Michael Thatcher

Apr 30, 2024 | nonprofitquarterly.org | Isaiah Thompson |Alison Stine |Michael Thatcher |Daniel Stein

A new report from the London-based consultancy Altrata suggests that charitable donations are increasingly becoming “hyper-concentrated among a small group of ultra-wealthy mega-donors.”The report’s findings suggest that the ultra-wealthy are wielding increasing influence across the philanthropic sector, which has far-reaching implications for charities, nonprofits, and philanthropies seeking and/or relying upon charitable donations.

Apr 29, 2024 | nonprofitquarterly.org | Alison Stine |Michael Thatcher |Daniel Stein |Zane McNeill

Philanthropic giving for climate mitigation has remained relatively stagnant over the past few years, despite the climate crisis escalating across the globe. Data published by ClimateWorks Foundation found that out of a total $811 billion given globally, only an estimated $7.8 billion to $12.8 billion went to climate mitigation in 2022. And some areas of climate change philanthropy are even more critically underfunded than others.

Dec 27, 2023 | nynmedia.com | Michael Thatcher

For years many people who have wanted their dollars to do the most good in the world have been focused on the technical term “overhead.” That’s the word that focuses on a charity’s spending for things other than services, such as fundraising costs. The idea was that spending too much on overhead meant a charity wasn’t providing enough service. It is time to move on from that focus.

Nov 19, 2023 | themessenger.com | Michael Thatcher |Evan Feinberg

Nov. 1 marked the start of the “giving season.” Through the end of the year, millions of Americans will donate to charities, with gifts both large and small. All told, they’ll give billions of dollars to help the less fortunate. Last year alone, Americans donated $500 billion to worthy causes, much of it during November and December. But there’s a problem. Although it’s easy to find organizations in need of funding, it can be hard to determine which organizations are most effective.

Apr 24, 2023 | philanthropynewsdigest.org | Michael Thatcher

MacKenzie Scott’s recent $250 million “open call” for community-focused nonprofits illustrates how the foundation of equity in philanthropy is trusting that people who are serving their own communities know best how to do that and will be there for the long haul. There are, of course, many ways to measure equity as a component of charitable giving. We can look at whom charities help with their programming. We can see if a charity’s staff and board reflect the communities they serve.