where the funds are landing. 

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Pieces of the Solution

6/22/2021

The founders of SFWAR understood sexual assault to be a weapon of oppression used to subordinate marginalized communities. Therefore, it became their task to challenge systems of oppression designed to control and exploit specific groups of people to benefit other groups. They believe no single individual, organization, institution, foundation, or business can stop the epidemic of sexual violence. By organizing as a whole community, we collectively each bring our pieces of the solution.

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Pacific Art League

6/1/2021

The HAND Foundation is proud to support the Pacific Art League's mission to advance the expression, appreciation, and enjoyment of the arts for ALL, including outreach programs in our vulnerable and under-served communities. Their art programs provide therapeutic expressive art and build cultural awareness through arts education.

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Indigenous Justice

6/1/2021

American Indian tribes have long suffered from discrimination and injustice at the hands of the government since the country's founding. Yet, contemporary civil rights discussions all too often ignore the rights of American Indians. American Indian communities are among the most impoverished in the nation. The stigma of past discrimination regularly rears its head in the spheres of public health, education, and juvenile justice.

The HAND Foundation's grant to the ACLU is committed to defending the rights of American Indians and tribes to be free from discrimination and governmental abuse of power, whether the government is federal, state, or tribal.

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King Center on Global Development

6/1/2021

The King Center on Global Development at Stanford University aims to improve policies that will make people's lives better by catalyzing Stanford's distinctive strengths in global poverty and development research. Faculty and students produce policy-relevant research and engage thought leaders to create tangible impact—working collaboratively and purposefully to turn path-breaking research into real-world results.

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Future-Proofing Fundraising with TikTok

4/27/2021

TikTok exploded in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic when people sought entertainment online — often in the form of viral choreography. These days, non-profit organizations adopt the platform to spread their cause and engage with a younger audience. Young viewers may not have money to give now, but connecting with them on emerging platforms is one way to expand a charity's donor pipeline and tap into their passion for advocacy.

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Persian Music Ensemble

4/27/2021

The Persian Music Ensemble led by co-directors Amir Hosein Pourjavady, Mehrdad Arabifard, and Pejman Hadadi, focuses on the performance of Persian classical music, including the radif and tasnifs (vocal repertoire). In an oral-aural manner, the group class attempts to emphasize the indigenous terminology, mnemonic devices, and musical concepts used in a traditional context. 

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The Power of Food

4/27/2021

On April 8 at 8:41 am, a massive explosion came from the La Soufrière volcano on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, the first eruption since 1979. Eruptions have continued in the days since, sending dangerous ash and debris into the air—so deep in some areas that roofs are starting to collapse. Thankfully most residents were able to evacuate safely from the Red Zone, but 20,000 people are now displaced from their homes.

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Sita Speaks Out

4/13/21

When Sita learned that her friend Pooja was engaged to be married to a much older man, she had every reason in the world to do what was expected of her – nothing at all. But Sita is anything but what you might expect. This 11-year-old is among the top students in her class. She attends every meeting of the ChildFund club in her community, where she has learned about the importance of speaking up when a child is in danger. For her, silence was not an option.

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Generation Equality Forum

4/13/21

Generation Equality Action Coalitions is a platform designed to build an equal, inclusive, and resilient post-pandemic world for millions of women and girls. In partnership with the United Nation's Generation Equality Forum Action Coalitions on Technology and Innovation, Global Fund for Women leads the way to catalyze new and better investments and commitments toward gender equality. 

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Types of Abuse, Signs & Symptoms

4/13/21

Focusing on protective factors helps children, youth, and families build resilience and contributes to positive outcomes. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. One thing we can all do to help children thrive before they reach a crisis is to understand the signs and symptoms of abuse.

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Child Maltreatment is a Preventable Problem

3/30/21

Each year, 7,500,000 children in the United States are affected by abuse. Five children die every day from child abuse, and seventy percent of all child fatalities were younger than three years old. The most important thing we can do to help children thrive is to support, educate, and come together as a community before they reach a crisis.

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Cultural Awareness and Positive Social Change

3/30/21

The People's Conservatory (TPC) fosters high-level arts creation, study, and performance to promote cultural awareness and positive social change. As artist-educators, TPC helps young artists reveal themselves by facilitating experiences that focus on growth and expansion. TPC's curriculum incorporates a wide range of teachings rooted in ethnic and cultural studies, using students' inherent artistic voices to make them the next generation of culture keepers.

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A Global Community of Women Writers

3/30/21

Raising awareness for a wide array of issues is no easy feat, especially on a global scale. The women that are a part of the Hedgebrook global community have found an avenue to raise awareness and make a difference. This global community consists of women writers and people who seek extraordinary books, poetry, plays, films, and music by women.

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5 Strengths That Keep Every Family Strong

3/30/21

Strong families make strong communities where children thrive. While every family has challenges, they also have strengths that they can draw upon during difficult times. Understanding how to build upon your family's strengths in five essential areas can help you feel more confident, less stressed, and better connected to your children. Since its beginning over 40 years ago, CAPS has been the leader in preventing child abuse and neglect in Elkhart County.

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Showcasing Your Haftseen

3/16/2021

The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is home to an estimated 85,000 vibrant Iranian-Americans, who form a community spanning many generations, ethnic groups, and religions. The Iranian-American Community Center (IACC) serves as a resource to help educate, promote, and nurture Iranian cultural values in the community regardless of faith or political views. They share the rich Persian culture with the community and work to preserve the Persian culture for future generations. 

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Norooz at Schools

3/16/2021

In honor of Norooz and preparation for Spring, Diaspora Arts Connection is planning to serve Persian-influenced meals and desserts to the low-income students (K-12) in the Oakland and South Bay school districts.

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Norooz Spring Dance

3/16/2021

The Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies and HAND grantee, Diaspora Arts Connection, proudly presents Norooz Spring Dance to celebrate the Persian New Year's arrival, Norooz. Norooz is a celebration of nature, music, and movement.

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The Miseducation of Black Philanthropy

2/23/2021

As a champion for progress and innovation, Tides places immense value on the creativity and innovation of up-and-coming social change leaders. One of these leaders is Hawwa Muhammad, a social entrepreneur and founder of Pink Trumpet. Hawwa has a passion for helping others bridge creative ideas with sustainable strategies to achieve positive social impact. Last fall, she attended "This Is What A Philanthropist Looks Like," offered by the San Francisco-based organization How Women Lead.

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Ten Little Known Black History Facts

2/23/2021

History is often reduced to a handful of memorable moments and events. In Black history, those events often include courageous stories like The Underground Railroad and historic moments like the famous "I Have a Dream" speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But these are only a few of the significant and important events to know and remember.

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In This Land of Plenty

2/23/2021

2020 Wesley-Logan Prize recipient Benjamin Talton offers a striking study of Mickey Leland. Leland, a former Black Power-era activist, turned U.S. Congressman, marshaled U.S. humanitarian relief to address Marxist Ethiopia's famine and food crises in other Global South countries. Grounded in Ethiopian and U.S. political and resistance movements, Talton wonderfully weaves together a work of African diaspora, Black internationalism, and African American political histories.

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Engaging Citizens, Empowering Communities

1/19/2021

Eurasia Foundation programs respond to individuals' needs and the societies in which they live with their core approach based on the following five guiding principles: Adaptability, Collaboration, Inclusivity, Practicality, and Sustainability. 

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The Path Forward

1/19/2021

The Cold War is over, but the nuclear threat remains. The belief that everyone has the right to a safe and secure future has been the driving force of Ploughshares Fund for over 40 years. Ploughshares Fund works tirelessly alongside grantees, partners, and the community to reduce and eventually eliminate the dangers posed by nuclear weapons.

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Working Together To End Hunger

1/19/2021

Hunger remains a complex issue that involves many factors - it is not only about putting food on the table. Over 35 million in the U.S. currently struggle with hunger, often accompanied by the struggle to meet other basic needs such as housing, employment, and healthcare. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity is rising, with over 50 million people facing hunger. 

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Let Her Sing

1/5/2021

Seven female vocalists from Iran, Lebanon, Vietnam, Kurdistan (Turkey), and the US come together with a group of exceptional international musicians to celebrate the female voice - suppressed, censored, and threatened in parts of the world.

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An Imbalance In Educational Opportunity

1/5/2021

Although cultural commitment to education is high in Iran, many families must withdraw their children from school due to financial considerations. When these difficult choices have to be made by families, more often than not, the girls are denied an education.

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Hope Is Here

1/5/2021

The sexual abuse of children can be especially challenging to talk about and a difficult concept to grasp. Experts say that 1 in 10 children will experience sexual abuse by the time they are 18 years old. Our communities can not live under a blanket of denial and fear. SCAN of Northern Virginia educates the community about the scope, nature, and consequences of child abuse and neglect and the importance of positive, nurturing parenting, providing direct parent education, and advocating for children in the community, the legislature, and the courts.

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Community of Hope and Healing

12/8/2020

There is no limit to when and where you can bring more light into the world. Make a difference by using your creativity to give hope, show compassion, and promote healing.

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Food Insecurity In America

12/8/2020

The holiday season is upon us, and celebrations look different for our neighbors and ourselves across the country. For some, that means holidays spent apart from loved ones or observed virtually. It means the continued uncertainty of not knowing where their next meal will come from for millions of others.

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The Feminist Trailblazer of Black Philanthropy

12/8/2020

Tyrone McKinley Freeman expands the traditional definition of philanthropy beyond financial giving to show the rich history of Black philanthropy that informed the life and work of Madam C. J. Walker.

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Enhancement of Women's Economic Agency

12/8/2020

Women have always faced challenges in participating in the labor force. Now more than ever, women are bearing the brunt of the hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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This Thanksgiving, Volunteer Where Others Don't

11/24/2020

Thanksgiving day is one of the busiest volunteer events of the year for hunger-prevention charities. Many coordinators turn away well-intentioned helpers due to high volunteer turnout, which can be disheartening for those eager to give. This year, help make everyone's holiday brighter with some alternative ways to help those in need.

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A Global Generosity Movement

11/24/2020

Make someone smile, help a neighbor out, show up for an issue or people we care about, or give some of what we have to those who need our help; every act of generosity counts, and everyone has something to give on #GivingTuesday.

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Daring You To Succeed

11/24/2020

The Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE) is a Vancouver-based charity that energizes, educates, mentors and connects self-identified women entrepreneurs to be wildly successful, promoting strengthened economies and thriving communities.

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National Diabetes Awareness Month

11/10/2020

Diabetes impact goes far beyond those diagnosed. It affects everyone-family, friends and loved ones. In honor of National Diabetes Awareness Month, we share statistics and resources to help those affected.

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Girls' Leadership: A Brighter Future For All

11/10/2020

The future has never been brighter for today's girls, and the more we invest in and support girls' education and development, the brighter the future is for all of us.

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Speak Up Be Safe

11/10/2020

Every child has the right to grow up free from the pain of trauma and abuse. The Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC) strives to prevent child abuse in Contra Costa County by raising awareness through educational programs, home visitation, and public advocacy.

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$1 Billion for Women and Girls

10/27/2020

Philanthropic support for women and girls has historically lagged.

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COVID-19 and Breast Cancer Care

10/27/2020

During these uncertain times, everyone wonders what they should do to stay healthy and protect themselves from COVID-19 (coronavirus). Patients with breast cancer and other cancers have an extra layer of fear as they navigate concerns about immunity and continuing safe treatment.

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Global Hunger Crisis

10/27/2020

The coronavirus pandemic has led to an unprecedented global hunger crisis resulting in an increasing number of families' depending on community support and resources. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has warned that more than 260 million people will face starvation by the end of the year-double last year's figures.

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Resources for Remote Learning

10/13/2020

We are all grappling with unprecedented challenges raised by COVID-19. When schools close, millions of students lose access to learning, food, safe spaces, and caring adults. Families struggle to work without adequate childcare alternatives. With businesses sidelined, low-wage workers face even more significant economic insecurity and have no reliable safety net. Immigrant communities are still ceaselessly targeted, and families are forcibly separated. Our most vulnerable populations are hit the hardest.

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Protecting Children During a Crisis

10/13/2020

How do we continue protecting kids to the best of our ability under any circumstances?

Darkness to Light developed The Protecting Children During a Crisis online training to help individuals navigate through the unusual circumstances they might face during times of crisis. 

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Ripple Effects of Incarceration

10/13/2020

Time follows Sibil Fox Richardson (aka ‘Fox Rich’), an entrepreneur, abolitionist, and mother of six young men, as she advocates for the release of her husband, Rob G. Rich. He is serving a 60-year sentence for a robbery they both committed in the early 1990s. The documentary, filmed over two decades, weaves video diaries that Fox recorded for Rob with intimate glimpses of her present-day life and paints a portrait of the resilience and enduring love necessary for their family to prevail while separated by America’s prison system.

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Launching a Social Enterprise

9/29/2020

There is no universal path for social entrepreneurship.

Muhammad Mustafa and Suniya Sadullah Khan, co-founded Mauqa Online to make all homes a happier place both for domestic workers and their customers. Their strategy is to disrupt the traditional way of finding household help by empowering women, improve transparency and safety in the domestic labor market, and increase household incomes to provide a foothold out of generational poverty. They share their experience with four key learnings to help the next wave of leaders seeking to change the status quo for social good.

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True Justice Wins Emmy for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary

9/29/2020

Since it debuted in 2019, educators at all levels have been screening True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight for Equality in lessons about racial history and the legacy of racial injustice in America. This documentary chronicles 30 years of Equal Justice Initiative's work on behalf of the poor, the incarcerated, and the condemned, focusing on Bryan Stevenson's life and career—told primarily in his own words.

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Tech Companies Advance Data Science for Social Good

9/29/2020

Data is only useful if it is reliable, clean, and well organized. With a focus on helping the United Nations achieve its Sustainable Development Goals, Data Science for Social Good along with large tech companies such as Facebook, Google and Amazon are working together to create a data ecosystem that is robust and reliable.

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Lessons from the Emergency Room of Impact

8/11/2020

As the Covid-19 crisis enters its sixth month, the U.S. economic outlook has darkened: giving to charities has slowed, and some groups are experiencing existential crises. The sheer scale of the crisis has put grant makers in triage mode, trying to determine which urgent needs most warrant support. Foundations must make hard choices quickly, which adds more pressure.

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A Handbook for Change

8/11/2020

There’s never been a better time to explore creative collaborations. In today’s world, the injustices we’re trying to overcome and the progress we’re trying to realize are too complex to bring about alone. 

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Code Break: Learning CS from Home

8/11/2020

Every student, in every school, should have the opportunity to learn computer science, just like biology, chemistry or algebra. Anybody can learn computer science, especially girls and underrepresented youth.

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Giving a Voice to Victims of Abuse

8/11/2020

A new podcast has launched in Iran to encourage women to share their domestic abuse experiences and challenge societal taboos to make their voices heard. In each episode, a different woman joins the founder Maryam (whose name has been changed), to talk about their own experiences with abuse from men.

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Giving with Impact

7/28/2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has cut into noprofits' resources while increasing demand for their services. As they are asked to do more with less money and reduced staff, what can they learn from history and data about navigating the crisis? And how can philanthropy help?

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Covid Behind Bars

7/28/2020

As the U.S. works to contain COVID-19, the disease spreads rapidly through our prisons and jails — places where social distancing is nearly impossible, sanitation resources like hand sanitizer and soap are limited or not allowed, and where bathrooms, laundry, and eating areas are widely shared.

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#RaiseUp HamilFan Series

7/28/2020

Lin-Manuel Miranda, his family, and some special friends have joined with Prizeo and Charitybuzz to create a collection of auctions & sweepstakes to benefit the Hispanic Federation in their efforts to raise essential funds for immigrant and Black communities impacted by COVID-19. 

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Funding for COVID-19

7/14/2020

Candid has created a pop-up web page to get you the information you need to do good during the novel coronavirus pandemic. It includes a funding opportunities section, a funding summary, and news items. All nonprofits seeking support because of the crisis, funders who wish to learn what their peers are doing, the media, and all who wish to know more about philanthropy's response to the pandemic are invited to take advantage of this resource.

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Addressing the Root Causes of Violence and Poverty

7/14/2020

In the Northern Triangle of Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras), communities face protracted cycles of violence due to gang-related, intrafamilial, gender-based, and community violence, resulting in some of the highest rates of crime and homicide globally. Compounding this issue are the debilitated public education and health systems, impunity, and a lack of trust in institutions, which create a dynamic that also fuels the current forced migration crisis. Children and youth living in these communities are often those most affected.

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Relief Resources for Entrepreneurs Everywhere

7/14/2020

Times are hard. Staying in business has an impact that everyone understands. If you are a small business or nonprofit, where can you get cash to help?

Covidcap.com is a COVID-19 capital relief resource for entrepreneurs everywhere. It is produced by the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, with a small but active team of global consultants and volunteers, and in partnership with institutions worldwide.

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On This Day

6/30/2020

A History of Racial Injustice, a digital experience from Equal Justice Initiative, highlights events on this day in history as a tool for learning more about people and events in American history that are critically important but not well known.

On this day, June 30, 1829, officials in Cincinnati, Ohio, issued a notice requiring black residents to adhere to laws passed in 1804 and 1807 aimed at preventing “fugitive slaves” and freed black people from settling in Ohio.

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The Panzi Model

6/30/2020

For more than two decades, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has suffered conflict, with soldiers and armed rebels both using rape as a weapon. When rape is used as a weapon of war, it often involves brutal violence and may also target young girls whose bodies have not fully developed. This can cause traumatic physical injuries as we as phycological effects like extreme fear, eating and sleep disorders, self-shame, self-blame and self-harm. 

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Equality Can't Wait 

6/30/20

Pivotal Ventures, an investment and incubation company created by Melinda Gates, has announced the launch of a $30 million challenge dedicated to accelerating progress toward gender equality.

"The entrenched inequalities that divide America — race, gender, class — will not go away without systems-wide change," said Gates. "This challenge is seeking bold ideas to dismantle the status quo and expand power and influence for women of all backgrounds."

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Reforming American Society

6/16/2020

Racism in the United States has been a longstanding crisis that the COVID-19 pandemic has cast into an even harsher light. After the death of George Floyd, peaceful and violent protests spread across the country, raising condemnation and sympathy as tensions continue to escalate. Will racist ideologies continue to poison the United States? Can American society reform itself?

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Water Promises Hope

6/16/2020

Daily access to safe and reliable water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities are vital to building healthy and resilient communities. Without water you can't grow food, you can't build housing, you can't stay healthy, you can't stay in school and you can't keep working. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us can easily grab some soap and have ready access to clean water.

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Tech Companies Reshaping Public Health

6/16/2020

In this TED Talk, Karen DeSalvo, the chief health officer at Google, in conversation with current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers and head of TED Chris Anderson, explains the partnership between big tech and public health in slowing the spread of COVID-19. This virtual discussion explores a new contact tracing technology recently rolled out by Google and Apple that aims to ease the burden on health workers and provide scientists critical time to create a vaccine.

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The Economic Impact of Child Maltreatment

6/16/2020

The world has changed. We're living, working, interacting, and learning differently -- in ways we could have never imagined. Although children are not the face of this global pandemic, they risk being among its greatest victims. At the best of times, parenting is really hard, during a crisis it can be entirely overwhelming. This moment demands more from each of us to reach out in ways we can, to support one another, and do whatever it takes to protect our children.

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The Rise of the Corporate Social Investor

6/2/2020

The strategic alignment between business and corporate foundations, impact funds, and accelerators shows enormous potential for achieving social impact. But they can align in different ways, each with its strengths and weaknesses.

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Equipping Pregnant Women and Mothers

6/2/2020

A woman dies in childbirth every 15 minutes in India - an astounding statistic in a country that accounts for 11 percent of the global maternal mortality burden. Two children under five die each minute and four of 10 children are unable to realize their full potential due to chronic undernutrition or stunting. A significant number of these maternal and child deaths are preventable, but delays in a family's decision to seek care, delays in reaching care, and delays in receiving care contribute to high rates of maternal and child mortality and morbidity.

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Forming a Collaborating Response

6/2/2020

In cases seen at Florida-based Gulf Coast Kid's House, over 97%of the time a child is abused by a family member or a trusted family friend. Prior to opening its doors, families would be shuffled all around the county and talk to as many as seven or eight difference agencies. As a children's advocacy center, GCKH has combined all of the professionals and resources needed for the intervention, investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases under one child friendly facility.

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Seeking Freedom and Reform

6/2/2020

Awareness of the connection between historic racial injustice and systemic discrimination in the justice system drives changes in laws and police practices. The public demands accountability for an end to racial bias in policing, arrests, sentencing, and access to legal representation.

The United States has the world’s highest incarceration rate, with nearly a third of young black men under some form of criminal justice control. Seeking freedom for the unjustly imprisoned and reform of the system, the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) takes a comprehensive approach, shaped by the persistence of racial inequality and historic discrimination.

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Uncertainty and Innovation in the Pandemic

5/19/2020

Nonprofits are being tested during the Covid-19 pandemic like never before. Few organizations went into the emergency with extensive reserves. Now, with fundraising events canceled, ticket sales gone, and contracts on hold, many organizations are struggling to survive financially.

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Help Wanted

5/19/2020

There's one group of people that is universally tarred and feathered in the United States and most of the world. We never hear from them, because they can't identify themselves without putting their livelihoods and reputations at risk. That group is pedophiles. It turns out lots of them desperately want help, but because it's so hard to talk about their situation it's almost impossible for them to find it.

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All the Right Reasons: Using Technology for Development

5/19/2020

Even in lower-income countries where basic services such as water and education may remain out of reach, people have access to a mobile phone. Home-grown non-profits working to create change in these countries rely on an introductory guide by DASRA while looking to understand technology in program execution.

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A Just World for Women and Girls

5/19/2020

Covid-19 is exposing & exacerbating gender inequalities around the world. It has exposed the structural inequalities that affect women and other marginalized people, and has had a disproportionate effect on those already disadvantaged. 1 in 3 women will experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, regardless of age, background or country, and every country in the world has laws that treat women and girls as second-class citizens.

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Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

5/19/2020

As the coronavirus pandemic swiftly halts global economies, the world’s most vulnerable countries, such as Iran, are suffering intense harm. Here in America, the crisis has already left too many children hungry. Every child deserves a chance to thrive in this world regardless of where they are born, with access to basic needs through provisions of food, shelter, and healthcare.

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Sharing Stories, Spreading Joy

5/5/2020

StoryCorps reminds the nation that every story matters and every voice counts, and has given a quarter of a million Americans the chance to record interviews about their lives, to pass wisdom from one generation to the next, and to leave a legacy for the future. The organization is putting some of the most heartwarming stories from their collection in a daily newsletter. Sign up for reminders of heart, humanity, and generosity from everyday people, and keep your spirits boosted and your faith in humanity strong.

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Educating Cancer Patients in Africa and Beyond

5/5/2020

Since 2011, Global Oncology has been making a difference in the fight against global cancer. More than two-thirds of cancer deaths are occurring in low- and middle-income countries, yet only 2 percent of health funding in these countries is directed toward cancer and other noncommunicable diseases. Imagine being a patient in one of these countries and not being aware of the side effects of the medication because you don't know how to read.

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Keep Everyone Learning

5/5/2020

Forty-four states so far have extended their statewide school closures through the remainder of the school year. What used to be a three-month summer learning loss, which was always an issue, is now going to be a five- or six-month summer learning loss. Now that kids can't attend class in person, many parents are overwhelmed and seeking out online resources, apps and games to keep their kids' minds engaged at home.

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Let's Change the Conversation

5/5/2020

Being a teenager is difficult no matter what, and the coronavirus disease is making it even harder. With school closures and cancelled events, many teens are missing out on some of the biggest moments of their young lives — as well as everyday moments like chatting with friends and participating in class. No one should struggle with the issues surrounding mental health in silence. The month of May is Mental Health Awareness month, and Menlo Park-based SafeSpace knows mental illness is a manageable condition, not a moral failure.

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A Day of Global Unity

5/5/2020

Charities of all kinds have been forced to rethink the way they deliver their missions and connect with supporters because of Covid-19. Today, May 5, 2020, is a special day of unity and giving, and presents an opportunity to come together and support communities and nonprofits around the world. Whether it’s advocating for an issue you’re passionate about, sharing a skill, helping a neighbor, or giving to important causes, every act of kindness makes a difference.

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From a Hot Moment to a Cool Calm

4/21/2020

There’s no way around it - we are in an uneasy time right now. People all across the globe are pinching pennies to make rent and support their families. Parents are forced to put their work, and their potentially income, on hold to homeschool their kids. Everyone everywhere must stay away from social situations, yet we have the tools at our fingertips to help each other.

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Stepping Up

4/21/2020

In the coronavirus era, the heroes drive delivery trucks, bag groceries, and clean hospital floors. As those employees have stayed on the job, risking their lives to ensure others can stay comfortable in seclusion, a new movement is underway to help those workers.

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Protecting Children During a Crisis

4/21/2020

For so many children, school and extracurricular activities provide a refuge. We know that 30% of children who are sexually abused are abused by family members, and the unintended consequences of social distancing and quarantines are forced cohabitation with an abuser. Additionally, children are now online more often, exposing them to online predators and possible child sexual abuse materials. 

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The Benefits of Better Engagement

4/21/2020

Imagine a world where healthcare organizations are empowered to deliver high-quality healthcare, regardless of location, or resources, while improving outcomes for all patients. As the only patient engagement platform designed just for community health centers, this is exactly what HAND grantee CareMessage envisions. But, for most of us, the world suddenly feels very different than it did just a few weeks ago. 

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Smart Solutions to Hunger and Poverty

4/21/2020

Here in the Bay Area, the COVID-19 response from World Central Kitchen began in early March. When the Grand Princess cruise ship was under quarantine near San Francisco, in collaboration with Bon Appétit Management Company they fed thousands of stranded passengers for approximately one week while logistics were being figured out. By mid-March 2020, WCK founder José Andrés transformed eight of his New York City and Washington, D.C. restaurants into soup kitchens to support customers affected by the pandemic. 

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Podcast Explores Intersection Between Money & Meaning

1/20/2019

Can money and meaning go hand-in-hand? Yes, according to the aptly named SOCAP podcast. Money + Meaning explores how unlikely alliances from the for- and non-profit sectors can achieve social impact. It's just launched its second season, which kicks off with SOCAP18 speaker highlights and covers topics on racial wealth disparity, gender lens investing, and indigenous rights.

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Google Commits 50,000 Pro Bono Hours to Nonprofits

1/20/2019

Last year, a team of Google employees signed up to work full-time for a nonprofit that builds digital tools to protect children from online abuse and catch perpetrators - free of charge. The six-month pilot was such a success that Google has committed 50,000 more employee hours to charity. The Google.org Fellowship program stands to make an impact on the organizations they support, as well as the employees that participate.

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Online Community Helps Women Earn Fair Pay

1/20/2019

We’re well aware that women on average earn less than men and hold fewer executive roles. But knowing you deserve a raise and asking for one are two entirely different things. Ladies Get Paid (LGP) is a donation-based online community that gives women the tools to negotiate for equal pay and advance their careers.

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CBS Pledges $20M to Combat Sexual Harassment

1/6/2019

In the midst of viral campaigns and #MeToo movements, companies are being ousted left and right for bad behavior, and CBS is no different. The billion-dollar broadcasting company's former CEO is currently under investigation for sexual harassment and abuse of power. In the wake of these accusations, CBS appears to be making a start on its promise to fight sexual harassment: the company announced the recipients of a $20 million grant to improve workplace culture, strengthen gender equity, and provide support to victims.

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IT Company Hires Autistic Adults, Everyone Benefits

1/6/2019

Auticon is an IT consultancy company comprised solely of tech professionals on the autism spectrum. Initially founded in Berlin in 2011, Auticon is now becoming a multi-national company with offices throughout Europe and the United States. This for-profit enterprise not only strives to create jobs for autistic people but also drastically change public misperceptions.

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Cracking the Code to End Exploitation

1/6/2019

Human trafficking is a pervasive crime, claiming over 40 million victims worldwide. No country is exempt, and San Francisco was named one of the worst areas in the United States for the commercial sexual exploitation of children. In honor of Human Trafficking Awareness Month, we'd like to highlight one Bay Area organization that is helping survivors rebuild and find meaningful careers through coding.

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Google Presses 'Play' on Giving

12/20/2018

Google announced they'll be turning the Play Store into a vehicle for giving. Through the app marketplace, Android users can donate to a variety of well-known nonprofits. In the spirit of the season, Google has waived it's 30 percent fee so that charities receive your full contribution.

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Black Women Walk for Change

12/20/2018

GirlTrek began in 1996 with two college friends who believed in the importance of self-care. Today, over 165,000 African American women and girls have taken the GirlTrek pledge. The idea is simple - sign up to walk - but the effects are powerful. Inspired by the legacy of civil rights walking campaigns, Black women are walking for healthier lives and communities.

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Is Laughter the Best Medicine for Climate Change?

12/20/2018

Comedy, climate change, and female empowerment? "Mothers of Invention" achieves all three. The podcast run by two women - former head of state Mary Robinson and Irish comedian Maeve Higgins - shares the stories of real women on the ground battling climate change. The pairs' witty banter mixed with solid analysis lightens an otherwise dire topic and makes solutions plausible.

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Tipping Point Helps Fire Victims Rebuild

11/25/2018

As firefighters and emergency responders work tirelessly to provide relief to California's fire victims, local funders jump into action to ensure resources arrive where they're needed most. Perhaps one of the most comprehensive relief initiatives has been run by the Tipping Point. In the wake of last year's North Bay fires, the local poverty-fighting organization raised nearly $34 million to rebuild communities affected by the blaze.

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Using Healthy Food to Heal Communities

12/9/2018

A recent study revealed that people who experience Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are more likely to have an unhealthy relationship with food, putting them at greater risk for chronic illness later on. Leah's Pantry believes in the healing power of healthy food. They recently launched a new cooking and nutrition program, Around the Table, which nourishes California's vulnerable youth - mind, body, and soul.

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Climate Change Prize Awards Many

12/9/2018

This month, The Keeling Curve Prize is about to kick off its second year of funding. Named after one of the most recognizable climate data sets, it welcomes grant proposals from teams targeting climate change. Contrary to the running 'big bet' philanthropy trend, The Keeling Curve Prize rewards a range of new ideas and solutions.

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When World-Changing Women Convene

12/9/2018

Conscious Company Media is hosting its second annual World-Changing Women's Summit. The online community and media hub is dedicated to doing business in a way that's sustainable, just, and meaningful. Next month, hundreds of women from around the world will convene in Scotts Valley, California, all with the shared belief that business (and women!) can change the world.

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Can Silicon Valley's Approach Work for Purpose and Profit?

11/25/2018

As it stands, we are far from achieving our 2030 global sustainability goals. The trillions of dollars required to hit the mark are extreme and unrealistic; what's needed is a fresh approach. This week, the World Affairs Council will host an important thinktank on applying the grit, ambition, and scale of Silicon Valley towards global development.

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Lean In Podcast Brings Weekly Inspiration

11/25/2018

Lean In recently launched Tilted, a podcast dedicated to addressing gender bias and highlighting the work of inspiring women. Tilted's host, Rachel Thomas, has been with Lean In since the beginning and advises for several women's advocacy groups. So far, the podcast has covered topics ranging from likeability bias in politics to a men-ask-anything Q & A session with Sheryl Sandberg.

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CZI Takes ‘Whole Child’ Approach to Education

11/11/2018

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) is on a mission to reform education. While many philanthropists share its vision, it's still in debate about which levers have the greatest impact on education. CZI has taken a data-centric approach by investing in research to inform the best use of funds, particularly in 'whole child' education. Now they've invested $3.3 million into organizations that are focused on more than just helping kids hit the books.

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Technology Helps Preserve Holocaust Survivor Stories

11/11/2018

“Despite the passage of time, testimonies from the survivors of the Holocaust have lost none of their heartbreaking power," said Genesis Philanthropy Group co-founder Mikhail Fridman. His organization and numerous donors helped The National Holocaust Centre and Museum realize their newest project: The Forever Project. It gives viewers an opportunity to virtually interact with Holocaust survivors, ask them questions, and hear their stories.

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Investing in Big Data to Reduce Hospital Misdiagnoses

11/11/2018

According to the National Academy of Medicine, misdiagnoses account for 40,000 American deaths each year. Without a hospital investigation or universal registry that tracks patients from one facility to the next, doctors are often unaware a mistake was ever made. Thankfully, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation have committed $85 million over the next six years to help doctors and hospitals reduce these errors.

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Results Are In: Little Has Changed for Women in the Workplace

10/28/2018

LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company have conducted their third annual Women in the Workplace study. This year, they surveyed 279 companies and over 64,000 employees to capture the truth behind gender diversity in corporate America. Despite good intentions, since the initial report ran in 2015, companies have made little progress to improve women's position in the workplace.

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HAND Proudly Sponsors Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Conference

10/28/2018

This month, Darkness to Light held its national child sexual abuse prevention conference, Ignite 2018. For its second year, the organization brought together professionals, researchers, and devoted individuals to strengthen the initiative and drive fresh ideas. HAND sponsored the event, which included two days of keynotes, advanced training, and breakout sessions.

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Engaging the Tech Donor

10/28/2018

The tech community is a hub of wealth and innovation, making it a tremendous opportunity for nonprofits. Not your traditional donors, nonprofits may be unprepared for the new ideas and expectations these individuals bring to the table. In an attempt to close the information gap, Campbell & Company interviewed a panel of 21 tech philanthropists to better understand their approach to giving.

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Connecting Vets with Jobs in Tech

9/30/2018

With a quarter million veterans re-entering civilian life each year, America is in crucial need of health and employment resources to aid their transition. Tech donors have been relatively absent in this space, until now. Craigslist founder, Craig Newmark, has donated $1 million to VetsinTech, which helps vets secure meaningful careers in cybersecurity and technology.

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Bay Area Students Invited to UN Climate Change Simulation

10/14/2018

Climate change is a matter of urgency, with extreme weather conditions and natural disasters at an all-time high. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the environment requires global cooperation, in which the next generation will play a crucial role in leading the charge. On November 9th, the World Affairs Council (WAC) invites Bay Area students to participate in a UN Climate Change Conference simulation, helping them broaden their understanding of these issues and the role that global policy plays.

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Michelle Obama Teams Up with GoFundMe to Educate Girls

10/14/2018

A powerful alliance was made this week when GoFundMe and former First Lady, Michelle Obama, came together to launch the Global Girls Alliance (GGA) Fund to target girls' education. The fund is a crucial step in the Obama Foundation's larger initiative to empower girls through education and the first time the fundraising platform has partnered with a foundation to build a micro-site geared towards a specific cause. Together, they hope to give these organizations the visibility and firepower they need to scale for impact.

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Apply for One of These New Fundraising Grants

10/14/2018

According to Linda Wood, senior director of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, most organizations don't invest enough in fundraising and even often leave money on the table. With that, this foundation and others have pooled their donations to launch The Progressive Multiplier Fund, which will make grants and loans to organizations that are testing out progressive new fundraising methods. Together they have raised $2 million, with the next deadline to apply for funding on October 19th.

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Turning Philanthropic Dreams into Careers

9/30/2018

On October 9th, Stanford is hosting a social impact networking event for recent and soon-to-be grads. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with representatives from over 60 public interest organizations about pursuing a career in the social impact sector. Not to be confused with a career fair, this event will be informational, addressing the work they do, potential career paths, and helpful advice.

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Canada Holds Women Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

9/30/2018

Canada and the European Union recently co-hosted the Women Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (WFMM) in Montréal. Approximately thirty women lead their country's foreign affairs, with representatives from fourteen countries convening for this two-day event. Together, they addressed international security, diversity, and sexual and gender-based violence, demonstrating the powerful role women play in foreign policy.

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Using AI to Fight Child Sexual Abuse

9/16/2018

According to the Committee for Children, one in four girls and one in 20 boys in the U.S. will be the victim of sexual abuse. The internet has made it easier than ever to propagate child pornography, and officials are turning to big tech companies to do more to stop it. This month, Google announced the release of a new AI tool, Content Safety API, which will monitor online content and identify images of child abuse with 700 percent more efficiency.

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Bezos Commits $2B to Help Society's Most Vulnerable

9/16/2018

Jeff Bezos has just Tweeted plans to invest $2 billion to fund preschool programs for low-income families and help the homeless. The Amazon founder, who holds the world's largest personal fortune, has received criticism for his lack of philanthropic involvement. After soliciting public input last year, Bezos finally joins the distinct group of billionaires making mega donations to tackle society's deepest problems.

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Nonprofit Preps Women for Political Office

9/16/2018

When VoteRunLead began, they spent most of their efforts just convincing women to run for office. Now the nonprofit that teaches women the ins and outs of running a political campaign - and winning - is in high demand and has ramped up its training and resources. VoteRunLead is not just focused on getting women elected, but also helping them run campaigns that are vulnerable, authentic, and bold. Their approach seems to be working.

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Immigration Reporting Underrepresents Women and Why it Matters

9/2/2018

Earlier this year, the female-centric journalism platform, Fuller Project for International Reporting, analyzed the United States' media coverage of immigration. Their findings identified two important trends: the unparalleled emphasis on national security and the absence of women's voices. Columbia Journalism Review examines these effects and how a more inclusive, representative depiction of immigrants can influence public perception for the better.

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New App Amps Up Workplace Giving

9/2/2018

A San Francisco tech startup wants to empower every American to give as effectively as the big philanthropy heavy-hitters, like Bill and Melinda Gates. To do this, Bright Funds is tapping into an underutilized source of giving - employer matching - which only 13 percent of employees currently use. In true startup fashion, they have redesigned the outdated model to be automated, frictionless, and effective.

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Alibaba Philanthropy Summit Reaches India

9/2/2018

This week, the Alibaba Foundation and online media platform, UCWeb, is simultaneously hosting the XIN Philanthropy Conference in Hangzhou and Delhi. The event first began in China in 2016, with an emphasis on public involvement. Now, it has expanded its reach to India and will address pressing topics like education, child protection, and women's empowerment.

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Women & Climate Justice

8/19/2018

Women are the primary caregivers in the Global South, making them particularly vulnerable to the disparaging effects of global warming. They are responsible for providing their families with food, fuel, and water, yet lack the opportunities to combat climate change and rebound quickly when natural disasters strike. On September 10th, the global debate forum, World Affairs Council, welcomes their members and the public to join the discussion on women's role in climate justice.

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Helping Social Innovations Scale

8/19/2018

Donors are intent on applying the same metrics they use in their business ventures to the organizations they support. Ability to scale is necessary for achieving high impact, the ideal outcome for both donor and organization. However, the nonprofit sector is not currently designed that way. Stanford Social Innovation Review examines why social innovations fail and what we can do about it.

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$18M to Fund Greater Health Equity

8/19/2018

Health equity is a key indicator of a successful society, where everyone has equal access to resources and the opportunity to achieve their full health potential. Atlantic Fellows for Health Equity trains promising young professionals in the fundamentals of health disparities and how to build more fair and inclusive communities. Since they began in 2016, the program has grown to 267 fellows across seven programs and five continents. Now with an additional $18 million in funding from The Atlantic Philanthropies, Atlantic Fellows can amplify their impact and operate through 2026.

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Gates Invests in Early Alzheimer's Diagnostic

7/20/2018

Last fall, Gates announced his plans to invest big in Alzheimer's research. For Gates, not only is it philanthropic, it's personal: his father suffers from the devastating neurodegenerative disease that impacts an estimated 5.7 million Americans. He and others, in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, are investing $30 million to fund a Diagnostics Accelerator that will make early diagnosis possible.

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Early Bird Tickets for SOCAP18 on Sale Now

8/5/2018

Tickets are on sale for Social Capital Market's annual impact investing conference. "SOCAP" for short, the organization brings together leading investors, philanthropists, and social entrepreneurs to apply market-based solutions to the world's pressing problems. Each year, these key players convene in San Francisco to accelerate the use of capital for good, making up the world's leading social impact forum.

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Philanthropy Giant Takes VC Approach to Scientific Funding

8/5/2018

Wellcome Trust, the world's second-largest foundation, is not new to the philanthropy scene. The UK-based foundation donates $1.3 billion annually to health and science causes alone. Now $332 million has been used to launch Leap Fund, a philanthropic vehicle designed to take the big "moonshots" towards major scientific breakthroughs.

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Black Census to Capture Race Inequality

8/5/2018

Alicia Garza started Black Futures Lab (BFL) to explore and empower black lives in America. The program works on engaging black voters year-round to create political influence at every level. To be effective, BFL has launched a national survey to collect feedback from black communities. The Black Census Project aims to understand the complicated issues underlying race inequality in America today, then use that data to educate and influence policymakers.

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Girls' Education Impact Bond Outperforms

7/20/2018

Impact investing has gained popularity, with the ability to invest in noble causes that also offer financial gain appealing to many. UBS Optimus Foundation launched the first-ever Development Impact Bond (DIB) targeting girls' education in Rajasthan, India, earning investors a 15 percent rate of return. The bond performance indicates that impact bonds could be a useful philanthropy tool for penetrating emerging markets.

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Gear Up for Year-End Fundraising

7/20/2018

Organizations rely on year-end fundraising to meet annual revenue targets, making up as much as 40 percent for some. Along with the fact that tax cuts may mean fewer people claim charitable deductions next year, holiday fundraising campaigns are under even more pressure to attract donors. The Chronicle of Philanthropy is hosting a webinar to help you start planning the perfect fundraising campaign to achieve top results.

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Nonprofit Seeks to Pave Path to Employment

7/7/2018

Improving educational outcomes remains a consistent focus in philanthropy, but access to education does not always translate into real-world success. Low income, first-generation graduates and adult learners may especially struggle with navigating today's competitive landscape. Strada Education Network seeks to help these students transition from school to successful careers. They have put out a request for proposals for new ways to advance and scale education-to-employment pathways.

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Northwestern Hosting Social Impact Design Summit

7/7/2018

Design for America (DFA) equips students with the tools to bring design innovation to communities. What began at Northwestern as an isolated program, has expanded into a national network of more than 4,000 students. DFA projects address social challenges across health, economics, education, and the environment. This year's annual summit welcomes more than 250 design innovators to spark new ideas, cultivate conversation, and strengthen community ties.

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Best Practices for New Foundation Leaders

7/7/2018

A good foundation board is essential for a healthy organization. Board members are visionaries and fiduciaries, responsible for implementing sound governance, financial management, and guiding the foundation to a sustainable future. While some board members are seasoned philanthropists, others are just starting out. Kris Putnam-Walkerly, author and philanthropy advisor, and Forbes share best practices for ensuring an effective board.

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Stanford to Host Nonprofit Diversity Summit

6/24/2018

Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) is an online website and magazine that works across sectors to influence global change. True to its mission of spreading the best research-driven information, SSIR’s annual nonprofit forum hosts leading experts to discuss a pressing topic. This year’s theme targets a glaring problem facing nonprofits and for-profits alike: the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our organizations.

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Telling a New Story for Women

6/24/2018

The media determines which stories get told and how we hear them. Women’s voices are significantly underrepresented, especially when it comes to international news. And when their stories do get told, it is often through a victim's lens. Fuller Project is working on improving women’s lives through improved media coverage. The team of journalists, photographers, filmmakers, and researchers provides independent, solution-driven reporting on issues affecting women most.

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Appealing to Millennial Donors

6/24/2018

Soliciting a major gift from any donor requires multiple conversations and good listening skills to understand their motives for making a difference. However, Millennial donors, particularly those who earned their wealth fast and early on, tend to lean towards certain giving preferences. Felicity Meu, a consultant at the Stanford Effective Philanthropy Lab, shares her takeaways for appealing to these next-generation donors.

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Tech to Improve Mobility in Rural America

5/27/2018

Most of us take mobility for granted but consider someone in Rural America without access to a car or unable to drive. Mobility is critical for a healthy community, both in terms of the individual’s well-being and the community’s trajectory for economic growth. In its quest to tackle rural aging, Grantmakers in Aging (GIA) wants to bring Silicon Valley’s cutting-edge technology into the equation. They recently called together leaders from philanthropy, tech, transportation, and human services to explore new mobility solutions for America’s rural population.

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Bay Area Tech Giant Funds Women’s Leadership Lab

6/10/2018

With $15 million in tow, Stanford has launched the VMWare Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab to fund research and collaboration aimed at generating gender equality in the workplace. Building on the work of Stanford President, John Hennessy, the lab will not only identify reasons for gender bias but also formulate actionable solutions to effect change. The key here is they will be engaging companies in the process.

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You're Invited: Dasra Philanthropy Forum

6/10/2018

India is in the process of establishing the necessary framework to support its burgeoning philanthropy sector. Dasra, India's leading strategic philanthropy foundation, has been a key player in developing an ecosystem that promotes impact and scale. At the heart of its mission is collaboration, where they engage key stakeholders from across industries to drive real change. This summer, they will be hosting a Bay Area philanthropy forum to spark discussion and share best practices.

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Closing the Opportunity Gap for Local Boys & Girls

6/10/2018

Most of us think of the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula (BGCP) as an important after-school program that keeps at-risk youth out of trouble. But with Silicon Valley’s economic disparity at an all-time high, BGCP recognizes that it takes much more to lead disadvantaged youth to a brighter future. Known as “BGCP 3.0”, the organization has teamed up with families and local schools to engage kids in learning to improve educational outcomes.

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Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Models to Try

5/27/2018

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) fundraising refers to events where nonprofit supporters participate in a physical activity by soliciting donations from friends, family, and colleagues. With the introduction of online and mobile tools, P2P has become widely accessible and gained popularity. But an increase in programs also means an increase in competition for donors, forcing organizations to think creatively about ways to set themselves apart and engage participants. Forbes highlights three organizations who have done just that and achieved inspiring results.

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A Call for Research-Backed Solutions to Education

5/27/2018

Education ranks one of the top causes for philanthropists, yet one of the slowest to transform. Inspired efforts to build new schools based on reimagined learning systems aren’t yet scalable, only reaching a small number of students at a time. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) have teamed up on an explorative mission to collect research-driven ideas that will radically impact educational outcomes.

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A Refuge for Teens Battling Mental Health

5/12/2018

Statistics indicate that one in five teens experience mental illness. Thankfully, the stigma around mental health is not what it used to be. With public figures speaking out about their own battles and therapy apps on the rise, there are more channels promoting discussion and offering help than ever before. In honor of Mental Health Awareness month, we’re highlighting the work of one Bay Area organization that is providing crucial support to teens and families struggling with mental health issues.

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Melinda Gates Champions Gender Equality

5/12/2018

According to Melinda Gates, “when money flows into the hands of women who have the authority to use it, everything changes.” We couldn’t agree more. In a recent op-ed for Quartz, Melinda Gates announced the Gates Foundation’s $170 million pledge to economically empower women around the world.

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Upcoming World Affairs Awards Dinner

5/12/2018

The World Affairs Council is hosting its annual awards dinner on Monday, May 21st at the San Francisco Four Seasons Hotel. The nonpartisan forum is known for connecting the public with foreign policy experts to discuss pressing international issues. This year’s dinner will honor foreigners who have made a significant impact on America’s culture and economy. Attendees will include Bay Area influencers from business, philanthropy, and civil society.

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Emergency Aid for World’s Treasures

4/28/2018

The devastation of war and natural disasters is felt long after the violence has subsided. HAND strongly supports organizations that offer refuge and help impacted communities rebuild in the wake of tragedy. Grant recipient, Global Heritage Fund (GHF), believes that heritage preservation is key to strengthening communities. The Bay Area organization works with people, organizations, and governments to protect treasured sites and artifacts in developing regions. Their Cultural Emergency Program (CEP) now specifically offers emergency relief to cultural sites affected by conflict and disaster.

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Obama Foundation to Train Next-Gen Leaders in Africa

4/28/2018

Last week, the Obama Foundation announced the launch of a new program that will equip the next generation of African leaders with tools for becoming effective change-makers within their communities. Obama Foundation Leaders Program: Africa is welcoming applicants working in government, civil society, and the private sector to fill 200 spots in its year-long leadership training program. It marks the Foundation's most ambitious international project to date and will lay the groundwork for future global leadership initiatives.

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India’s Philanthropy Experiences Growing Pains

4/28/2018

Bill Gates described it as “a miracle”: the influx in giving from lower-middle income countries like India. And perhaps it is, with philanthropy efforts rapidly increasing amidst India’s ongoing social and economic divide. Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) examines a new paper by Philanthropy for Social Injustice and Peace that highlights India’s giving landscape and exposes some of its glaring defects.

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A Sense of Hope for Foster Youth

4/15/2018

Children enter foster care as a result of neglect and abuse. The effects can be devastating, even for those who return to a safer home or go on to find new permanent ones. But what about the children who “age out” of foster care at 18? What are their chances for success? In honor of National Child Abuse Prevention month, we’d like to highlight the incredible work of A Sense of Home (ASOH). This Los Angeles-based organization is giving these kids community and finally a feeling of home.

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TED Makes “Bold” Bets on Philanthropy

4/15/2018

TED is well-known for spreading big ideas. The media hub that began as a conference in 1984 has taken over the internet with free streaming videos from some of the world’s brightest minds. Now they have launched the Audacious Project, daring social entrepreneurs to dream up bold solutions that stand to impact millions of lives. Five chosen winners will split a $250 million prize, with the hopes of inspiring others to give.

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Climbing the Nonprofit Ladder

4/15/2018

Looking to advance your nonprofit career? Holly Hall can help. The philanthropic journalist is doling out career advice in a new monthly segment: Your Nonprofit Career. Thanks to a partnership between Inside Philanthropy and Aspen Leadership Group, the series will feature wise words of seasoned recruiters and talent management experts in the field. This month’s inaugural article focuses on interview tips to help fundraisers nab their dream job.

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Michigan Art Gallery Gives Female Inmates a Voice

3/31/2018

Buckham Gallery, an art gallery in Flint, Michigan, does more than showcase great works of art. In 2011, it began partnering with Genesee Valley Regional Center (GVRC) to offer weekly creative workshops to the young residents of the high-security juvenile detention facility. HAND is honored to support HERSTORY: UNLOCKED, an all-female workshop series that gives these young women a voice.

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Cryptocurrency Company Makes Groundbreaking Donation

3/31/2018

DonorsChoose.org had over 35,000 open teacher funding requests when the online charity platform received a single donation that covered them all. The $29 million cryptocurrency gift was made by San Francisco cryptocurrency giant, Ripple, and marks the largest donation in both benefactor and recipient’s histories. It also signifies a growing trend in the use of digital currency for making charitable contributions.

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Medical Liability Insurance Launches Health-Focused Foundation

3/31/2018

Health insurance is a profitable business, and it's not uncommon for companies to develop a charitable arm. But it is the first time we’ve seen a medical professional liability insurance company start a grantmaking foundation. NORCAL Group launched the NORCAL Group Foundation in September of last year. They have just made their first round of grants, with an emphasis on California’s health needs.

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Forum Informs Education Investors

3/17/2018

Earlier this month, 150 funders assembled in Memphis, Tennessee for the national K-12 philanthropy forum. The two-day event informed investors on how to best allocate their dollars to improve education equity in America. Tosha Downey from the Memphis Education Fund and Hyde Foundation CEO, Barbara Hyde, share their three takeaways from this year’s event...

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Using Tech to Make Women Safer

3/17/2018

Anu and Naveen Jain have teamed up with XPRIZE to host a $1 million competition calling on tech entrepreneurs to improve women’s safety. One in three women have faced sexual violence, yet preventing violence to women is not a huge priority for donors. Basic reporting and response networks are also missing in much of the world. The Anu & Naveen Jain Women’s Safety XPRIZE challenges teams to come up with a solution for getting women the help they need in times of crisis.

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Philanthropy Shared More with Daughters Than Sons

3/17/2018

The Women’s Philanthropy Institute at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy completed its 2018 Women Give report, capturing gender differences in philanthropy. One component of the study examines how parents pass on charitable habits to their children. Parents tend to emphasize giving more with daughters, while children, in general, are giving less than their parents.

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Bringing Better Healthcare to Underserved Communities

3/4/2018

Serving patient populations with poor health outcomes can be a heavy burden for an already taxed healthcare system. Healthcare technologies today are typically designed for English-speakers with access to technology and ample resources, inadvertently ignoring some of the community’s most vulnerable. CareMessage is a San Francisco-based nonprofit designing the right technology to reach underserved communities and make them healthier.

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Dropbox Launches $20M Foundation to Protect Human Rights

3/4/2018

Dropbox co-founders, Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi, recently announced the launch of Dropbox Foundation. The online file-hosting service is the latest Silicon Valley tech giant to develop a formal philanthropy arm. Together with Dropbox, Drew and Arash endowed the Foundation with an initial $20 million to develop partnerships with human rights organizations around the world.

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Understanding the Basics of Donor-Advised Funds

3/4/2018

Donor-advised funds (DAFs) have become increasingly popular with donors in recent years. Contributions and grants are at an all-time high, with $23 billion and $16 billion, respectively, reported in 2017. This giving approach allows donors to make a charitable contribution upfront, receive immediate tax benefits, and then make grant recommendations over time. It goes to show how important it is for nonprofits to better understand and be prepared for these charitable vehicles.

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Salary Report Reveals You Can Earn a Living Working for a Nonprofit

2/18/2018

Career Contessa is a professional resource hub designed for women. From job listings and informational interviews to career counseling and investment advice, the website empowers women with the tools to get ahead professionally and financially. They have been collecting salary data for years and now users can access this data via an interactive database. The Salary Project recently pulled numbers for women working for nonprofits and were surprised to find that salary potential was more lucrative than expected.

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Bay Area Foundation Invests in Young Entrepreneurs

2/18/2018

Since 2012, The Westly Foundation has awarded cash prizes to promising, young entrepreneurs working for the common good. Co-founders Steve Westly, founder of one of the nation’s largest renewable energy venture capital firms, and Anita Yu, tech sector professional, approach the Westly Prize for Young Innovators of California like they do their business ventures: by looking for the next big breakthrough. This year, they partnered with The David and Lucile Packard Foundation to award $30,000 to four innovative changemakers looking to make a meaningful difference.

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Five Ways Nonprofits Can Fight Sexual Harassment

2/18/2018

By now we have all witnessed the outpouring of sexual harassment claims that have been brought against America’s tech, entertainment, government, and business industries. The nonprofit sector is not immune to abuse of power and faces pressure to implement zero-tolerance harassment policies and measures to enforce them. Mark Lipton, graduate professor and author, recently published in The Chronicle of Philanthropy five steps that every nonprofit can take today to combat sexual harassment.

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Khan Academy Founder Nominated Visionary of the Year

2/4/2018

The San Francisco Chronicle will name six nominees for its Visionary of the Year award. For the fourth year in a row, it will award $25,000 to the leader driving social and economic change through innovation and fresh business practices. Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, has been nominated. His online education tool hopes to make a world-class education accessible to anyone in the world.

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How to Be a Social Start-up Success

2/4/2018

The Bay Area is brimming with innovation and mission-driven leaders looking to make an impact. Yet, what does it really take to be a successful social entrepreneur? On Wednesday, February 28th, World Affairs Council (WAC) is hosting a roundtable discussion featuring a panel who will share their take on some of these challenges and tools to overcome them.

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Remembering Shanghai: a Refuge for Holocaust Survivors

2/4/2018

In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, eJewish Philanthropy recognizes the powerful message of a new exhibit at Amud Aish Memorial Museum. The Brooklyn Holocaust museum recently unveiled A Precious Gift: Escape to Shanghai, a collection of artifacts depicting the untold role Shanghai played in the protection of Eastern European Jews seeking asylum from Nazi persecution.

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Funding Opportunities for Women Telling Women’s Stories

1/21/2018

International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) is working to rewrite the narrative of women in the media. Since inception in 1990, the HAND grant recipient has supported, protected, and recognized the work of female journalists and highlighted the untold stories of women and the issues affecting them in the world today. IWMF is currently accepting applications for several grants, funds, and awards.

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Brilliant Baby Offers Kids of Oakland Hope

1/21/2018

Oakland leaders are committed to giving the city’s youth a chance at a brighter future by increasing their likelihood of obtaining a college degree. Currently, only 10 percent of students graduate college, which they hope to get up to 30 percent by 2025. Brilliant Baby is part of Oakland's multi-pronged initiative to make college accessible to all students, starting off with a $500 college savings account (CSA) for every baby born into poverty.

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MacArthur Foundation Announces $100M Grant Winner

1/21/2018

Last year, we featured the MacArthur Foundation’s 100&Change challenge, a chance for organizations to compete for a $100 million grand prize to tackle some of the world’s most pressing problems. They recently announced a winner, Sesame Workshop and International Rescue Committee (IRC), which is helping children displaced by the Syrian refugee crisis. Inspired by the quality of applicants, the Foundation’s board also chose to award $15 million to each of the remaining three finalists.

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Nonprofit Accelerator Program Tackles Inequalities

1/7/2018

Stanford grad, Andrea Chen, was struck by the economic and social disparities she witnessed on a Teach for America assignment in New Orleans. Although 60 percent of residents are people of color, they only make-up 27 percent of business owners and receive less than two percent of revenue. In 2009, Andrea and friends started Propeller, a charity that supports local nonprofits and small businesses at every stage of development.

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Incubator for Former Inmates Turned Social Entrepreneurs

1/7/2018

Criminal justice reform has become a key focus area in philanthropy. While many associate it with policy change to keep nonviolent offenders out of the system, what about the nearly 10,000 ex-prisoners released in the U.S. every week? New Profit, the venture philanthropy fund seeking to break barriers and increase social mobility, has a new initiative to help former inmates lead successful lives out from behind bars.

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Microsoft Doubles Down on AI to Fight Climate Change

1/7/2018

December marked the second anniversary of the Paris climate accord, bringing together the world’s leaders to discuss climate change. During these sessions, Microsoft announced its $50 million commitment to expand AI for Earth, the grant-making program that seeks to use artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems.

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Moon & Stars Project Funds Turkish Arts

12/20/2017

The American Turkish Society (ATS) is America's oldest nonprofit dedicated to improving U.S.-Turkish relations. With an emphasis on fostering cultural awareness and strengthening business and economic ties, ATS connects government and industry leaders, provides young leadership training, and sponsors educational and cultural programs. Twice a year, they award grants to established and up-and-coming artists who are highlighting Turkey's rich cultural scene and creating an interactive dialogue with the U.S. The next deadline to apply for the Moon and Stars Project (MASP) Grants has been extended to February 28, 2018.

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Upcoming Workshop: Are You Ready to Be a Thought Leader?

12/20/2017

Watermark, the Bay Area’s largest membership organization dedicated to cultivating female leadership, is hosting a workshop on January 18, 2018, on thought leadership.

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Teach a Man to Fish, Save a Child from Slavery

12/20/2017

An estimated 10,000 children work on Lake Volta, a prominent Ghana fishing hub. Many are sold by their families and forced to work 14-hour days. They are neglected and abused, with 46 percent suffering from serious illnesses. HAND grant recipient, Mercy Project, is helping to develop Lake Volta's economy, offering a sustainable alternative to child slavery.

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Women Making Their Mark in Silicon Valley

12/10/2017

In 1993, female entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley was scarce. Watermark emerged to rectify that, by connecting women to help each other build and scale venture-backed businesses. With over 800 members and 21,000 subscribers, it now represents the Bay Area’s largest membership organization dedicated to increasing women in leadership.

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Friends for Gender Equality

12/10/2017

Friends of the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women (Friends) raises funding and awareness of the initiatives of the San Francisco Commission and Department on the Status of Women around three key policy areas: stopping violence against women, eliminating human trafficking, and promoting gender equality. HAND has supported Friends for many years and highlights some of their current efforts to serve women and girls in the Bay Area.

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Save the Date: 7th Annual Ms. Luncheon

12/10/2017

On April 16, 2018, Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) is hosting its 7th annual Ms. Luncheon at Sharon Heights Country Club in Menlo Park. The event will highlight the work of FMF, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing social, economic and political equality for women. Proceeds benefit Girls Learn International, a program that engages U.S. students in the fight for universal girls' education, and Ms. Magazine, an infamous media outlet for international women's issues - both projects of FMF.

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Getting the Homeless Back on Their Feet

11/26/2017

Homelessness is a serious problem, one that the Bay Area knows all too well. Understanding its physical, societal, and emotional obstacles is difficult, one that access to showers or housing alone cannot solve. One organization, Back on My Feet, takes a unique approach to homelessness, using physical endurance as a way to build self-esteem and encourage lasting change.

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Building Schools to Rebuild Hope

11/26/2017

Be Aware and Share (BAAS) brings integration and awareness to culturally-charged regions. The Swiss nonprofit was founded in 2015 in response to the European refugee crisis. While initially focused on emergency relief efforts, BAAS is now looking at the long game: building cross-cultural connections amongst displaced people and their hosts. Through classrooms, media and cultural events, BAAS is helping to educate and build awareness in these vulnerable areas.

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Tips for Building Your Nonprofit Brand

11/26/2017

Like the rest of the world, the nonprofit landscape is changing. There are more organizations than ever before, and a new generation of philanthropists is changing the way charities are selected and evaluated. A strong brand once meant a catchy logo, clear outreach guidelines, and a consistent identity. Today, that’s not enough to set you apart from the crowd. R. Trent Thompson with The Chronicle of Philanthropy shares the behaviors that could mean the difference between your organization’s success and failure.

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Mobilizing Support for Latino Wildfire Victims

11/12/2017

Weeks after deadly wildfires seared through Northern California wine country, damages are just starting to be quantified. While most media attention has been paid to the wine industry, a quieter victim has emerged from the ashes: the Latino community that makes up much of the industry’s workforce. Immigrant populations are especially vulnerable to job loss and homelessness, as many are undocumented and afraid to seek assistance from predominant homeless shelters and relief organizations in the area. The Latino Community Foundation (LCF) of California has launched a fund to support local Latino nonprofits best equipped to serve the members of their communities.

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Bridging Tech & Humanity

11/12/2017

Bank executive, Howard Milstein, and his family made a $20 million donation to Cornell University to establish a new program that bridges the gap between tech and a liberal arts education. The Milstein Program in Technology and Humanity will serve 100 students pursuing an arts and sciences degree with an emphasis on tech. The goal is to produce students who are more tech-savvy and also have the context and ethical framework to shape society for the better.

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Tips for Raising a Generous Teenager

11/12/2017

The teenage years are more often associated with angst than empathy. Today it can be especially difficult to get teens to look up from their cell phones and college applications long enough to contemplate those less fortunate. The Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay shares eight tips to help you cultivate a more generous teen.

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SXSW Meets Philanthropy

10/30/2017

Independent Sector, a coalition of 600 nonprofits, plans to take its annual conference and transform it into an interactive forum for discussion and problem solving within the social sector. The initiative known as Upswell will mimic SXSW, the Austin-based annual conglomerate that creates a platform for artists and musicians to network and showcases their work. Upswell just launched a website to begin collecting ideas and virtually connect nonprofit leaders.

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Food Aid Reform Promises to Feed Millions More

10/30/2017

With the onslaught of manmade and natural disasters, food shortage and famine are more a concern now than ever before. In Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, and Nigeria alone, nearly 20 million people suffer from hunger and malnutrition. A bipartisan group has formed to reevaluate the use of U.S. foreign aid funds to meet the growing needs of displaced populations. Economic experts with public policy think tank, American Enterprise Institute (AEI), share the three food aid reforms that are free to taxpayers and would feed an additional 10 million people.

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China Ramps Up Conservation Efforts

10/30/17

China has historically lagged behind in its environmental responsibilities, more often associated with mass carbon emissions, illegal wildlife poaching, and poor air quality than conservation. That has all begun to change. Since 2010, donations from top philanthropists have tripled and the number of Chinese billionaires now nears 600. With this recent surge in wealth, environmentalism has become a focal point for Chinese donors and He Qiaonv is quickly becoming a global leader in wildlife conservation.

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A Safe Space for Young Fire Victims

10/16/2017

Known for operating out of colorful shipping containers and school buses, The Schoolbox Project provides trauma-informed education, art, and play to children of war. In addition to their work with refugees, they also organize emergency relief efforts for victims of natural disasters in the United States. They have recently assembled a child-friendly site for the students and family members of Anova’s Sonoma School, a place that serves children and young people with learning disabilities and just one of the thousands of structures destroyed by the devastating wildfires that overtook Northern California wine country last week.

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Gender Equality and Financial Literacy

10/16/2017

Only 57 percent of Americans are considered financially literate, meaning they have the knowledge and skills to effectively manage money. Women, in particular, bear its consequences, as financial illiteracy propagates greater inequality. DoughMain Financial Literacy Foundation partners with school systems to offer curriculum and teacher training to prepare teens to become better consumers, leaders, and entrepreneurs later on. HAND proudly contributes to FitKit for Girls, their newest curriculum designed to equip young women with the tools they need to achieve greater financial security.

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App to Give Back

10/16/2017

Scheduled to launch later this month, microChange combines strategies of social media apps with charitable giving to engage a new generation of philanthropists. The app has a Snapchat-like interface for NGOs to post short videos that can be shared with friends, daring them to donate.

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Innovative Florida School has Students Graduating Debt-Free

10/1/2017

When it comes to higher education in the United States, access and affordability are the biggest barriers to entry. Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is looking to change that, by offering its empty seats to gifted high school students. FAU High School operates on the university’s campus, where students can earn dual high school and undergrad degrees in four years - debt free.

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Bringing Death Out of the Shadows and Into the Light

10/1/2017

For most Americans, death is an uncomfortable subject. The fear around pain, saying goodbye to loved ones, and the uncertainty of what’s to come, is better left unsaid. Not according to Zen Hospice Project. The San Francisco-based organization and HAND grant recipient wants us to rethink the way we face death. Through open conversation, caregiver support and education, and unprecedented care, they help people find connection and emotional healing at the end of life.

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Gates Foundation Takes New Approach to Gender Equality

10/1/2017

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $20 million over the next three years to strengthen women’s groups worldwide. While representing only a small portion of the foundation’s $40 billion fortune, the decision to target grassroots efforts marks a deliberate shift in strategy. The foundation has historically focused on science to advance specific development goals, like improving maternity health. Movement building is entirely new.

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Lynching Memorial Commemorates Victims of Racial Terror

9/17/17

The HAND Foundation has helped fund Equal Justice Initiative’s (EJI's) national memorial for lynching victims, scheduled to open in Alabama next year. In contrast to Confederacy in the American South, the mass atrocities committed against African Americans have yet to be culturally recognized. The memorial will be the first of its magnitude, with hopes to spark honest conversation, reconciliation, and healing.

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Tech Giant Makes Big Bet on Public Schools

9/17/17

While education is at the top of the list for many donors, the bulk of Silicon Valley’s tech money goes to charter schools and national organizations. In 2013, Salesforce identified a great need amongst public schools. They have since partnered with San Francisco Unified School District and Oakland Unified School District to finance new programs and expose more kids to computer science.

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New Solutions Emerge to Fight Fake News

9/17/17

While many organizations have stepped up to fight fake news, few have managed to take their solutions from concept to action. Earlier this year, The Knight Foundation, Democracy Fund, and Rita Allen Foundation launched an open call for ideas that would improve the flow of accurate information. Out of 800 ideas, 20 winners were chosen to share in the $1 million pot to bring their projects to life.

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How You Can Help Hurricane Harvey Survivors

9/4/17

The world watched helplessly as Hurricane Harvey transcended upon the Gulf Coast late last month. The category four hurricane broke the record for rainfall on U.S. mainland, as entire Texas neighborhoods were submerged under water and thousands of people were forced to flee their homes. The Huffington Post offers ways you can help, through donations, volunteer work, giving blood, and even providing accommodations for evacuees.

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Putting an End to Child Sexual Abuse

9/4/17

One in 10 children will experience sexual abuse before they turn 18. Odds are likely that you will know someone who is being abused. With the right training, sexual abuse can be prevented. Darkness to Light equips individuals and communities with the tools to protect kids from abuse. Their website offers a plethora of resources, including adult training programs, educational videos, guidelines for prevention initiatives, and more.

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HAND Fellow Joins Faculty at Sharif University

9/4/17

Behrang Kamali was awarded the HAND Foundation Scholarship in 2012 for his first year of Ph.D. studies in economics at University of Pennsylvania. After earning his Ph.D. in 2016, Behrang was appointed Assistant Professor of Economics at Sharif University of Technology in Iran. Last year, he taught contract theory, market design, and micro economics for MBAs and will teach social economics this semester. Behrang is the second HAND Economics Fellow to join Sharif University and is playing an important role in achieving the goal of our scholarship, which is to cultivate the next generation of great Iranian economists and unleash their talents in service of the future of Iran and the rest of the world.

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The 50 Most Powerful Women in Philanthropy

8/20/2017

Inside Philanthropy has named its 50 most influential women in philanthropy. Their list has expanded since its debut two years ago year when it began with just 15 women. The online news hub wished to bring to light the charitable work of women often overshadowed by their billionaire husbands. In fact, they believe that women are the ones leading today’s most significant giving initiatives.

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When It Comes to Impact Investing, Just Do It!

8/20/2017

Putting dollars to work for social as well as financial returns has become a hot topic in philanthropy. Impact investing is still new enough that many organizations don’t know where to start. The Chronicle of Philanthropy shares lessons from experts in the field to help you navigate.

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Tech Accelerator Gets Nonprofits Up To Speed

8/20/2017

Fast Forward has raised $2.2 million from heavy hitters like Google.org, BlackRock, and AT&T. The Bay Area accelerator program invests money and mentorship into tech-based nonprofits to help them scale and achieve maximum impact. Since inception in 2014, Fast Forward has worked with 23 companies and raised $28 million in follow-on funding, affecting over 18 million lives.

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YMCA Inspires Next Gen Innovation

8/7/2017

The YMCA of San Francisco offers kids hands-on programming in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM). Y STEAM engages a diverse demographic, with 90 percent of last year’s participants reportedly African-American and Latino. Program curriculum ranges from woodwork to robotics and includes innovation workshops where students can build and display their creations.

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Be a Champion for Women’s Rights

8/7/2017

Global Fund for Women (GFW) is one of the world’s leading foundations for defending human rights for women and girls. Based in San Francisco, they provide grants, community, and support services for grassroots efforts around the world, empowering local women to make lasting change for themselves and others in their community. The HAND Foundation has contributed to GFW as part of its work to champion the advancement of women and girls. Find out what you can do to get involved with GFW’s 8-step toolkit.

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Helping Workers Navigate a Changing Market

8/7/2017

Google.org has taken significant strides to close the opportunity gap. They recently announced a $50 million initiative to help underserved people secure new jobs in today’s competitive, technology-driven climate. These funds aim to better connect job seekers with the right employers, make technical training more widespread and accessible, and improve job quality for low-wage workers on a global scale.

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Back to School

7/24/2017

Education is a key focus area for The HAND Foundation. With summer coming to a close and many students returning to school next month, we highlight just some of the work being done to improve education and close the opportunity gap.

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Impact Investing Gets Infrastructure Boost

7/9/2017

Impact investing has become a buzzword lately, where investors can achieve positive social impact alongside financial returns. Yet the popular strategy is still in its infancy and lacks a lot of the resources and infrastructure of classic investing. Several organizations and foundations are looking to change that, by focusing their attention on ways to make impact investing more measurable, seamless, and accessible.

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Pre-K Leadership Training is Inconsistent & Why it Matters

7/9/2017

Research shows that behind teachers, center directors and school principals are the largest in-school factor of student success. Until now, most education policy has targeted teachers to improve education. New America, a nonpartisan public policy think tank, has collected data on state policies for school leadership requirements. Their Pre-K Leader Policy Scan report reveals the current landscape, who is leading, and where there is room for improvement.

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Optimize Your Impact by Bridging Generations

7/9/2017

While children and youth are common priorities for donors, America faces a rapidly aging population that will require unprecedented service and care. Unfortunately, support for the elderly is often insufficient. Research suggests that, by finding solutions connecting the needs of both groups, society will benefit as a whole. Some examples include commissioning senior citizens to mentor homeless youth and volunteer for children’s art programs, as well as daycare centers that admit children and the elderly to cut down overhead cost.

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$9 Million for Women in the Arts

6/25/2017

The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) received a $9 million gift from the estate of Madeleine Rast. The museum, located in Washington, D.C., is the only major museum in the world solely dedicated to recognizing women’s art. Its 5,000-piece collection, multiple exhibitions, library and research center, and various events promote equity and highlight the creative contributions of women artists. Ms. Rast’s is the largest donation ever received in the museum’s 30-year history.

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Recognizing Signs of Child Abuse

6/25/2017

Child abuse prevention is one of The HAND Foundation’s key focus areas, with over 3.5 million cases reported in the U.S. each year. The effects of abuse are devastating for victims and their communities, and persist long after the abuse ends. HAND grant recipient, San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center, shares signs of abuse...

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Social Progress Index Informs Social Entrepreneurship

6/25/2017

The Social Progress Index (SPI) measures basic human needs, foundations of well-being, and opportunity to score and rank countries on a macro and micro level. Although overall quality of life is improving, the 2017 SPI shows that personal rights and safety, as well as tolerance and inclusion, have declined. GDP is also coming in under capacity.

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Social Media Giant Helps Optimize Aid Efforts

6/11/2017

Facebook plans to share its user data with international aid organizations for when tragic events occur. The social network can track people’s movements and its “safety check” feature allows users to indicate on their profile if they are unharmed. Individual identities will not be shared, instead the aggregate data will help response teams determine where to allocate resources during major disasters.

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Georgetown Students Offer Solutions for Ethical Data Use

6/11/2017

Georgetown University's Ethics Lab is a creative hub for students, faculty experts, and outside partners to join forces on today’s most challenging moral issues. Their projects include a bioethics workshop for researchers and health professionals and an empathy-mapping toolkit that will soft launch this year. They also develop and offer project-based ethics courses to students. This semester’s Data Ethics class asked students to dream up creative, viable solutions to the University’s use of student data.

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New Partnership Gives Credit Card Users Option to Fund DAF

6/11/2017

Using credit card reward points for charity is not a new concept. Discover and American Express both offer a charitable option to cardholders. But users have to remember to spend them and $16 billion in reward points expire each year.

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Non-Profit Tips Scale for Bay Area Homeless

5/29/2017

Tipping Point Community has pledged $100 million to cut San Francisco's homeless numbers in half. These funds will build on existing city efforts to address the growing needs of its most vulnerable population. The last count found that 1,745 people were considered chronically homeless. CEO Daniel Lurie estimates that number to be closer to 2,000, as he aims to get 1,000 homeless people off the streets over the next five years.

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Putting People First Allows the Best Outcomes

5/29/2017

According to Mimi Kravitz, "Putting people first allows the best outcomes." Previously a human resources executive at Google, Mimi's been hired by Hillel International to implement a professional development strategy rarely seen at nonprofits. Where organizations are rewarded for low overhead and employees earn far less than their corporate counterparts, Hillel is investing in efforts to attract and retain talent by increasing pay and offering ongoing education and training courses. So far they have raised over $50 million from donors to do it.

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Share Your Social Impact Ideas at SOCAP17

5/29/2017

SOCAP (Social Capital Markets) utilizes capital and collaboration to offer market-based solutions to some of the world's toughest problems. They have invited the public to share programing ideas at the annual conference held in October. The event, which attracts a consortium of innovators and influencers, provides a forum for exchanging ideas that furthers the social impact movement.

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How Data is Being Used to Measure the Iranian-American Impact

5/10/2017

Pirooz Parvarandeh, the founder of the Iranian-Americans' Contributions Project (IACP), recently presented at Stanford University’s Iranian Studies program about the research and data-mining techniques​ ​his​ ​organization uses to measure the contributions of Iranian-Americans to society. The HAND Foundation has supported IACP in its efforts to collect data and conduct over 40 interviews with notable Iranian-Americans that are published in The Huffington Post.

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Foundation Pledges $90M to Break Barriers for Women and Girls of Color

5/10/17

Last year the NoVo Foundation pledged $90 million to support girls and women of color. Faced with both racial and gender prejudices, these women are especially vulnerable to sexual assault, unequal pay, incarceration, and poverty. Run by Warren Buffett’s son and daughter-in-law, Peter and Jennifer Buffett, the foundation’s pledge represents the largest grant from a private foundation targeting these societal challenges.

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Upcoming World Affairs’ Awards Dinner Celebrates 70 Years

5/10/2017

The World Affairs Council is a public forum that addresses some of the world's most challenging problems. They transcend sectors and borders to engage organizations, business leaders, policy makers, and everyday citizens in conversation on current events. Their work includes a year-long high school student ambassador program to cultivate the next generation of global leaders and a tech-centered business forum on global policy and market opportunities.

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I Believe In Us

5/5/2017

Awarding grants is just one facet of the work we do at The HAND Foundation. What's more, we emphasize citizenship as a means to empower individuals and build strong communities. This month HAND Foundation president and co-founder Noosheen Hashemi guest-edited the philanthropy issue of a Silicon Valley magazine, Gentry. In it, she features the work of some of the Bay Area's most innovative and generous philanthropists. Beyond financial support, these individuals and the organizations they run are tirelessly devoting their time and expertise to solving some of today's biggest problems. Please read her Letter from the Editor. We also encourage you to check out the complete issue, which can be purchased locally at Draeger's and Roberts Market, as well as accessed online at www.18media.com.

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Community Foundation Strengthens Economic Security in Bay Area

4/28/2017

Since its formation in 2007, Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) has become the largest community foundation in the world, matching donors to local and global beneficiaries. Over the last decade, SVCF has granted over $4.3 billion, of which $2.3 billion has gone to local organizations. As they commemorate their 10-year anniversary, economic security has been named a top priority and local groups have submitted proposals to strengthen low and middle-income families in the Bay Area.

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Results are in: Anti-Slavery Org has Liberated over 10,000 Victims

4/28/2017

The Freedom Fund pools resources from private investors to fight modern slavery. For the biggest impact they focus on “hotspots” where slavery is most prevalent, currently targeting central Nepal, Ethiopia, northern India, south-eastern Nepal, southern India, and Thailand, with efforts in Brazil and Myanmar on the horizon. They back grassroots anti-slavery organizations and engage with local governments and other change-makers to address the underlying causes of slavery.

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Heavy Hitters Pledge $12M to Back New Learning Initiative

4/28/2017

New Profit is a national venture philanthropy fund, partnering with entrepreneurs and philanthropists to break down opportunity barriers. With $12 million from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, they have launched the Personalized Learning Initiative. Over the next four years, they will invest in new approaches and technologies that enable teachers and students a more individualized learning experience.

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April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

4/15/2017

The 2017 theme is “Building Community, Building Hope” as strong communities that are supportive of families play a large role in preventing child abuse by increasing protective factors such as social connections, nurturing and attachment. Protective factors are conditions or attributes of individuals, families, communities that reduce risk and can serve as buffers, helping parents to find resources that allow them to parent effectively, even under stress.

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New Nonprofits Have ‘Culture of Results’

4/15/2017

The Epic Foundation vets high-impact youth organizations around the world and connects them to donors. They recently published a report, Epic Outlook 2017, which features data collected from over 2,000 children and youth-focused organizations. Assessed for impact, operations, and leadership, the resulting 30,000 data points identify key factors shaping the philanthropy market, current challenges, and what an emerging generation of nonprofits is doing to overcome them.

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Semi-Finalists Compete for $100M Grant to Save the World

4/15/2017

The MacArthur Foundation has selected eight semifinalists from the nearly 2,000 applicants, all competing for a $100 million grant. The competition, 100&Change, launched in June 2016 and was open to organizations that could offer a meaningful and durable solution to some of the world’s greatest problems. Proposals were graded on meaningfulness, verifiability, durability, and feasibility, out of which eight semi-finalists emerged to go on to compete for the grand prize.

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Citi Foundation Commits Big to Help Young People Succeed

3/28/2017

Citi Foundation has committed $100 million to expand their Pathways to Progress initiative, aiming to connect 500,000 young people to training and job opportunities within the next three years. The initiative launched in 2014 across 10 U.S. cities and has already helped over 100,000 young people become career-ready. The additional funding will allow them to have a further reach by building on existing programs and engaging in new partnerships.

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Advice for Students Seeking Nonprofit Careers

3/28/2017

Allison Fine, an expert on nonprofit management, offers college students suggestions when pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector. Her advice is pragmatic and may surprise you: according to Allison, passion and idealism are not all it takes to be successful.

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Google.org Directs $11.5 Million to Racial Justice

3/28/2017

Google.org is increasing its efforts to improve racial justice in the U.S. Since 2015, they have granted $5 million to nonprofits that share this objective. Now, an additional $11.5 million has been committed to support criminal justice reform.

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Lean In Workplace Study Shows Women are Falling Behind

3/19/2017

Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg’s nonprofit dedicated to helping women achieve their ambitions, recently completed their annual Women in the Workplace study for 2016. The study examines the state of women in corporate America. Despite the progress made towards gender equality, the results indicate we still have far to go.

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National Jewish Groups Pledge Support to Transgender Youth

3/19/2017

Transgender students are a particularly vulnerable group. They are more likely to be bullied and have higher rates of suicide than their peers. A national survey by GLSEN found that 75 percent of transgender youth feel unsafe at school, affecting their grades and attendance. Several Jewish organizations have recently come together to help change that by launching a campaign to support transgender youth.

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HAND Fellow Shines Light on Political Divide

3/19/2017

Researchers in various fields are seeking to help explain the increasing U.S. political divide, including Kaveh Majlesi. A HAND fellow from June 2006 through July 2007, Kaveh researched and coauthored a paper examining how rising import competition has contributed to the polarization of U.S. politics.

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Criminal Justice Reform Through a New Lens

3/6/2017

Scott Budnick, renowned movie producer of the Hangover, put his Hollywood career on hold to focus on helping incarcerated youth. He founded the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), a nonprofit that provides support services for those formerly incarcerated.

Scott became passionate about criminal justice reform in 2003, when he agreed to volunteer his weekend at a writing class offered at a juvenile detention center in Los Angeles. Moved by the inmates’ stories, Scott began visiting every weekend and maintained connections with many of his students as they transferred to adult facilities or were subsequently released.

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Women’s Fellowship Program Offers Win-Win Approach to Grantmaking

3/6/2017

The New York Women’s Foundation partnered with the YWCA of the City of New York to enlist a diverse group of young women to award grants to various nonprofits. Girls IGNITE Grantmaking Fellowship, a youth-oriented grantmaking program, intends to tap into the minds of these young women to find out which programs stand to have the biggest impact on their communities. Fifteen girls, ages 12 to 17, were selected from a variety of sources, including public and private schools, foster-care agencies, religious institutions, health centers, and LGBTQ organizations, to properly reflect the widely diverse New York City demographic.

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Chinese Business Leader Takes Environmental Stance

3/6/2017

Jack Ma, influential business leader and founder of Alibaba and Taobao, sat down with Charles Bedford at The Nature Conservancy to discuss his take on China’s changing attitudes towards conservation and the environmental dilemmas we currently face.

Ma is optimistic. He predicts China’s environment will be better in the next 10 to 20 years, simply because people are starting to care. As Ma puts it, “10 or 20 years ago, China would never have been aware of this kind of problem. Back then, people were focused on how to survive. Now, people have better living conditions and they have big dreams for the future.”

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SBA Challenge Inspires Hope for Former Inmates

2/17/2017

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched its Aspire Challenge, which will award $1.2 million in prizes to organizations that provide small business support to formerly incarcerated individuals. The alarming rate of unemployment amongst former inmates after one year of release is nearly 60%, resulting in lost wages and an increased likelihood of recidivism. The SBA views self-employment opportunities as one powerful solution to this large problem.

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Silicon Valley Nonprofits Struggle Amidst Sea of Wealth

2/17/2017

According to the report, The Giving Code: Silicon Valley Nonprofits and Philanthropy, published by Open Impact, Silicon Valley nonprofits are struggling to meet demand despite being in one of the wealthiest regions in the world. Funded by the Lucile Packard Foundation and accounting for a year's worth of of research and analysis, The Giving Code hypothesizes that the increased cost of living and a disappearing middle class have added strain to local organizations. A disconnect between Silicon Valley’s philanthropists and nonprofits has then led to missed opportunities for successful donor-charity matching.

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Obama Foundation’s First Initiative: Citizenship

2/17/2017

During his final days in office, President Barack Obama unveiled Obama.org, the official website of The Obama Foundation. The Foundation will serve to carry on Obama's legacy as he transitions from the White House to civil society. It's first call to action? Engaging citizens to submit their hopes and ideas for America's future.

Differentiating itself from other presidential foundations, the Foundation is centered around community engagement. It seeks to "inspire people globally to 'show up' for the most important office in any democracy, that of a citizen."

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Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Acquires Meta

2/7/2017

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s philanthropic organization recently acquired Meta, an AI search-engine company that makes the latest academic research accessible to scientists. This acquisition is a first for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and closely aligns with its $3 billion commitment to prevent, cure and manage all disease within our children's lifetime.

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Fidelity Charitable Earns Top Spot for Raising Funds

2/7/2017

Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, the nonprofit subsidiary of Fidelity Investments, beat out United Way as the top recipient of charitable contributions in 2016. According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual Philanthropy 400, which ranks charities according to how much money they raise, this marks the first time a donor-advised fund surpassed the more traditional, established nonprofits. It was also only the second time that United Way lost its top ranking since the Philanthropic 400 first came out in 1991.

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ACLU to Appear at Y Combinator Demo Day

2/7/2017

Y Combinator, a well-known startup accelerator in Silicon Valley, has invited the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to their Demo Day, where they will receive funding and mentoring, as well as a platform to pitch their cause to investors.

Although not a startup in the traditional sense, the ACLU is poised to grow. Just following President Trump’s travel ban, the ACLU has received $24 million in donations, six times their average annual online donations.

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New Cancer Research Hubs Announced

8/23/2016

University of Southern California announced in May that Oracle founder and chairman Larry Ellison is donating $200 million to the university to create an interdisciplinary cancer treatment center. The center, which will be called the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC, will focus on using technology to transform cancer treatment.

The Ellison Institute will be built in West Los Angeles and will include an interdisciplinary cancer research lab, an interactive care clinic, a think tank, a wellness program and community spaces for lectures and classes. David Agus, who currently leads the USC Center for Applied Molecular Medicine, will lead the new institute.

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How Much Does It Cost To Do Good?

8/23/2016

Nonprofits and charity experts are seeing a new trend emerging of grant makers providing general operating grants to charities to invest in the health of the organization. General operating support has nudged up only slightly in the past decade, according to a Foundation Center analysis of data from 2013, the latest year available. Yet advocates are cautiously optimistic that these new efforts will accelerate and encourage others to tackle the question: Just how much does it cost to do good?

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DRK Foundation raises $65 million to fund 100 new social innovation companies

8/9/2016

The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, an early pioneer of venture philanthropy, has committed to giving $65 million to 100 socially-minded entrepreneurs to jumpstart their big ideas to help solve the world's most pressing problems. This is DRK's third round and most significant to date. They focus on early-stage funding and are fully engaged with their grantees. The new crop of 100 grantees includes a mix of nonprofit and hybrid companies that work in a number of areas, such as improving access to healthcare, education, poverty alleviation, social justice and environmental issues, including Sirum.

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$35 Million Gift Boosts U. of Chicago Innovation Programs

7/22/2016

Clean-energy executive Michael Polsky has donated $35 million to the University of Chicago to expand a center he helped establish to aid young entrepreneurs taking new ideas to market. An article in the Chicago Tribune quoted Polsky saying that he hopes the move will ingrain the center's ethos of sparking innovation and entrepreneurship both on and off campus into the entire university's culture. The larger goal is to create a research, innovation and entrepreneurship hub around the university.

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Coop Dreams: How Bill Gates Plans to Change the World with Chickens

7/22/2016

Recently, Bill Gates created a game on his blog, gatesnotes, called Coop Dreams. It is a trivia game all about poultry and each time a player get the questions right, the Gates Foundation donates a flock of chickens to a family living in sub-Saharan Africa through Heifer International. The goal of Coop Dreams is to donate 100,000 chickens to increase the total percentage of rural families in sub-Saharan Africa raising vaccinated chickens from around five percent to 30 percent. The game begs the question- can chickens end world hunger?

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HAND Foundation Scholar: YVES IRADUKUNDA, ACADEMIC BRIDGE

7/12/2016

Yves Iradukunda co-founded Academic Bridge, a data management company for primary and secondary schools.

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HAND Foundation Scholar: JEAN BOSCO NZEYIMANA, HABONA-GAS FOR TOMORROW

7/12/2016

After working with his AEC mentors, he decided that the capital requirements to build a biogas plant were too high, so he shifted to more affordable products to produce: organic fertilizers and cleaner burning briquettes. To get the inputs that he needed for these two products, Jean Bosco pitched for and was awarded the contract to manage the district's waste collection and sorting facility. Overnight, he had 300,000 clients.

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HAND Foundation Scholars: JEAN D'AMOUR MUTONI, ACTS OF GRATITUDE

7/12/2016

Jean D'Amour Mutoni is the CEO and co-founder of Acts of Gratitude, an NGO in Rwanda that promotes community service and 'paying it forward.'

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The HAND Foundation Summer Travel Fellowship

6/28/2016

The HAND Foundation Summer Travel Fellowship funds selected Menlo School students to undertake an in-depth investigation, scholarly research or a social entrepreneurship project through international travel. Last year,  P.J. Frantz and Jamie Holmstrom went to Cuba to study the Cuban music style “Son” and its ties to Cuban culture, which they documented in a blog.

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The FUSE Fellowship

6/28/2016

FUSE Corps is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that enables local government to more effectively address the biggest challenges facing urban communities. FUSE partners with civic leaders to identify pressing strategic challenges and then recruits entrepreneurial, mid-career professionals to serve in executive-level fellowships across local government. FUSE Fellows are uniquely positioned to achieve transformative impact across issue areas such as education, health, poverty, economic development and the environment.

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HAND Highlight: Eurasia Foundation

6/28/2016

Eurasia Foundation believes societies function best when people take responsibility for their own civic and economic prosperity

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Nonprofits Ramp Up Their Donor Stewardship

6/28/2016

For many years, we have seen large universities and hospitals with donor relations and stewardship staff but now smaller charities are starting to hire staff, to boost their fundraising.

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One to Watch: Wishbone

6/14/2016

Wishbone is a fundraising platform that helps promising students enroll and pay for high-quality programs that fit their interests.

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HAND Highlight: Oasis for Girls

6/14/2016

Oasis For Girls, which focuses on low-income immigrant girls and girls of color, ages 14-17, in San Francisco

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SafeBAE

6/14/2016

Educating Teens on Sexual Assault and What To Do Next

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One to Watch: TUMML

6/31/2016

TUMML supports start-ups that aim to tackle civic problems, while turning a profit along the way

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HAND Highlight: Wikimedia Foundation

5/31/2016

Have you ever noticed Wiki does not have ads? What some do not know is how Wikipedia pays for their site.

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Child Care Reform is Critical for Poor Families

5/31/2016

For the working poor, who find that day care centers don’t meet their needs, expanding and making the child and dependent care tax credit refundable, for example, may be the best solution.

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HAND Highlight: SIRUM

5/17/2016

Using an innovative technology platform, SIRUM saves peoples’ lives by allowing health facilities, manufacturers, wholesalers, and pharmacies to donate unused medicine rather than destroy it.

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How to Bet Big on the American Dream

5/17/2016

The Atlantic's Debby Bielak and Jim Shelton explore how $1 billion of targeted private funding can start to move the needle of poverty. We have all heard of the 'American Dream': everyone has a equal opportunity to a career and wealth. However, we are finding that this promise is impossible for some Americans. Nearly 70 percent of children born to parents in the bottom 40 percent of incomes remain in poverty—regardless of whether they "work hard and play by the rules," as so many have been taught. The Bridgespan Group, a nonprofit philanthropic advisory group, has found investing in targeted, on-the-ground innovations has the best results and can pave the way to social mobility for millions of poor Americans.

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More Jobs for the Young in Poor Neighborhoods

4/26/2016

Studies show that a high rate of joblessness makes communities, especially those vulnerable to family instability and acts of violence committed by young people, have no stake in society.

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Immigrants have started more than half of America’s startup companies valued at $1 billion dollars or more

4/26/2016

Immigrants play a key role in creating new, fast-growing companies, as evidenced by the prevalence of foreignborn founders and key personnel in the nation’s leading privately-held companies

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Grantee Highlight: SV2 Teens Philanthropy Program

4/5/2016

This week, the HAND Foundation would like to highlight a special grantee, the SV2 Teens Philanthropy Program, that engages youth in the giving process and develops the next generation of philanthropists.

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ZanaAfrica Group Recipient of a $2.6M Grand Challenges Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

3/22/2016

On International Women’s Day, ZanaAfrica Group, a Kenyan social enterprise, which manufactures high quality sanitary pads for women and girls in East Africa,
announced that it is a recipient of a $2.6M Grand Challenges Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation under their initiative, Putting Women and Girls at the Center of Development.

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Pink Brigade Fights for Women’s Rights in India’s Rural Heartland

3/22/2016

Sampat Pal, self-styled national commander of the Gulabi Gang, formed her all-female brigade a decade ago to defend the dignity of women in Uttar Pradesh — a network that is now 400,000 strong

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Beyond Catholicism in Colombian Diaspora Philanthropy

The South American country of Colombia acknowledges more national holidays than any nation except for India. Of its eighteen official holidays, twelve come from the Roman Catholic calendar, and three of those fall in June this year: Corpus Christi on June 8, Sacred Heart (Sagrado Corazón) on June 15, and the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (San Pedro y San Pablo) on June 29.

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The Art of Storytelling

In most endeavours, storytelling is plays a key role in framing a narrative that drives a mission forward. Recognizing the importance of storytelling for non-profits, The Rockefeller Foundation helped establish Hatch, a new organization dedicated to help social impact organizations craft, curate, and share their stories. Hatch describes itself as a "concierge" that helps organizations leverage storytelling with the hopes of elevating their impact.

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Y Combinator Now Provides Seed Money for Non-profits

xY Combinator, a seed fund, has a very successful track record in supporting startups. In fact, Y Combinator has contributed to more than 800 startups since its inception in March of 2005 and the combined values of the companies they have invested in is over $30 billion. Over the years they have supported and helped establish some of the most well-known Internet companies like Dropbox, Reddit, Codecademy, and Scribd.

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PARSA CF Awards $2.4M to Universities to Further Iranian Studies across North America

7/5/2011

Today PARSA CF announces its most expansive set of grants to date: $2,400,000 to launch and grow Iranian studies programs across North America.

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PARSA CF Awards $437,000 to Arts and Media Projects

6/15/2011

PARSA Community Foundation is pleased to announce grants to arts and media projects including film, print, and music.

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PARSA CF Awards $370,000 to Museums and Institutions for Preserving and Advancing Persian Arts

6/2/2011

PARSA Community Foundation is pleased to announce four grants to major museums and institutions to further expand and grow their programs.

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PARSA CF Awards Grants to Humanitarian and Community Education Organizations

5/17/2011

PARSA Community Foundation is thrilled to announce grants totaling more than $500,000 to organizations working on humanitarian and community education causes benefiting Iranians, Iranian-Americans, and the community at large.

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PARSA CF Awards $250,000 to the Iranian Genome Project at Stanford University

5/12/2011

PARSA Community Foundation announces a $250,000 grant to the Department of Bioengineering at Stanford University for the "Iranian Genome Project."

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PARSA CF Awards Major Grants to Civic Engagement Organizations

5/4/2011

PARSA Community Foundation is pleased to announce a series of strategic grants to Iranian-American organizations promoting civic engagement and civil liberties protection.

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PARSA CF Awards Two Major Grants to Iran Heritage Foundation

4/12/2011

As a part of its Mehrgan 2010 Grant Cycle, PARSA Community Foundation is pleased to announce grants to two strategic and long-term initiatives spearheaded by London-based Iran Heritage Foundation (IHF).

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PARSA CF Awards a $300,000 Grant to IAAB for Long-Term Growth

3/29/2011

As a part of its Mehrgan 2010 Grant Cycle, PARSA Community Foundation is pleased to announce a $300,000 grant to Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB).

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History of Persian Philanthropy

8/27/2007

History of Persian Philanthropy

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Highlights from PARSA Community Foundation’s 2008 Persian Garden Gala

12/1/2008

Highlights from PARSA Community Foundation’s 2008 Persian Garden Gala

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PARSA Community Foundation: A Force For Good

12/1/2008

PARSA Community Foundation: A Force For Good

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Highlights from PARSA Community Foundation’s 2007 Inaugural Gala

11/26/2008

Highlights from PARSA Community Foundation’s 2007 Inaugural Gala

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An introduction to the PARSA Community Foundation

9/18/2008

An introduction to the PARSA Community Foundation—helping Persians foster goodwill in their communities locally, nationally, and worldwide.

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Tackling Homelessness in Palo Alto

The San Francisco Bay area, home to Silicon Valley, has the fastest growing income disparity in any city in the United States. The biggest effect of the income disparity is seen in the real estate market where gentrification is forcing long-time residents of certain communities to move. Communities that immigrants from Central America and Mexico have historically called home are overtaken by developers building high-end condos.

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#Charity: Connecting non-profits and tech professionals

The hashtag went from being an obscure button on touch-tone phones to a meta-tag used in all social media platforms. President Obama's 2008 Presidential campaign helped popularize the hashtag when users on Twitter were asked to pose any question to then Presidential candidate by using "#AskObama". Since then, hashtags have been used by philanthropists to raise awareness, promote causes, and help raise money for non-profits.

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Housing aid with HIP Housing

In San Mateo, California, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is just over $2,000 a month. This figure greatly exceeds what most people in the area can afford. To make matters worse, San Mateo has very little public housing units available for its citizens. Waiting list for the ones that are available are, as of this writing, closed indefinitely. Fortunately, HIP Housing, a private non-profit organization, provides housing services to the community through funds raised from corporate and individual donors.

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Non-profits mobilizing for Nepal

During a time of crisis and natural disasters, both domestically and overseas, Americans and American non-profit organizations generously donate their time and/or money to those in need. When the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, killing over 8,500 people with thousands still missing, the U.S. government committed a total of $10 million for response and recovery efforts. American non-profits such as AmeriCares and the American Red Cross raised $750,000 and $300,000 respectively in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. Donations came from all over the country, including two young boys in Minnesota who raised $5,000 by making and selling "4NEPAL" bracelets.

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Civil Rights Digital Library

At this critical juncture of race relations in the U.S., with tragic events in Baltimore, Ferguson, and New York City, it is imperative to take a step back, critically examine, and learn from the struggles for racial equality in the 1950s and 1960s. The Civil Rights Digital Library (CRDL) is an online collection of unedited news and television archives, primary sources, and other educational materials from various libraries and museums. CRDL is spearheaded by the University of Georgia through a National Leadership Grant for Libraries by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

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Digital Humanitarians for Nepal

As of this writing, the death toll of Nepal's April 25, 2015 devastating earthquake is an estimated 4,000 with thousands more displaced and unaccounted for. Within hours of the quake, rescue teams and organizations from all over the world came to aid the country in their search and rescue operation. Unbeknownst to many, scores of digital volunteers from two organizations, Standby Task Force (SBTF) and Digital Humanitarian Network (DHN) have been working tirelessly from all corners of the world to help rescue teams on the ground.

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Both Sides Now: Philanthropy along the U.S.-Mexico Border

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

An indication of the Mexican diaspora's cultural influence, Cinco de Mayo (Fifth of May) is a day of Mexican cultural pride acknowledged and spread by mainstream America. What is mainstream America recognizing when donning Mexican colors, listening to Mexican sounds, or tasting Mexican flavors?

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StoryCorps

What if we could record life stories of people from all backgrounds in the United States?

How can stories remind us of our shared humanity and help increase connections between people while teaching the value of listening? StoryCorps, an organization founded in 2003, started with these questions in mind. To date, StoryCorps has collected and archived more than 50,000 interviews with over 90,000 participants.

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FitBit & Feeding America

Earlier this year, Feeding America teamed up with FitBit, the popular wearable devices that track calorie counts, on an initiative: FitForFood. The idea was simple: burn calories, give calories. Starting on February 3, 2015, FitForFood aimed to reach one billion calories burned, and upon reaching that goal, 1.5 million meals would be served to those in need. For each active calorie burned and recorded by FitForFood during the program, Fitbit donated $.00015, and up to $150,000, to Feeding America.

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A Guide to Retaining Your Donors

For non-profit organizations and charities, retaining donors is a top-priority. Yet, in a new study by the Urban Institute and the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2014, the average annual donor-retention rate at nonprofit organizations is just 43 percent. This means that for every $100 a charity raised from new donors in 2013, it lost $92 from existing donors who gave less or stopped giving entirely.

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April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

The impact of child abuse is devastating for individuals, families and communities. According to the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center (SFCAPC), abused children are more likely to experience negative educational, health, and behavioral outcomes and have greater difficulty leading successful and productive lives as adults. Moreover, abused children have a 25 percent greater risk of experiencing low academic achievement and are more likely to drop out of school and become teenage parents.

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Sarah Jones: Social Activism Through Stage Performance

In commemoration of Child Abuse Prevention Month, we'd like to recognize, Sarah Jones, a Tony Award winning playwright, actress, poet and social activist. She has been named the first ever Ambassador for UNICEF's Violence Against Children program.

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Single Stop: A New Pathway for Economic Mobility

Over 46 million Americans live in poverty. There are many government and nongovernment organizations providing social services for people who are in need. Yet, despite the availability of these services, many people who need help do not know what opportunities are available to them. Now, thanks to Single Stop, they will.

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Fun Farsi Games

Every diaspora community strives (and struggles) to maintain cultural ties to their homeland while assimilating in their adopted country. With each passing generation the task becomes even harder. How do you instil your culture and heritage to children born and raised in another country with a different culture?

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PORTALS

Imagine stepping into a gold shipping container in the middle of New York City equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment and you come face-to-face with someone from Tehran. No, this is not a plot from a new science-fiction movie, this actually is happening throughout the U.S. Shared_Studios has created this unique and innovative way for strangers in two different countries to spend 20 private minutes discussing anything they like.

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Empowering Students from Underserved Communities

A consequence of the widening income gap in the United States is its effects on education in underserved communities. It is widely believed that education is an important stepping stone for financial and personal success. However, as it has been widely documented, students from underserved communities are not being afforded the same opportunities as their peers in more affluent communities.

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The Diaspora Map

The International diaspora Engagement Alliances (IdEA) has launched an interactive map for people and organizations that work for and are interested in learning about diaspora organizations around the world. To date, 175 organizations from all over the world are featured on the map.

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Helping Hand: 3D Printing Prosthetic Hands

The advent of 3D printers is revolutionizing various fields from space exploration to organ transplants. Two individuals saw the potential of 3D printing and founded a nonprofit to 3D print free prosthetic hands for children. e-NABLE has grown from two people into a global network of passionate volunteers, engineers, occupational therapists, designers, academics and parents.

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Crowdfunding for Young Scholars

In 2014 Kickstarter saw 3.3 million people from around the world collectively pledge over $500 million for 22,252 projects. Wishbone, a non-profit organization dedicated to sending low-income students to high-quality summer programs, is using the success of the crowdfunding model to establish a platform to fund educational opportunities for low-income students.

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Campaign for Black Male Achievement Launches

George Soros' Open Society Foundation has provided seed money for the Campaign for Black Male Achievement (CBMA) to launch as an independent leadership organization. CBMA is a national membership organization that is committed to improving the lives of Black men and boys. The organization has more than 3,000 members representing 2,000 organizations across the country.

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Institute for Black Male Achievement

The all too common narrative of unarmed black men killed by police officers reached an all-time high this past summer. The killing of Michael Brown, an 18-year black male, by police officers in Ferguson, Missouri, a small suburb of St. Louis brought national attention to an ongoing (and often underreported) problem of police brutality towards black men.

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Oscar Buzz: 99 Homes & Rosewater

Before his passing, famed movie critic Roger Ebert declared writer-director Ramin Bahrani as the "new great American director." With the latest buzz surrounding Bahrani's new film, 99 Homes, Ebert's prophetic words are now bearing fruit. Co-written with iconic Iranian film director Amir Naderi, Bahrani's film is a raw and honest look into the housing mortgage crisis of 2008.

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Can Private Schools Teach Philanthropy?

According to a United Nations Foundation supported report published in 2013 by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, nine out of ten children give money to charity. This is an impressive statistic. While behavior and language from parents around charitable giving can certainly have profound effects on children's attitudes toward helping others, what role should schools play in preparing children to become philanthropic adults?

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ALS Challenge

Have donations to your nonprofit been staggering as of late? Would you want a 100% increase of donations in a span of three weeks? How about a 3,500% increase and donations totaling way above $100 million? Well, the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association did that and more with a viral Internet challenge.

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Words Without Borders: Writing on Migrant Labor

Founded in 2003, HAND's grantee, Words Without Borders promotes cultural understanding through the translation, publication, and promotion of contemporary international literature. Every month, Words Without Borders publishes eight to twelve new works by international writers and to date has published well over 1,700 pieces from 124 countries and 101 languages.

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The Shortage of Management: The Global Business School Network

After countless trips to various African countries, Guy Pfeffermann, founder of The Global Business School Network (GBSN), asked a simple question: what happens when most of the world's business talent pool resides in advanced countries, while emerging markets across Africa, Asia, and Latin America demonstrate a great need for skilled entrepreneurs and qualified managers?

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Digital Currency: How Nonprofits are Utilizing Bitcoin

In early 2013, a human rights organization in Sri Lanka began accepting bitcoin donations in order to protect the identities of supporters. The Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice, a London-based non-profit, began to take bitcoin donations out of fear that the Sri Lankan government would retaliate against supporters of human rights.

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Black Philanthropy Month: Giving Augustly Of Time, Talent, Treasure

According to a 2012 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Report, nearly two-thirds of African Americans make charitable donations, giving about $11 billion each year. Blacks give a greater percentage of their disposable income—nearly 9 percent—than any other racial group in America.

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Breaking the Cycle of Violence: One Youth at a Time

Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) is an award winning non-profit dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence, crime and incarceration of teens. Through FLY's unique and powerful combination of programs, youth get off probation, get engaged in school, and get back on track with their lives.

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Increased Immigration, Decreased Voting

As the immigration debate continues to heat up in the United States this summer, it is important to think about what immigration numbers mean when we take voting and politics into account. A Pew Research report issued in May 2014 demonstrates that in recent decades there has been a sharp rise in immigrants living in the U.S. there has been a "sharp rise in the number of immigrants living in the U.S. in recent decades."

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The Breakthrough Prize: Celebrating Science and Math

The Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics, financed by Yuri Milner, a Russian investor, and Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, comes with a $3 million award. The Breakthrough Prize is a set of international awards which aim to celebrate the best scientific work and also inspire the next generation of scientists in a number of scientific fields. The Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics is the latest effort in Milner's crusade to make science lucrative and cool in a society that celebrates athletes, entertainers, politicians, and business tycoons.

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California Represents: 16,000 Strong for We Day

On March 27, 2014 16,000 young people packed Oracle Arena for the very first We Day California. Organized by Free The Children, this event brought together young people from over 400 schools across California with the unifying goal of student empowerment. Each student earned their ticket to the event by taking one local action and one global action to improve their world. The students listened to speeches by Martin Luther King III, Magic Johnson, Seth Rogen, Laila Ali, Selena Gomez, and more.

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Jugo Bonito: “Say No To Racism”

"Say No To Racism!"

Mario Balotelli is one of soccer's most dynamic and talented goal scoring players. He wears his emotions on his sleeve and his passion was on full display early this year when cameras caught Balotelli in tears on the bench moments after leaving a game. Reports surfaced that Balotelli's emotional display was in reaction to fans that had directed racist chants towards him. His coach and teammates downplayed Balotelli's tears, but it is no secret that the twenty-three year old Balotelli has been a victim of discrimination from soccer fans.

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Online Test Prep: Evening the Playing Field

Traditionally, students preparing for the SAT, MCAT, GMAT, GRE, or any other standardized test would pay a lot of money to for-profit educational companies for test prep and tutoring services. These courses usually cost thousands of dollars, and for the most part, exclude students from lower socio-economic families.

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Buyer's Remorse: The Roberston's Family Princeton Saga

Donors expect follow through and transparency from their grantees. If a donation was made to fund a project over a certain period of time, then the donor expects the funds to be used solely for the intended cause. According to some, especially the Robertson Family, a statue of limitation does not exist for donations.

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Are NGOs Returning to Iran?

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) began to thrive in Iran under the presidency of Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005). A plethora of organizations sprung up to work on a variety of issues, from the environment, to women's issues, to poverty, to protecting child labourers. However, with the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005, and the subsequent rise of the Green Movement in 2009, NGOs took a big hit in Iran.

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In Memoriam: Gary Becker

Gary Becker, the Nobel prize-winning economics died last month at the age of 83 from complications related to ulcer surgery. Dr. Becker served as The HAND Foundation's Chairman of the Advisory Board. Along with his wife, Guity Neshat, Dr. Becker played an instrumental role in establishing The HAND Foundation's Scholarships for Iranian PhD students in economics.

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SOCAP14

Social Capital Markets (SOCAP), an organization dedicated to increasing the flow of capital toward social good, is holding its flagship conference, SOCAP14, in San Francisco from September 2nd to the 5th. SOCAP holds its annual event to connect leading global innovators, investors, social entrepreneurs, and philanthropists to build a market dedicated to maximizing social good.

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ORAM

In 2010, PARSA Community Foundation awarded Organization for Refuge, Asylum, & Migration (ORAM) a $100,000 grant. ORAM, founded in 2008, is the only international organization devoted solely to advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) refugees fleeing brutalization due to sexual orientation or gender identity.

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Mobile Banking: Alleviating Global Poverty

We use it to store memories, jot down our thoughts, navigate cities, listen to music, and update our Facebook statuses. For better or worse, cell phones are an extension of who we are. Many cannot envision a day without their trusty mobile friend at arm's length. The tiny technological wonder that wakes us up in the morning and keeps us connected with our family, friends, and colleagues has changed the world, yet not in a way you think.

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The Reemergence of Innovation in Philanthropy

There has been a recent push to transcend effective and sound business strategies to philanthropy. Critics of effective philanthropy argue that focusing philanthropy on results may suffocate innovation in philanthropy as foundations and non-profits reshuffle their priorities to win over donors with "results" rather than striving to innovate and promote ideas that are actually effective.

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New American Fellowships

Bianca Tylek, a J.D. candidate at Harvard University School of Law, is focused on fixing the U.S. prison system to reduce recidivism rates. Geroge Pocheptsov, an artistic prodigy, has created artwork for Hillary Clinton and Michael Jordan and is now working to get his MBA. Daniel Kim, has lead research on repurposing antifungal agents as a target for skin cancer, is applying joint MD/PhD programs across the nation. These all-stars, along with 27 of their peers, have been named 2014 fellows of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans.

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Making Grants Popular Again

The non-profit and philanthropic world is going through an identity crisis of sorts. According to Barry Knight and Jenny Hodgson, in the last thirty years technological advancements has changed the non-profit landscape, "[we] live in a world where constant technological innovation has become the norm, so that what is new is always better than what has gone before," and this logic seems to have transferred to how non-profit organizations are managed.

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HAND Supports African Entrepreneur Collective

The African continent contains roughly 200 million youth between the ages of 15-24, a formidable number that can signal strong growth for the future. However, an estimated 90 million of these youth are un- or underemployed, comprising 60% of the continent's total unemployment rate, double the rate of adults. With such daunting numbers, a new collective came together in Summer 2012 to support young entrepreneurs in Africa and create employment opportunities: the African Entrepreneur Collective (AEC).

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Connecting the World

internet.org is a global partnership dedicated to making affordable internet access available to the two thirds of the world not yet connected. Internet.org is a partnership between Facebook and six mobile phone companies, Ericsson, Samsung, Nokia, Opera Software, Qualcomm, and MediaTek, as well as with nonprofits, local communities and experts.

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Scaling What Works

In the philanthropy and non-profit worlds, financial support for organizations in the recent past came with stipulations to demonstrate growth by "scaling up," or growing the size of a program or organization. Seeking to understand what kinds of scale and impact actually work in increasing impact in our communities, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) launched the Scaling What Works initiative in 2010, in the hopes of broadening the conversation. After three years, GEO has released its report and calls for grantmakers and organizations to redefine scale.

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The Muslim Giving Project

The Muslim Giving Project (MGP), a new initiative, aims to provide American Muslims with the resources to do good and give better. MGP's goal is to foster a more dynamic American Muslim charitable culture in a two-pronged approach: the "Muslim Giving Project Fund" and the Muslim Giving Project Lab."

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Hush! Girls Don’t Scream

Iranian filmmakers are a tour de force in international film festival circuits. Filmmakers like Abbas Kiarsotami, Jafar Panahi, Samira Makhmalbaf, and Asghar Farhadi are frequently screened and praised at Cannes, Venice, Toronto, New York, and Hollywood. The recent wave of Iranian films making the rounds internationally are socially critical of conditions in Iran.

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Powering Social Good: SV2 15th Anniversary

15 years ago as a graduate student at Stanford University Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen created Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund (SV2) as a fund of Community Foundation Silicon Valley to pool investor money for the advancement of non-profit organizations. Today, SV2 is a nationally recognized organized organization with an impressive portfolio of grantees.

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To Itemize or Not

The dreaded April 15th, 2014 tax day is almost upon us. As most of us hustle to make sure we file our returns on time, there is a healthy debate happening that can affect how we all file our taxes. The U.S. is one of the most charitable countries in the world (tied for 5th by the World Giving Index rankings) with 64% of its population donating to charities.

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South Sudan

South Sudan, the world's newest country, faces a long journey of nation-building ahead, and in spite of a recent cease fire agreement, ethnic fighting within the country continues. With over four million displaced during the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005), the South Sudanese diaspora continues to be large in spite of at least 2.5 million South Sudanese having returned since the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).

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Changing Priorities: Effective Altruism

Peter Singer, the Australian moral philosopher and current Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, often poses two simple questions to his audience: "What is a human life worth?"; and if you saw a child drowning in a shallow pond, "do you have any obligations to rescue the child?"

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Reliving the Past for a Better Tomorrow

Museums commemorating genocide, human rights, and other means of marginalizing populations can be solemn reminders of the atrocities humans have inflicted on one another. They memorialize the victims of senseless acts of violence by reminding patrons the ugly ramifications of stereotyping, racism, and prejudice in society. They are tools for students that can be used to further develop critical thinking skills. It humanizes history by providing faces and personal stories of affected people.

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Mom’s Against Poverty Holds 5th Annual Gala

On September 15, 2012, Mom's Against Poverty (MAP), held its 5th annual "Step Out, Step Up" fundraiser to fight poverty in the San Francisco Bay area. Over 1,200 people from all over the United States attended and over $200,000.00 was raised for the all volunteer non-profit organization.

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Jewish Family Services of L.A.

For over 150 years, the Jewish Family Services (JFS) has been providing compassionate social services that improves the lives of countless men, women, and children of all religions, ethnicities and ages. JFS is Los Angeles' oldest charitable organization and has been working under their founders' mandate to improve the quality of life for people of all generations and walks of life, no matter what their ethnicity or religion.

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Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB)

PARSA Community Foundation was the first Persian community foundation and the only Persian philanthropic institution practicing strategic philanthropy and promoting social entrepreneurship around the globe. While in operation from 2005 to 2009, PARSA awarded almost $10 million in grants to non-profits, universities and colleges, museums, and independent filmmaker and artists. One of the organizations that received numerous PARSA grants was Iranian Alliances Across Borders (IAAB).

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Museum of Chinese in America: 160 Years in the Making

In the United States, the vilification of diaspora communities is an experience common to all emerging exile groups. For example, during the height of the Iran hostage crisis, Iranian Americans were subject to derogatory and inflammatory racist campaigns. For many Iranian Americans, the ghost of their past resurfaced last year in the infamous "Let's play Cowboys & Iranians" poster. This type of spectacle is not unique to Iranian Americans.

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Iran Studies: UC Davis - Middle East / South Asia Studies

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is one of four higher learning institutions in the United States that offers a degree in Middle Eastern / South Asian (ME/SA) studies. However, what sets UC Davis apart from the other three schools is that the mandate for the program was not given by the school's Chancellor or other administrators, but rather the Department of ME/SA was created by a grassroots effort led by the students, the faculty, and the UC Davis community at large. The need for an academic program dedicated to the Middle East and Southeast Asia was expressed and the UC Davis community mobilized.

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