Accompanying Governments to Scale
How philanthropy can walk alongside national governments to scale development solutions that deliver over time
Philanthropy & Funding - Most Popular
New and innovative ideas to help nonprofit leaders raise money, and to help funders and donors give more effectively (more)
Building an On-Ramp for Evidence
Scaling effective solutions often stalls in state government because funding systems are not designed to reward proof of impact. A new partnership model shows how states and funders can unlock smarter public spending together.
Beyond USAID
With the downfall of traditional government aid, local organizations around the world need infrastructure connecting them to private funding sources while protecting their missions.
Sustaining Independent Bookstores
How financial models that support long-term resilience and sustainability are helping local bookstores across the United States strengthen their role as Main Street anchors. | This article is free to all readers thanks to sponsorship by an SSIR supporter.
The New Gilded Age Needs Civic Leaders, Not Just Philanthropists
What a new generation of entrepreneurial donors should learn from legacy institutions and leaders.
Building the Refugee Economy
As humanitarian aid agencies buckle under the collapse of financial support, the private sector must step in to invest in refugees and integrate them into the economy. We review three models of success and offer investment strategies. | This article is free to all readers thanks to sponsorship by the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia.
Philanthropy’s Most Important Metric Is the One It Never Measures
We judge philanthropic capital's impact by what it builds while it is building. We should judge by what stands, without it, after the grant has ended.
SSIR Online, Summer 2026 Issue
What SSIR readers are saying about articles on artificial intelligence, charitable giving, and navigating organizational disagreement.
Building to Last
We all—editors, writers, and readers alike—are not just students or observers of the world around us but builders of its future.
Why Don’t Philanthropists Build Anymore?
The United States is living through a second Gilded Age. But unlike yesterday's magnates, today's billionaires prefer to write checks to existing organizations. They should instead build institutions that last.