Friday Rewind

The Friday Rewind offers a snapshot of PhilanthroNews —  that means news stories, articles, events of note, or information updates — from around our network and throughout the broad world of philanthropy. Whether you take a quick skim of the material or a deep dive through each item we hope to help inform your work and inspire your thinking.

1. Philanthropy does not exist in a vacuum. It’s a complex dance between societal needs and private entities with the resources (financial and otherwise) to address them. In the best of times, smart philanthropists lay out strategies rooted in passion and vision. In times of great political, economic, or social change, philanthropists should take the time and make the effort to reassess their strategies and approaches, considering new opportunities for impact while remaining true to their beliefs. Read the Full Story Here.
2. Ever since the United States was founded, charitable support of nonprofit organizations has been a fundamental part of its social fabric. Every day, nonprofits touch millions of Americans’ lives. They provide for essential human services, advocate for core democratic values and support people, animals, arts and the environment. When our government proposes policy changes that impact the nonprofit sector, these changes could have major repercussions. This article explores just a few potential effects. Read the Full Story Here.
3. No doubt about it, these are challenging times for nonprofits. Revenues for most organizations are flat, government support for the safety net has been singled out as something we can longer afford (or are no longer willing to pay for), competition for limited resources is increasing, and demand for services continues to grow. This infographic provides a snapshot of a sector poised between the certainties of the past, and, well, an uncertain future. Read the Full Story Here.
4. If you’ve ever worked in an organization, you know how important budgets are. And that’s even more true in government, where budget decisions embody the priorities set by policymakers, determine where tax dollars go, and can have profound effects on society. Still, budgets are boring to many people—and apparently to many foundations, too. But not all funders feel this way, and least some are starting to care a lot more about government budgets. Read the Full Story Here.
5. Hillary Clinton on Monday announced the launch of Onward Together, a new political group aimed at advancing progressive causes by harnessing grass-roots opposition to President Trump’s policies. Onward Together is registered as a 501(c)(4) group, the Internal Revenue Service designation for so-called social welfare nonprofits. Read the Full Story Here.

Friday Rewind is published each Friday by NY Funders Alliance staff. To submit a story for the Friday Rewind, please email programs@nyfunders.org.