Newsletter

October 2020: An Update from the Center for Strategic Philanthropy

1 Oct 2020

Topics

In this issue

In Focus: CSP and Our Partners in the News »

When COVID-19 showed its initial, troubling signs of what was eventually to come, the Center for Strategic Philanthropy (CSP) focused on rising to meet the complex, multifaceted challenges being thrown at our world.

We expanded our work, helping philanthropists respond to the immediate health, economic, and social challenges the pandemic brought to bear. We've also been thinking long term about rebuilding systems so that they’re stronger and more equitable than the ones that existed before. CSP launched our first ever advisory board, and published several reports to help donors understand the giving landscape and how COVID-19 is affecting other issue areas.

You can always keep up with our latest news and updates by following us on LinkedIn and by checking out our Giving Compass Magazine page. Thank you for reading and sharing this newsletter with others.

New Reports and Resources

Stepping off the Sidelines: The State of UHNWI Giving

The CSP took a close look at the giving patterns of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, highlighting the fact that much-needed philanthropic capital is sitting on the sidelines, unspent, at a time of tremendous need. This report analyzes the global giving landscape and identifies strategies to help donors create an outsized impact.

Giving Smarter in the Age of COVID-19 series

This series of reports focuses on how philanthropists can lead strategic initiatives to rebuild better health, education, infrastructure, and other critical systems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. In examining these issue areas, CSP also found hidden ways in which young people, women, and Black and brown people are being hit hard by pandemic setbacks.

Biomedical Research: While much attention has been understandably focused on developing a COVID-19 vaccine and treatments, progress toward many other areas of medical research has fallen behind. This guide examines the larger biomedical research landscape and highlights areas where donors can make investments to reset the field.
Well-Being in Higher Education: Campus closures and the switch to online learning have caused a great deal of stress to students and faculty. But while student mental health has been at the top of campus leaders’ concerns, only 35 percent of school presidents said they planned to invest more in mental health services due to COVID-19. This guide, supported by the Citrone 33 Foundation, outlines the challenges and the opportunities for philanthropy to intervene and ensure a positive learning experience in the college years and beyond.
America’s Mental Health System: Beyond challenges to students, the mental health ecosystem, which was already in crisis before the pandemic, is now under extreme pressure as the emotional well-being of people of all ages continues to be impacted. Philanthropic investment is needed to facilitate an immediate crisis response and support long-term solutions that build capacity across the system and make it easier to access care.
Environmental Conservation: When laboratories closed and fieldwork paused because of COVID-19, frontline conservation workers were hampered from doing the work needed to mitigate negative impacts on the environment. There is still time to re-prioritize conservation issues before it’s too late.

The COVID-19 Philanthropy Hub

As the pandemic intensified, donors became inundated with requests for contributions. In response to demand, CSP launched an online resource for donors looking to give financial resources and time, talents, and connections to manage the immediate and long-term effects of the crisis. This curated hub is updated regularly, and opportunities can be filtered according to region, type, and more.

The CSP Inaugural Advisory Board

This summer, CSP inaugurated our very first Advisory Board. This group of 11 leading philanthropists and experts in their fields will advise CSP, help shape the field of giving, and ensure that philanthropy makes the impact that it should.

In Focus: CSP and Our Partners in the News

CSP Executive Director Melissa Stevens issued an early call to action for philanthropists to spend down capital held in donor-advised funds (DAFs). “There is no time to delay,” she says. “The world needs philanthropic ‘rainy day’ funds during this time of global uncertainty.”
CSP philanthropic partners Cindy and Rob Citrone launched “UnpackU,” a campaign to promote well-being among students in the Pittsburgh area.
CSP Senior Director LaTese Briggs, PhD, wrote an article for Giving Compass about philanthropy’s turning point moment to right systemic injustices against people of color.
Director Cara Altimus, PhD, wrote an opinion piece for Philanthropy News Digest, calling on science funders to take three urgent steps to strengthen the biomedical research sector.
Melissa Stevens and Director Matt Lurie, PhD, were featured in Inside Philanthropy in an article on zoonotic disease outbreaks and philanthropy’s role in preventing pandemics.
Melissa Stevens was also quoted in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the LA Times, and in a Financial Times special about the role of philanthropy in developing vaccines.
The Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) initiative, incubated at CSP with support from the Sergey Brin Family Foundation, has announced its initial round of research grants. Twenty-one teams will receive grant funds, totaling $161 million.

In a time that is as challenging as the one we are experiencing, we must continue to ask ourselves two key questions: What are we doing to meet the moment? And is it enough? CSP stands ready to partner with you to ensure that your philanthropy is strategic, and that it creates the long-term change you wish to see in the world.