Samwise Nonprofits and Charities Newsletter
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Foundations Launch “Generosity Builds” Campaign to Counter Political Scrutiny
The Council on Foundations has launched “Generosity Builds,” a nationwide campaign encouraging member foundations to proactively showcase their community contributions as the sector faces intensifying scrutiny from federal officials and populist movements. Timed to coincide with America’s 250th anniversary, the campaign responds to what CoF calls a “greater intensity” of external pressure — including federal audits, congressional investigations, and media narratives framing foundations as partisan or fraudulent. Members are encouraged to share local impact stories and amplify philanthropic voices before critics define the conversation. The initiative signals growing recognition that American foundations can no longer rely on public goodwill alone to protect their independence and social license to operate.
Sources: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
New Poll: 8 in 10 Americans Back Nonprofits’ Role in Voter Registration and Education
A national poll commissioned by Independent Sector finds broad, bipartisan support for nonprofit engagement in democracy: 80% of Americans support nonprofits helping citizens register to vote, and 84% support nonprofit-led voter education. The survey, conducted with 3,017 adults, bolsters the case for “Voices in Action” — a collaborative initiative among Independent Sector, the League of Women Voters, Nonprofit VOTE, and the Alliance for Justice’s Bolder Advocacy Program. As the 2026 midterms approach, the data reinforces that Americans broadly view nonprofits as trusted and legitimate civic actors. The findings are released ahead of a July 16 NPQ webinar on how 501(c)(3)s can legally and effectively engage in the electoral process.
Sources: Independent Sector
Marguerite Casey Foundation Commits to At Least $50M in Annual Grantmaking
The Marguerite Casey Foundation, a Seattle-based philanthropy focused on family economic security in low-income communities, has announced plans to distribute at least $50 million per year in grants going forward. The commitment signals an escalation in giving and a public show of confidence in the nonprofit sector at a moment when many foundations are quietly pulling back amid portfolio losses, endowment concerns, and political pressure. Casey has long supported grassroots organizations working to shift power to families across the United States. Making the floor commitment public creates a measure of external accountability — a step advocates have long urged larger foundations to take to signal sustained community investment.
Sources: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Nonprofit Steps In to Save Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as Civic Infrastructure Frays
When the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced it was shutting down in January 2026 after $350 million in losses and a three-year labor strike, Pittsburgh faced becoming the largest metro area in the United States without a daily newspaper. A nonprofit intervened, acquiring the publication before its final press run. NPQ’s “#WeTheCivic” series — a partnership with Liberation Ventures running June 19 through July 4, timed to America’s 250th anniversary — uses this story to examine how nonprofits are rebuilding civic infrastructure across Appalachia and beyond. The piece argues local journalism is not merely a media challenge but a democratic one: without it, communities lose the connective tissue that makes self-governance possible.
Sources: Nonprofit Quarterly
As America Turns 250, Nonprofit Museums Face a Reckoning Over Who Controls History
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, museum scholar Gregory P. Perreault challenges America’s cultural institutions to answer a foundational question: who actually controls the historical narrative? Museums, Perreault argues in Nonprofit Quarterly, offer an important opportunity to reshape collective knowledge — but only when decision-making reflects the communities they claim to serve. The piece examines growing federal pressure to narrow what counts as “American history,” and makes the case for community-based curatorial models that center inclusion and wellbeing. For the nonprofit sector, the stakes go beyond cultural programming: who tells history shapes who holds power, and whether the democratic promise of America’s 250th anniversary is realized or merely performed.
Sources: Nonprofit Quarterly
Clergy Network Uses America’s 250th to Revive Civil Conversation Across Political Lines
A fast-growing network of clergy is treating the Declaration of Independence as a sacred civic text — and deploying it to draw congregations into structured conversations across deep political divides. As America’s 250th anniversary this July becomes contested political territory, with both parties claiming the mantle of patriotism, these faith leaders are deliberately stepping outside partisan frameworks to model democratic engagement. Chronicle of Philanthropy correspondent David Wheeler profiles the movement, which is positioning houses of worship as trusted neutral conveners at a moment when most public institutions have lost that credibility. For the nonprofit and faith-based sector, the effort signals renewed appetite for civic bridge-building ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Sources: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
The Best Nonprofit Outcomes Are Invisible — And Funders Need to Show Up to See Them
Devontà Dickey argues in the Chronicle of Philanthropy that the most important outcomes of nonprofit work often go unmeasured — and that the trust-based philanthropy movement is missing a critical ingredient: funders who actually show up. Many foundations adopt trust-based principles, then retreat to quarterly reporting cycles that measure what’s quantifiable rather than what matters. Dickey calls for a different model in which funders witness outcomes that don’t appear in dashboards: restored community relationships, shifts in power, the slow work of healing and belonging. Without this kind of present, attentive engagement, he argues, philanthropy will keep evaluating nonprofits on easy metrics while the most meaningful results remain invisible.
Sources: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Philanthropy for a Fractured World: Funders Back Grassroots Organizers Who Resist and Build
As global crises multiply and formal systems falter, a philanthropy analysis in Nonprofit Quarterly profiles funders supporting grassroots organizers doing double work: resisting systems that produce harm while simultaneously building community-centered alternatives. The piece profiles initiatives across Palestine, Haiti, and other frontlines where organizers are creating mutual aid networks, local governance structures, and health systems outside of failing state institutions. The authors argue that funders still wedded to project-based grants and short-term impact metrics are misaligned with the needs of this moment — and that true resilience funding requires multi-year commitments, trust-based relationships, and the courage to support work whose outcomes cannot always be predicted or measured in advance.
Sources: Nonprofit Quarterly
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.