Philanthropy

Philanthropy for Parks: Strengthening Recreation and Green Spaces
The Los Angeles County Parks Foundation is dedicated to supporting parks and recreation through fundraising, advocacy, and community-driven initiatives, focusing on expanding access to green spaces and programs for underserved communities.
The First Affordable High Rise in 50 Years Set to Break Ground in Seattle
Philanthropic giving is providing a light in the dark of the economic downturn.

In Wyoming, Vast Open Spaces Meet Extreme Gaps Between Rich and Poor
The story of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, illustrates the class tensions that arise when an idealized vision of life close to nature butts up against the realities of wealth, privilege, and social inequality.

Apple Pledges $2.5 Billion for Housing Affordability
It's been a big year for tech giants pledging money to mitigate the affordability crisis in the regions and cities they call home. Apple joins a club that includes Google, Facebook, and Microsoft.
Michael Bloomberg Launches $500 Million 'Beyond Carbon' Campaign
The "War on Coal" is back, in the form of a new grassroots political campaign bankrolled by Bloomberg Philanthropies to decarbonize power generation by targeting existing coal power plants and halting the growth of natural gas replacements.

Jeff Bezos Announces $2 Billion Fund to Support Homeless Services
After the company he founded fought off a tax to fund homeless and affordable housing funds in Seattle earlier this year, Jeff Bezos has announced a new $2 billion fund that will fund homeless services, among other efforts.

Detroit's Rebirth: Beyond the Headlines
John Gallagher takes a look at some of the civic factors and organizations that have worked behind the scenes to pull Detroit through.

Museum Park Reflects Changing Preferences
Raleigh's North Carolina Museum of Art is redesigning its extensive grounds with an eye toward how public interaction with museums is shifting. Inclusion, sustainability, and brand development are paramount.
Op-Ed: Billionaire Philanthropy Defeats Democratic Process
Following the splashy announcement of media mogul Barry Diller's plans to finance a $170 million park at Manhattan's Pier 54, a New York Times column renews the call for more equity in open space around New York City.
Top 10 Civic-Minded Companies
A ranking of the 10 most civic-minded companies holds some surprises -- mainly that the list is dominated by financial services firms.
Meeting on Common Ground: Community Development and Health Philanthropy Working Together
Often times, the community development field and health philanthropy have worked in the same neighborhoods, but separately. This is changing, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Marjorie Paloma told Shelterforce how.
Detroit's Angel Foundation Reconsiders Support
The well-heeled foundation that's been pumping money into civic projects in Detroit is now reconsidering the role it's playing and how much it wants to contribute.
The "Blunt Savvy" of Eli Broad
"For all of Eli Broad's consistent prominence on the public stage in recent years, the buildings he has helped develop make up a disparate, even contradictory group," writes Christopher Hawthorne as he describes the patron's philanthropic endeavors.
The Importance Of Locally Owned Banks
What is the toll that communities, especially poorer ones pay when locally owned banks with local ties are taken over by larger ones? This article describes how the loss of just such a bank has affected Maywood, a working class suburb of Chicago.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research