Humanity AI Coalition Announces First $8 Million in Grants for AI Governance

The Humanity AI Coalition — a five-year, $500 million initiative backed by 10 major foundations including MacArthur, Ford, and Mellon — has announced its first grants: roughly $8 million distributed among nine AI policy and governance organizations, at approximately $500,000 each. An additional $3 million went to an AI Civics collaborative led by Data & Society. The coalition is also preparing a $10 million open grant call. Founded to ensure AI development serves democratic values rather than narrow corporate interests, the coalition represents one of philanthropy’s largest coordinated efforts to fund AI governance — a sector that has historically received far less philanthropic attention than AI development and deployment.

Sources: Inside Philanthropy

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Tom Steyer Spends $200 Million on California Governor Race, Raising Questions About Billionaire Philanthropy

Tom Steyer, founder of the TomKat Foundation and a Giving Pledge signatory since 2010, has spent approximately $200 million on his race for California governor — yet still trails rivals Becerra and Hilton in the polls. The climate activist and former hedge fund manager built TomKat to focus on climate and environmental justice. A new Institute for Policy Studies analysis finds Steyer has directed only 13% of his fortune to philanthropy to date. His gubernatorial bid is forcing a sector-wide reckoning: when does the line between a philanthropist’s charitable strategy and his political ambitions become impossible to distinguish?

Sources: Inside Philanthropy

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Compton Foundation Completes Six-Year Spend-Down, Returning $30 Million to Communities

The Compton Foundation concluded its six-year spend-down in 2025, distributing roughly $30 million and formally closing after decades of operation. Former Executive Director June Wilson, who navigated the process through substantial family tension, framed the decision in moral rather than financial terms. “This is not the family’s money. It is the public’s money, held in trust,” Wilson said. The foundation used trust-based grantmaking and reparative action frameworks throughout its final phase, committing to community-centered distribution over institutional preservation. Its closing statement stands as a challenge to foundations everywhere: “The purpose of wealth is not to last. It is to return.”

Sources: Inside Philanthropy

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