The Chronicle of Philanthropy

What The Chronicle of Philanthropy does

The Chronicle of Philanthropy is an independent nonprofit media organization founded in 1988 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., covering the U.S. philanthropic sector. Following a 2023 spinoff from the for-profit Chronicle of Higher Education, it operates as a 501(c)(3)-style organization serving nonprofit professionals, foundation executives, fundraisers, and job seekers in the social sector through digital journalism, a monthly print magazine, newsletters, podcasts, research databases, webinars, a career center job board, and curated playbooks. Its core platform is philanthropy.com, a subscription-gated content site layered on a web-based content management system, email delivery infrastructure, and Zoom-integrated event delivery, with over 30 years of article archives and exclusive proprietary datasets such as the Philanthropy 50 ranking, America's Favorite Charities, and the Big Charitable Gifts database.

The business model combines recurring tiered membership subscriptions (Digital $15/mo, Digital+Print $24/mo, Premium $32/mo), institutional site licenses for organizations, a paid job board (Career Center with 122,000+ monthly visitors and 182,000+ newsletter subscribers), advertising and sponsorship (Impact Hub, brand studio), paid webinars and workshops ($89-$159), and philanthropic grants from foundations including Lilly Endowment, Walton Family Foundation, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and Einhorn Collaborative that fund specific editorial initiatives such as The Commons. Distribution is multi-channel, extending the organization's reach through Associated Press syndication and a co-produced Giving Today newsletter with The Conversation.

The organization maintains a horizontal segmentation focused on nonprofit professionals and foundations, offering distinct sub-products (editorial sections like The Commons, research projects, training events, and Solutions Playbooks covering topics from AI strategy to major-gift fundraising). A board of directors led by Rose Chan Loui (board chair) governs the organization, which discloses all sources of philanthropic funding. There is no venture capital, private equity, or other institutional investment; the organization's capital base is subscription revenue, advertising, and foundation grants.

Name

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Legal name

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Website

https://philanthropy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Chronicle of Philanthropy is an independent nonprofit media organization (founded 1988, Washington D.C.) that serves U.S. nonprofit professionals, foundations, and fundraisers with subscription-based journalism, research databases, newsletters, webinars, a job board, and a monthly print magazine on philanthropy.com.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Sector Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK)

Keywords

• Nonprofit news media
• Philanthropic journalism
• Nonprofit sector research
• Fundraising intelligence
• Nonprofit career resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Subscription/Membership Revenue: Tiered membership subscriptions (Digital $15/mo, Digital + Print $24/mo, Premium $32/mo) with annual billing options at discounted rates. Premium includes GrantStation access valued at $699 annually.
2. Training and Webinars: Expert-led 75-minute training sessions available free with premium membership or individually priced (typically $89 per session). Workshops priced at $139-$159 per session.
3. Career Center Job Postings: Job board for nonprofit positions with over 122,000 monthly visitors, 182,000+ newsletter subscribers, and 386,000+ social platform followers
4. Magazine/Issues: Print magazine delivered monthly to subscribers, priced at $12 per issue. Digital replica also included.
5. Advertising and Sponsorship: Marketing solutions including Impact Hub, brand studio, and array of sponsorship and advertising opportunities for promoting products and services to nonprofit audience

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The Chronicle of Philanthropy is an independent nonprofit media organization publishing news, opinion, and analysis about philanthropic giving and the nonprofit sector. It operates philanthropy.com as a digital news platform alongside a monthly print magazine, a tiered membership program (Digital, Digital + Print, Premium), a job board for nonprofit careers, and exclusive research products such as the Philanthropy 50 donor ranking and the Big Charitable Gifts database.

Product overview

The Chronicle of Philanthropy operates as a multi-platform media organization serving the nonprofit sector with news, research, and professional development resources. The core product is Philanthropy.com, a digital news platform offering both free and subscription-based content. The organization offers a tiered membership model (Digital, Digital + Print, and Premium) providing access to articles, archives, newsletters, research databases, and training resources. Key editorial products include The Commons section on civic unity, the Philanthropy 50 annual donor ranking, and America's Favorite Charities research. Premium members receive integrated access to GrantStation for grant-seeking. Additional offerings include webinars, forums, workshops, the Nonprofits Now podcast, a career center job board, and a print magazine. The organization hosts online events via Zoom and provides practical playbooks on fundraising and leadership topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Commons: A special section focusing on how nonprofits and foundations can work to close the nation's divides including racial, geographic, gender, ideological, and other divisions.
• Philanthropy 50
• America's Favorite Charities
• Philanthropy Today

Products and services

• Philanthropy.com Digital News Platform The primary digital news platform providing articles, analysis, opinion pieces, and resources about philanthropy, nonprofit management, fundraising, and foundation giving for nonprofit sector professionals.
• Membership Subscriptions Tiered subscription memberships (Digital $15/mo, Digital + Print $24/mo, Premium $32/mo) providing unlimited access to articles, archives, exclusive surveys, databases, newsletters, and special reports. Premium includes GrantStation access.
• Group/Organizational Site Licenses Enterprise subscription providing unlimited Chronicle access for all staff members at an institution or nonprofit organization.
• The Chronicle Magazine Monthly print magazine delivering big-picture ideas, successful fundraising approaches, leadership insights, and provocative opinion essays to subscribers, with digital replica included.
• Email Newsletters Suite of email newsletters including the free daily Philanthropy Today, member-only Need to Know, Premium-tier Nonprofit Adviser, and The Commons newsletter, providing curated news, analysis, and trends for nonprofit professionals.
• Philanthropy 50 Annual ranking and database tracking America's top 50 donors, sortable by name, donation amount, source of wealth, location, and cause supported.
• America's Favorite Charities Annual report and ranking identifying the 100 charities that raise the most cash contributions from individual Americans, private foundations, and corporate philanthropies.
• Big Charitable Gifts Database Free searchable database of charitable gifts of $1 million or more from individuals, sortable by cause and donation size.
• Career Center Job Board Online job board marketplace connecting nonprofit employers with nonprofit sector professionals, attracting over 122,000 monthly visitors and 182,000+ newsletter subscribers.
• Online Events and Training Virtual training sessions, forums, and workshops covering fundraising, leadership, technology, and nonprofit management topics, delivered live via Zoom and available on-demand.
• Nonprofits Now Podcast Podcast featuring conversations on nonprofit leadership, essential sector discussions, and important insights from sector leaders and experts.
• The State of Nonprofit Technology Survey Exclusive member survey examining nonprofit technology adoption, priorities, and challenges faced by nonprofit sector leaders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of thousands of readers across the social sector
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Associated PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chronicle distributes articles to the Associated Press news service's members worldwide. They also collaborate with AP and The Conversation to produce Giving Today, a free weekly newsletter. This partnership amplifies the Chronicle's content reach beyond its direct subscriber base to AP's extensive news network.
• The ConversationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to produce Giving Today, a free weekly newsletter. The Conversation also republishes Chronicle content, expanding audience reach. They also collaborate on articles about nonprofits and philanthropy for broader public understanding.
• ZoomsupportingTechnology or IntegrationVideo conferencing platform used for delivering online training sessions, forums, and workshops to Chronicle audiences. Events are promoted and accessed through Zoom registration links.
• GrantStationcoreTechnology or IntegrationGrantStation database access is included as a key benefit of Premium membership (valued at $699 annually). This partnership provides members with grant writing resources and funding opportunity search capabilities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Philanthropy News Digest (Candid): Free daily news digest covering philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, operated by Candid. Competes more narrowly with the Chronicle's Philanthropy Today newsletter and broader nonprofit news coverage, primarily via aggregation rather than original reporting.
• Giving USA Foundation: Publishes the annual Giving USA report on U.S. charitable giving — research that the Chronicle regularly analyzes and cites. Represents both a research peer (annual sector data) and a potential content partnership/competitor in the philanthropy research space.

Direct peers

• The NonProfit Times: Long-running U.S. trade publication covering nonprofit management, fundraising, and operations. Directly comparable to the Chronicle in target audience (nonprofit executives and fundraisers), subscription-based B2B media model, and editorial coverage of the nonprofit sector.
• Nonprofit Quarterly: Independent nonprofit media organization publishing journalism, analysis, and research on the nonprofit sector. Shares the Chronicle's mission-driven publishing model, focus on nonprofit leadership and equity, and subscription/membership revenue approach.
• Inside Philanthropy: Subscription-based media outlet covering philanthropy, foundation strategy, and major donors. Competes with the Chronicle for foundation executives and grantmakers seeking in-depth coverage of high-net-worth giving and institutional philanthropy.
• Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR): Magazine and digital platform publishing ideas and research about social sector strategy, philanthropy, and nonprofits. Comparable audience (foundation leaders, nonprofit executives, social entrepreneurs) with a more research/academic editorial mix and tiered subscription model.

Broad incumbents

• Candid (formerly Foundation Center + GuideStar): Major nonprofit data and research organization providing information on foundations, grants, and nonprofits. Overlaps with the Chronicle's research/database offerings (e.g., Big Charitable Gifts) and serves the same foundation/grantee audience, though Candid's core product is structured data rather than journalism.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education: Former parent organization of the Chronicle of Philanthropy until the 2023 spinoff. Closely related as a subscription-based trade publication serving higher education professionals — substantially larger but operating in an adjacent professional sector with a comparable B2B publishing playbook.

Others

• The Conversation: Nonprofit news organization that co-produces Giving Today newsletter with the Chronicle and republishes its content. Acts as a content-distribution partner rather than direct competitor, but operates the same nonprofit-journalism model with academic and policy audiences.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP): Professional association for fundraising professionals that publishes research and resources on fundraising practice. Represents a meaningful adjacent community the Chronicle sells subscriptions into and whose members overlap heavily with the Chronicle's core nonprofit-professional target.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/philanthropy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCk0hYi2US2LASzODBika_6w
• Facebookfacebook.com/ChronicleOfPhilanthropy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1520246
• Instagraminstagram.com/chronicleofphilanthropy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Chronicle of Philanthropy