Bill Gates’ ultra-gift of $20 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation reaffirms his place as a titan of modern philanthropy. It also signals more of the same to come from the foundation — for better or worse. Philip Rojc offers five takeaways: bit.ly/3aHBDp5

One point I'd add to Philip Rojc excellent piece is that the norm of limited fdn payout dates back to an era when there were many fewer large fortunes and big pots of philanthropic capital. The case for increasing payout is far stronger today. buff.ly/3QhHlgw

I recently wrote about Rick J. Caruso's approach to local philanthropy in light of his mayoral bid Inside Philanthropy

What went wrong with the Dalios' big bet on K-12 in Connecticut? Connie Matthiessen took a look last week in Inside Philanthropy

Lots of areas that could do with more non-status quo philanthropic funding - or any funding at all.

[VICTORY ALERT]! AB 2221, Sharon Quirk-Silva's bill to make it easier to build ADUs, or "granny flats," has passed the State Senate and is headed back to the Assembly for concurrence -- then on to the Governor's desk! Learn more: cayimby.org/ab-2221/

We hear it all the time: yet another critical cause is getting a tiny sliver of charitable dollars. While the claim often reflects reality, a lack of transparency is giving us a shaky picture of philanthropic priorities. Philip Rojc reports: bit.ly/3ctPDnB

#Philanthropy must examine both its failures AND successes in order to work more effectively. Read Philip Rojc article for Inside Philanthropy on seven failures that defined philanthropy. bit.ly/3wycR2y

Philanthropy hasn’t historically given too much to the labor movement, but a few progressive funders are supporting new movements for workers’ rights, and there may be more to come. Here's a quick overview. buff.ly/3RGmp3Q

Yet another good news/bad news story from the world of big philanthropy, via Philip Rojc. More good than bad, if you ask me, but the outsized power of mega-donors is always problematic — even when you're thrilled with where the $$ is going. buff.ly/3eXe8KB

"Efforts to decarbonize some of the most widely used industrial processes and materials, such as concrete, have received less money than most Ivy League schools bring in each month." One of many interesting points in Michael Kavate's latest on Patagonia

"McManus envisions a future when universities tout a 'new kind of prestige' defined as advancing economic mobility instead of rejecting 95% of applications and refusing to substantially expand the undergraduate population." Arnold Ventures

"All this recent activity makes it seem likely that we’ll be getting another blog post — or maybe even the long-promised online database — outlining hundreds of other grants." Connie Matthiessen on MacKenzie Scott

Structured as a global competition, Racial Equity 2030 prompted both excitement and criticism when it launched two years ago. Five winners have been revealed, but the work is just beginning. Philip Rojc offers some takeaways. bit.ly/3Ned0zl

“It is crucial to remember that the South is not separate from the rest of the nation… Lack of investment in southern structural change work not only affects workers in the South, it puts marginalized people across the country in harm’s way.” Martha Ramirez in Inside Philanthropy

The biggest problem with DAFs isn't about payout rates or the warehousing of wealth. It's how the huge growth of DAFs is destroying the social compact embodied by the rules governing private foundations. buff.ly/3MQ9pJe