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Against the backdrop of the pandemic, this roundtable discussion was centered around faith-based institutions that seek to align their investments with the belief systems that guide their organizations while also being held accountable by their philanthropic donors. The diversity of the six participants—ranging in size and scale, complexity, geography, and faith—led to a robust discussion yielding multiple perspectives on the imminent challenges of COVID-19, faith-based initiatives, and three key takeaways on navigating the new landscape.

COVID-19 is exacerbating ongoing geopolitical and societal challenges, and the existential crisis of climate change looms large. In this 16th edition of the Global Risks Report, it highlights the implications of major risks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and an emerging risk landscape spanning from the digital divide to navigating global fractures to considering strategic investments to avoid catastrophic outcomes.

In this Family Philanthropy Speaks conversation, Jeff and Tricia Raikes join Nick Tedesco to discuss how they have changed practices and acknowledged privilege throughout their donor journey. Jeff shares the value of diversifying their network, which opens the doors to new grantees and opportunities for impact. Tricia describes a revelatory moment that changed her views on youth homelessness and notes the need to embrace discomfort as she grapples with her own understanding of racial inequity.

When an off-the-shelf solution doesn’t cut it, responsible investors can turn to customized separately managed accounts (SMAs) to build portfolios that align with their values, including expressing their individual ESG views. With an SMA, investors can also gain the market exposure they’re seeking through portfolio construction, active ownership, or a combination of the two.

Solving world hunger—or “food insecurity”—is really hard. The solutions are not particularly sexy, and they require a very long-term outlook. In seeking to learn more about the problem, we reached out to the ones trying to solve it.

In Part 2 of the conversation on solving world hunger through innovation and strategic investing, we welcome two more entrepreneurs. Ezinne Uzo-Okuro, CEO of Terraformers, is using her background as a NASA scientist to empower people to grow healthy food and create sustainable livelihoods. Manuela Zierau, Global Lead of H2Grow, works with communities to grow food—and well-being—in impossible places. Private Client CIO Sid Ahl and CrossBoundary’s Kirtika Challa join in to discuss investment takeaways.

Prizes have long been used to recognize achievement and advance innovation and effective solutions. In recent years, prize philanthropy, the use of monetary prizes to recognize achievements or drive developments that benefit society has become more popular among a wider segment of donors. This guide will help philanthropists decide whether and how to use prize philanthropy to achieve their goals.

Digital platforms make microbusinesses possible for millions of people, and companies like Etsy and GoDaddy have been an essential backbone behind them, especially during the pandemic (Etsy sellers contributed $13 billion and almost 3 million jobs to the economy last year). In this NOW episode, we discuss the evolution of microbusinesses and what they mean for the growth and resilience of our communities. Later, David Powell, co-portfolio manager of Brown Advisory's Large-Cap Sustainable Growth strategy, joined the conversation to discuss takeaways for investors.

For charitably minded individuals, cryptocurrency investments—such as Bitcoin and Ethereum—held more than one year may provide a unique opportunity to leverage highly appreciated assets to achieve maximum impact with charitable giving. By donating cryptocurrency to charity, it can also unlock additional funds in two tax-smart ways.For more insights on contributing non-cash assets to charity, listen to the accompanying Giving with Impact podcast.

When thinking about making a donation to support a charity, most of us immediately think about writing a check or typing in a credit card number. Even when we proactively think about using other assets that we may hold as a way to fund our charitable giving, our instinct is to liquidate that item and donate the proceeds. But that may not be the most effective or efficient way to donate. Sometimes, cash isn't king.