Giving Compass' Take:
- Jennifer Donovan spotlights a discussion between foundation leaders about Unite in Advance, a coalition of nonprofits and foundations defending the freedom to speak, give, and invest.
- What is your role as a donor or funder in coalition building to defend the nonprofit sector from attacks on its value to society and its ability to make change?
- Ask a custom question to find other articles focused on the nonprofit sector's role in upholding civil society.
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On September 2, 2026, John Palfrey, President of the MacArthur Foundation, and Jamie Merisotis, President and CEO of Lumina Foundation sat down with Amir Pasic, Dean of the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, for Perspectives on Philanthropy. The conversation addressed the importance of collective action, leadership, and philanthropy’s role in supporting organizations and communities during times of change.
Unite in Advance
At the center of the discussion was Unite in Advance, a coalition launched in April 2025. This network of charitable nonprofits and foundations has united to defend the freedom to give, invest, and speak.
Although participating organizations may not agree on everything, they share common ground and agree to stand arm-in-arm to protect fundamental constitutional rights and the First Amendment, no matter where they fall on the political spectrum. “We agree that we need to be able to have a freedom to give and a freedom to invest,” said Palfrey.
Merisotis echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the freedom to support causes and speak out transcends political ideology: “We are standing together to say that you can’t tell us what we can invest in what we get, not from the right, not from the left.”
Read the full article about Unite in Advance by Jennifer Donovan at Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.