February 01, 2024 This Foundation Is Highlighting the Link Between Opioids and Maternal and Infant Health Risks February 01, 2024/ Connie Matthiessen The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) is supporting work to remove barriers to recovery and healthcare for pregnant women and new mothers with substance use disorder.Read More
January 26, 2024 Bloomberg Backs New High Schools Tailored to Boost the Healthcare Workforce January 26, 2024/ Connie Matthiessen To address a nationwide shortage of healthcare workers, Bloomberg Philanthropies is plowing $250 million into an initiative to underwrite public high schools that’ll pair regular academics with specialized job training.Read More
January 22, 2024 A Health Foundation’s “More Equitable Approach” to Substance Use Disorder January 22, 2024/ Connie Matthiessen The Elevance Health Foundation is tackling substance use by focusing in on overlooked populations. It’s one of a relatively small number of philanthropies addressing the escalating opioid crisis in any significant way.Read More
January 16, 2024 Melinda French Gates and MacKenzie Scott Pitch in for Student Health January 16, 2024/ Connie Matthiessen School-based health centers have been shown to boost student health and improve academic outcomes, but there are far too few to meet the need. Two of the most prominent women in philanthropy are working to change that. Read More
January 03, 2024 MacKenzie Scott Backs Community Health Centers as Another Path to Advancing Equity January 03, 2024/ Connie Matthiessen In 2023, MacKenzie Scott once again stood out in the philanthrosphere with hundreds of large, unrestricted gifts. This time, health equity was a theme with major support for small centers that serve many low-income patients. Read More
December 18, 2023 Gates Sticks With U.S. Antipoverty Giving, But Deeper Structural Questions Remain December 18, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen In a year-end update, the Gates Foundation announced $100 million in new stateside antipoverty commitments. But amid sky-high wealth inequality, the chances that billionaire giving will get to the roots of the problem remain slim.Read More
December 12, 2023 New Funding Initiative Aims to Boost Wages for Early Educators — And Help Fix a Broken System December 12, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Against the backdrop of a national child care crisis, the Early Educator Investment Collaborative just launched an effort to boost worker pay by building on progress made during the pandemic.Read More
December 08, 2023 What’s the Plan for the Moody Foundation’s Texas-Sized Pledge to Lone Star State Students? December 08, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The Texas-based family foundation, among the state’s largest, just stepped up for students with a $1 billion education pledge. It’s a worthy move, but also shines a light on the state’s failures when it comes to public funding for schools.Read More
November 27, 2023 Cities Don't Get Much Support for Migrant and Refugee Aid. This Global Fund Aims to Change That November 27, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Most migrants and refugees end up in cities, which seldom have the resources to support them. The Global Cities Fund is helping municipalities respond with the aim of opening up larger funding avenues.Read More
November 21, 2023 And the Winners Are… Here Are the 14 Innovators Chosen to “Reimagine” San Francisco November 21, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Deloitte, Salesforce, and the World Economic Forum challenged entrepreneurs to bring sustainable plans — and jobs — to help revitalize a struggling city. Find out which ideas met the challenge. Read More
November 01, 2023 Back to School in New Shoes: A Simple but Powerful Way to Support Kids Experiencing Homelessness November 01, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen For children in need, something as basic as a new pair of shoes can make a huge impact. With support from an array of funders, Soles4Souls distributes free footwear to start the school year off on the right foot.Read More
October 30, 2023 "The Solutions Are There." Funding Challenge Backs Community-Led Efforts to Save Mothers and Infants October 30, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The winners of the Maternal & Infant Health Award, organized by Lever for Change and several funding partners, are working in high-need communities to save the lives of mothers and infants.Read More
October 26, 2023 A Call to Action for Philanthropy in the Face of a Mental Health Crisis October 26, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Mindful Philanthropy, which was created in 2020 by mental health funders, has set an ambitious goal for philanthropy: to increase the sector’s funding for mental health, addiction, and well-being by five times — to $35 billion annually.Read More
October 24, 2023 How Three Funders Are Linking Up Public Health and Community Leaders to Tackle Inequities October 24, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The Kresge, de Beaumont and Robert Wood Johnson foundations teamed up on an initiative to strengthen our ailing public health system and address inequities by connecting public health leaders and community groups.Read More
October 17, 2023 A Philanthropy Built on Chocolate Expands its Mission to Support Early Childhood October 17, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Chocolate magnate Milton Hershey and his wife Catherine left behind a fortune to provide a K-12 education for low-income children. Now, the Hershey Trust is opening a fleet of new schools for younger students.Read More
September 28, 2023 Why This L.A. Funder Created a Children’s Library at Men’s Central Jail September 28, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Gordon Philanthropies focuses on education and literacy, including by funding a new children’s library at Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles. The library aims to strengthen bonds between incarcerated men and their children.Read More
September 25, 2023 Can This Sustainability Challenge Help Revive a Struggling City? September 25, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Deloitte, Salesforce and the World Economic Forum launched a challenge that they hope will help revive a struggling San Francisco. But can backing social entrepreneurs really pull the city out of its “doom loop?”Read More
September 20, 2023 AI in Education? Salesforce Takes the Plunge September 20, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Artificial intelligence loomed very large at several recent Bay Area functions hosted by Salesforce. As the trailblazing corporate funder leans into AI in its education giving, are there pitfalls to consider?Read More
September 11, 2023 Hands-On Help: The Other Side of MacKenzie Scott’s Recent Early Childhood Ramp-Up September 11, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen In her early childhood giving this year, MacKenzie Scott is pairing advocacy with direct service funding, including support for programs that provide one-on-one, in-home maternal and infant healthcare.Read More
September 05, 2023 Funders Get Behind a New Plan for School-Based "Health Hubs" in Detroit September 05, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Located at school sites and offering free health care for students and other resources for families, the health hubs have secured philanthropic backing from the Kresge Foundation, the Ballmer Group and others. Read More