NYN Media Buzz: Feb. 16, 2018

Food Bank for New York City held its annual NYC Conference on Hunger & Poverty. The event included a speech by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson as well as a press briefing with CEO Margarette Purvis on a new report highlighting the needs of found pantries and soup kitchens in battling food insecurity across the city.

The American Century Investments Foundation has issued a new Request for Proposal. “Organizations providing innovative opportunities that are sustainable and inspire growth,” are urged to apply for grants from the New York City-based foundation. Grant amounts generally range from $5,000 to $25,000. Applications for the upcoming round of funding are due by 5 p.m. on April 4.

A new Blackbaud Institute report shows that nonprofits nationwide raised about $30 billion last year despite an uncertain philanthropic landscape. A 4.1 percent increase in giving represented a spike from the year before when giving levels stayed relatively flat, according to the 2017 Charitable Giving Report. Here are a few takeaways:

• Overall giving grew approximately 4.1 percent in 2017
• Online giving grew 12.1 percent in 2017 compared to 2016
• Online donations made up 7.6 percent of all fundraising in 2017
• #GivingTuesday online donations were up 28 percent in 2017
• 21 percent of online donations were made on a mobile device in 2017