This holiday season, many families are feeling stretched. Budgets are tight and life feels heavy. But there is a quiet evolution happening across the country. More Americans are discovering that generosity speaks many languages. According to the Johnson Center for Philanthropy's 2025 Trends Report, nonprofits are creating new pathways for people to give through service, mentorship and in-kind support. These opportunities complement traditional philanthropy and together they are making giving more accessible than ever.
The historic gift has little precedent, with few single charitable commitments in the past 25 years exceeding $1 billion, much less multiple billions. Announced on GivingTuesday, the Dells believe it's the largest single private commitment made to U.S. children. It is also unusual in that it will operate through investment accounts set up by the U.S. Department of the Treasury that will be managed by private companies.
Six million dollars can buy a lot of things, but they do not guarantee a place in the pantheon of immortality. The amount, give or take a cent, is what Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have ponied up as star sponsors of the next glitzy gala organized by the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of New York, to be held on the first Monday of May 2026.
The Plaza Hotel has always performed a kind of alchemy in November. Its marble floors gleam with a wintered radiance, its chandeliers scatter light like finely cut glass, and its famed Palm Court transforms into a microcosm of New York's holiday anticipationtwinkling garlands, gold-ribboned wreaths, evergreen branches flirting with crystal ornaments. This year, the magic of that storied setting carried a deeper resonance, because earlier this month, the Plaza became the stage for one of the most emotionally charged and intellectually vital gatherings in the city's philanthropic landscape: the 19th Annual Hope for Depression Research Foundation Luncheon
I had a family, at least in part, to create what I never had: a home with love. My parents were not good people - we'll leave it at that. We were middle-class, and while they had the money to support me, they didn't, financially or otherwise. That's part of where my drive came from. I was bullied in school and penniless in college. I had to make my own way.
Growing up, my first job was to be a translator for my family at age 6. As a teenager, my job was working the front desk at the restaurant they were eventually able to open,
The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL), a female-founded animal welfare organization that has operated since 1899, received a $2 million donation Nov. 13 from Arthur and Paula Rabe, the Boston Business Journal reported. The gift will support the ARL's construction of a new three-story facility in the South End, which is expected to cost $48 million.
Over the next 20 years, an estimated $84 trillion will change hands in the U.S.; some call this the Great Wealth Transfer, others the Silver Tsunami. This wealth is held in cash and assets, but also in the estimated 2.9 million private U.S. businesses that are owned by those over 55. Many retiring business owners will look to sell their company to private equity or larger conglomerates, while others will pass their businesses on to their heirs.
Best known for his portrayal of Andre "Dre" Johnson on ABC's Black-ish, Anderson not only starred in the series but also served as executive producer. The show became a cultural touchstone, using comedy to explore themes of identity, family, and progress. His creative influence extended to spin-offs like Grown-ish and a variety of hosting roles, including To Tell the Truth and the 75th Emmy Awards.
The Shermans were found dead from strangulation in the basement pool area of their home on Old Colony Road in Toronto's North York neighbourhood on Dec. 15, 2017, and the case has remained unsolved. I'm encouraged, to a small degree, that the case is still active, that [the police] haven't since said. we can't solve this,' Krawczyk told CBC Radio's Metro Morning earlier this week. I honestly don't know where they're at, and I respect that, she said.
One-third of US museums have lost government grants or contracts since Donald Trump took office, according to a new survey. The findings, released by the American Alliance of Museums on Tuesday and based on responses from more than 500 museum directors across the US, shed new light on the challenges cultural institutions are facing under the Trump administration.
Sticking with tradition, Johnson will ride down Colorado Boulevard and help usher in the new year as the Grand Marshal of the Rose Parade. He will also participate in the pre-game ceremony at the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the 112th Rose Bowl Game. Johnson is most known for his legendary basketball career that saw him lead the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships. Since his retirement, he has become a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist who supports underserved communities through his Magic Johnson Foundation.
On the same day, Biohub said it wouldpartner with EvolutionaryScaleto leverage AI to "dramatically accelerate scientific progress toward understanding and addressing human disease." "When we started, our goal was to help scientists cure or prevent all diseases this century," Zuckerberg said in a press release. "With advances in AI, we now believe this may be possible much sooner. Accelerating science is the most positive impact we think we can make. So we're going all in on AI-powered biology for our next chapter."
GoFundMe has introduced a new offering that allows you to purchase digital gift cards for your loved ones, enabling them to donate to their favorite nonprofit organizations during the holidays. The gift cards start at $5 and come in a variety of themes and causes, including Birthday, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan, as well as cards for animal lovers, cancer fighters, and nature protectors.
Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, said climate change's doomsday scenario is wrong, and advocated for continuing reductions in carbon emissions while accelerating aid to countries most affected by the Earth's warming climate, he said during a talk at Caltech on Monday, Nov. 3. Fortunately, although climate is an extremely serious problem, it is not of that nature: it will not end civilization. It's a very serious threat to human welfare but in most locations it is not the biggest, he said.
This year, the number of women in the workforce has fallen by 500,000, while the number of men rose by nearly 400,000. That statistic tells us something is very broken. We've built systems that aren't working, and women are bearing the brunt of it. I believe that if we're bold enough to rethink how work works-if we make it more flexible, more fair, more inclusive-then we're not just helping women. We're unlocking opportunity for everyone.
Mookie Betts was named the 2025 recipient of Major League Baseball's most prestigious individual player honor, the Roberto Clemente Award, which is annual recognition of an MLB player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field. Betts was nominated by the Los Angeles Dodgers for his many extraordinary efforts, including supporting young people in a variety of ways and helping victims of the L.A. fires.
"People often think of climate change as a separate bucket at the end of a long row of other buckets of problems we're trying to fix that are wrong in the world," Hayhoe told Axios. This includes poverty, disease and access to clean water. "Climate change is not a separate bucket," Hayhoe said. "The reason we care about climate change is that it's the hole in every bucket."
