Giving Done Right
Giving Done Right
The Center for Effective Philanthropy
Defending the Freedom to Give with Tonya Allen and John Palfrey
43 minutes Posted Oct 16, 2025 at 9:00 am.
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Show notes
Is the fundamental right to give according to one’s values under attack in America? Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette talk with two influential foundation leaders who are sounding the alarm and fighting back. Tonya Allen, president of the McKnight Foundation, and John Palfrey, president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, discuss the Unite in Advance initiative — a coalition defending philanthropic rights — and the broader issue of giving as a crucial first amendment right. 
The conversation explores why these leaders believe we're at a critical moment for U.S. civil society, how funders can increase their giving while continuing work on big goals like racial equity and halting climate change, and what individual donors can do to protect the American tradition of charitable giving.
Unite in Advance
McKnight Foundation
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
CEP Blog: “A Wave Forming? Funders Taking Action in Response to a Challenging Context”
Council on Foundations
Independent Sector
National Council of Nonprofits
GroundBreak Coalition
More Perfect
Press Forward
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