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.  “How our government spends money—and who benefits—reflects our national priorities, but it’s not always clear where our tax dollars are going.” In this study, the Urban Institute examines federal and state spending on children. The future economic and social health of the country is highly reliant on the development of children, indicating that their health, education, and general welfare should be of the highest priority. However, as the report details, a much larger share of federal spending is allocated towards retirement and health benefit for adults instead of on children (and the children’s share continues to shrink).
2. Millenials will be the largest demographic in the American workforce by 2020, and although most studies focus on how this will affect the business world, the philanthropic sector will be affected as well. Looking at trends in human behavior and philanthropic giving, it’s predicted that millennials will be the “most generous generation in history.” An obsession with progress and desire to be impactful indicates that millennials will be not only more likely to donate in the future, but more involved in the causes their dollars are put towards. Forbes goes into more details regarding the trends.
3. In 2016, the Ford Foundation gave $1 billion to social justice nonprofits, with the funds all designated towards general operating support and organizational improvement. Two years into the five-year experiment, positive results have already been seen in nonprofits that now have the capacity to plan for long-term change and collaboration. Learn more about how the changes in nonprofit effectiveness Ford Foundation is seeing with increased general operating support rather than purely programmatic in this article from Inside Philanthropy.
4. Does collective impact really make an impact? This article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review examines how this buzzworthy approach to social change has been both extolled and vilified by the philanthropic sector. Examining 25 initiatives across the United States and Canada, this study explores how the components of collective impact contributes to improving conditions for those in need. They conclude that while it may not be the ultimate solution to all social problems, it does in fact make an impact under some conditions.
5. One of the greatest difficulties faced by those with health issues in rural America is the issue of transportation. A lack of public transportation, in addition to the need for long distance travel, lead to many individuals missing vital medical appointments. This article by Health Affairs pinpoints a way in which philanthropy can focus on increasing mobility within rural communities and thus address a critical need.

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