Jim Rendon

Washington, D.C.

Senior Editor and Fellowship Director at The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Author of Upside: The New Science of Post-Traumatic Growth and a freelance writer for The New York Times Magazine and newspaper, Marie Claire and others.

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Articles

The ‘Eco-Right’ Is Growing. Will Bipartisanship Follow?

1 week ago | philanthropy.com | Jim Rendon

When John Szoka was first elected to the North Carolina legislature in 2013, he thought solar energy was “a bunch of garbage.” Advocates from left-leaning environmental groups who wanted to save the polar bears did nothing to sway him. Then he spoke to a Republican lobbyist. She never mentioned environmental calamities or polar bears. Instead, she talked about the benefits for his constituents of low-cost renewable energy. “Make no mistake. I’m a conservative Republican. I like guns.
Melinda French Gates Is Just Getting Started

1 month ago | philanthropy.com | Jim Rendon |Taylor Callery

Nearly two decades ago, Melinda French Gates had an epiphany. After fielding questions at a press conference announcing Warren Buffett’s decision to give much of his fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, she realized that she and Bill — up until then the one more associated with the foundation — needed to be equal partners in philanthropy. And to do that, she needed to transform herself into a public advocate.
Michael Bloomberg Tops List of America’s Biggest Donors for the Second Year in a Row

Mar 4, 2025 | philanthropy.com | Maria Di Mento |Jim Rendon

For the second year in a row, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg gave the most to charitable causes, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s exclusive Philanthropy 50 list of the Americans who donated the largest sums to nonprofits last year. The former New York City mayor gave $3.7 billion. Six donors on the list gave $1 billion or more.
Tracking a Quarter Century of Giving

Mar 4, 2025 | philanthropy.com | Maria Di Mento |Jim Rendon

The Philanthropy 50, the Chronicle’s annual list of the year’s biggest donors, traces its roots back to a major philanthropic figure. CNN and United Nations Foundation founder Ted Turner — who has appeared on the list six times — proposed ranking the richest Americans, not by their wealth but by their giving, as a way to spur more philanthropy. The online publication Slate started the list in 1996, and in 2000, the Chronicle took over the list, partnering with Slate in the early years.
America’s Mega-Donors Stuck to Their Giving Strategies in 2024

Mar 4, 2025 | philanthropy.com | Maria Di Mento |Jim Rendon

Giving back has been part of Michael Bloomberg’s life for as long he can remember. The former New York City mayor and financial-news company founder says his parents taught him that everyone has a responsibility to make the world a better place. He took that to heart as an Eagle Scout and in his early years at the financial-services firm Salomon Brothers, where he says philanthropy was part of the culture.
Skilled, Diverse, and Engaged - 2025 Will Require More From Boards

Jan 14, 2025 | philanthropy.com | Jim Rendon

Through some tough experiences, Romona Jackson has come to value an effective board of directors. Jackson, who founded the Women’s Advocacy Center, which serves victims of domestic violence, saw the results of a disengaged board ripple through her organization. Boards will be more important than ever as nonprofits navigate a tricky financial landscape and political uncertainty.
Climate Giving Grew by 20% Last Year, but Emission Goals Are Still Out of Reach

Dec 10, 2024 | philanthropy.com | Jim Rendon

Global giving to curb climate change rose by 20 percent in 2023, according to a report released Tuesday by the ClimateWorks Foundation. That growth outpaced worldwide charitable giving, which the report says grew by 10 percent in 2023. According to the report, foundations and donors gave $9.3 to $15.8 billion in 2023. Giving from foundations rose to a record $4.8 billion, up from $4.2 billion in 2022. Foundation giving to climate-related efforts has almost tripled since 2019.
Can a Scrappy One-Person Nonprofit Transform in Time?

Dec 9, 2024 | philanthropy.com | Jim Rendon

Over lunch at Leo’s Tavern in Garden City, Les Bernal talks to three local activists who are opposing an effort by the Las Vegas Sands Company to build a casino on the site of the old Nassau Coliseum. At the time, local politicians had already voted to lease the property to Sands. These women — who knew little about grassroots organizing, gambling, or casinos before this one targeted their town — started a campaign to derail the project.
Where Did the Funding Go?

Nov 20, 2024 | philanthropy.com | Jim Rendon

In January, George Jones, CEO of Bread for the City, knew that his organization was going to have a budget shortfall at the end of its fiscal year in June. But he was confident that it would be small and the group would be fine. In just a few months, that picture changed. It became clear in April that several big foundation grants the 50-year-old organization was expecting would not come through. One grant maker who gave the group $1 million the previous year renewed its grant for only $200,000.
Family Foundations Are Bigger, and Some Are Giving More

Oct 31, 2024 | philanthropy.com | Jim Rendon

A larger share of family foundations have more money than they did a decade ago, and some are awarding a larger percentage of their assets. Nearly three quarters awarded more than the 5 percent minimum payout required by law, compared with 55 percent a decade ago, according to a new report from the National Center for Family Philanthropy. The share of family foundations with assets over $10 million has grown over the past decade from 30 percent to nearly 50 percent, according to the survey.