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In an uncertain environment for corporate giving, Liberty Mutual Foundation launches $600M endowment

<block>NEW YORK (AP) — Corporate foundations’ philanthropic commitments were called into question this past year as tariff-driven uncertainty, rising costs and tax law changes prompted many companies to reconsider their charitable strategies.Nonprofits received a reassuring answer this week, however, from the century-old, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance. The major insurer’s nonprofit Liberty Mutual Foundation announced Wednesday the establishment of a $600 million endowment, a long-term source of funding that leaders promise will bring lasting resources and more responsive grantmaking.“We all know that we live in really challenging times. And that is very true for our nonprofit partners as well,” Melanie Foley, the chair of the foundation’s board, told the Associated Press. “We’ll be there to continue to support them, be as flexible as we can be, really listening to what they need.” Endowments generally start with a set donation that is invested and allow foundations to increase their assets over time. Foley said Liberty Mutual Foundation had “matured” enough from its 2003 founding to necessitate “a permanent, self-sustaining” funding source. The Fortune 100 company is funding the endowment by transferring assets such as shares held within Liberty Mutual entities.The move places Liberty Mutual’s charitable arm among an influential subset of foundations with more than $100 million in assets. Partners should feel a “sense of security,” according to Foley. This new source will allow the foundation to increase grantmaking from its roughly $50 million baseline of recent years.Foley emphasized that Wednesday’s announcement isn’t a response to recent developments in the sector. But the news arrives at a time of great instability for nonprofits. There’s been a yearslong decline in the number of American donors, who make up the bulk of U.S. philanthropic funding. The Trump administration’s attempts to freeze federal funds and cut social services grants have left many organizations without a once-reliable avenue for funding. Companies and philanthropies have reversed course on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that often resulted in support for nonprofits serving vulnerable communities.Those poised to benefit most from Liberty Mutual Foundation’s endowment are Boston-area nonprofits addressing its focus on housing stability, workforce development and climate resiliency — areas where leaders believe they can leverage their expertise as a global property and casualty insurer. The foundation directed gifts to more than 500 nonprofits last year, according to a company spokesperson. Previous recipients include national nonprofits like the American Red Cross, local chapters of groups such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and community organizations serving homeless youth such as Bridge Over Troubled Waters.Corporate foundations offer nonprofits a level of “rigor and relevance” when they align their purpose with the business’ outcomes, according to Leah Battin, the manager of strategic advisory at Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose. A healthcare company might address social determinants of health such as pollution or nutrition with greater precision than a family or community foundation lacking in that background.“They can take long-term views around ecosystems change that really benefit and draw from the expertise of the company,” she said.With the new endowment, Foley said Liberty Mutual Foundation plans to provide more high impact grants over longer periods. She pointed to a recent program that provides nonprofit collaboratives with the time and resources to tackle complex challenges they can’t handle alone. Its first year saw more than $9 million go toward more than a dozen partnerships addressing issues from workforce readiness to food security. A handful received three-year support, which Foley said represents the outer limits of their grant durations.The foundation also intends to make spot grants similar to those coming out of COVID-19 aimed at remediating inflationary pressures, according to Foley. The idea, she said, is to be there when “the unexpected” happens.“As things come up in the environment, we’re gonna be there to think with our partners of how we are best suited to support them,” Foley said.___Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.</block>

Snohomish detectives renew plea for tips in Shelby Wright case, who’s been missing for 22 years

Shelby Wright, a teenager who has now been missing for 22 years, had a birthday on Tuesday, April 7, making him 36 years old.As his birthday passed, Snohomish County detectives are renewing their request for public tips regarding his disappearance, as it remains an active missing persons investigation.Wright, a Snohomish resident, was living with a relative in Machias when he went missing. His last known location was near the Machias Cemetery. His laptop also went missing when he vanished, accor

Here’s where things stand after a tentative, 2-week Iran ceasefire took effect

would work with Iran to “dig up and remove” the uranium — though Iran did not confirm that.Trump, along with Israel, has called for Iran to completely dismantle its nuclear program. Iran rejected that in its 10-point proposal for ending the war.Iran’s missile programSince the war began Feb. 28, Iran has launched more than 5,000 drones, over 2,100 ballistic missiles and over 50 cruise missiles, according to statistics from the Washington-based Jewish Institute for National Security of Ameri

A project to save rural synagogues grows from Maine to Montana

“Those people deserve to be served and shepherded.”Isaacs is executive director of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life at Colby College, a liberal arts school in Waterville, Maine. The center began a decade ago with a goal of supporting Jewish congregations that are far from big cities and it has grown to run programs for more than 60 communities in 22 states.A little less than 2.4% of Americans are Jewish. Of those millions of people, one in eight lives outside a major urban area, and the cen

Downtown Seattle Association ‘sounding the alarm’ on stalled job growth amid record number of residents

On a sunny weekend, downtown Seattle is sure to be packed, whether people are enjoying the market or the waterfront, but what about during the week?John Scholes, president of the Downtown Seattle Association, told “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio there are some encouraging signs and some troubling trends about the state of downtown.“Total visitors last summer were higher than what we saw in 2019, so you look from April to September, there’s an incredible amount

Snohomish County Health Department faces major cuts

The Snohomish County Health Department could face major cuts this year.While the Washington State Legislature replaced $29 million in public health funding that was on the chopping block, it did not pass any of the four bills that would have resolved a vapor tax issue, leaving a $21 million gap statewide, according to The Everett Herald.The $21 million cut comes directly from the Foundational Public Health Services account, which was already facing $50 million in potential cuts at the start of t

GM recalling more than 270,000 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles in US due to rearview camera screen issue

The automaker’s investigation found that the mounting configuration of the Sharp Electronics camera on the Chevrolet Malibu could expose it to moisture that may breach an insufficient housing bond.The recall includes Chevrolet Malibu vehicles with model years 2023 through 2025.GM said that it is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the recall issue.Dealers will replace the rearview camera for free.Owner notification letters are anticipated to start being mailed out on May 18. In

Trump is expected to meet NATO leader Rutte as he muses about pulling out of the military alliance

Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, issued a statement Tuesday night in support of the alliance, noting that, “Following the September 11th attacks, NATO allies sent their young servicemembers to fight and die alongside America’s own in Afghanistan and Iraq.” McConnell, who sits on a committee overseeing defense spending, urged Trump to be “clear and consistent” and said it’s not in America’s interest to “spend more time nursing grudges with allies who share our interests than de

Rep. Eric Swalwell vows to push back on ICE in bid for California governor

They’re not,” Swalwell told a large crowd at a town hall in Sacramento, the state capital. He didn’t specify how he’d advance those policies, which would likely face legal challenges.The event kicked off a series of campaign functions he’s planned around the state with less than a month to go until mail-in ballots go out to voters ahead of the June 2 primary. Swalwell, a Democrat, is among a crowded field of candidates jostling for advantage in a race in which a small margin co

The Latest: Trump pulls back on threats as US, Israel and Iran reach a 2-week ceasefire deal

Iran, the United States and Israel said they reached a deal for a two-week ceasefire war, with Tehran saying it would negotiate with the United States in Islamabad beginning Friday. Trump initially said Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan, but he later called the plan fraudulent without elaborating.Trump’s threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran hit a new extreme hours before the ceasefire when he warned, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran

How Trump went from threatening Iran’s annihilation to agreeing to a two-week ceasefire with Tehran

Even China — Iran’s biggest trading partner and the United States’ most significant economic competitor — quietly pulled strings to find a pathway toward a ceasefire, according to two officials briefed on the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.“The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE

Trial to begin in lawsuit over fatal Los Angeles police shooting of 14-year-old girl in 2021

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A wrongful-death lawsuit filed against the Los Angeles Police Department for an officer’s fatal shooting of a 14-year-old girl in a clothing store is set to begin trial Wednesday.Valentina Orellana-Peralta was shopping for Christmas clothes with her mother at a Burlington store in the San Fernando Valley’s North Hollywood neighborhood on Dec. 23, 2021, when she was struck by a bullet that had gone through the dressing room wall.Police were responding to calls for help af

Rex Heuermann to plead guilty in the Gilgo Beach killings, ending long search for a serial killer

Some of the victims were believed to have disappeared from that community and their cellphones were found to have pinged towers in the area, authorities said.After the truck discovery, a grand jury authorized more than 300 subpoenas and search warrants, allowing the task force to dig in to Heuermann’s life.Detectives collected billing records for burner phones he allegedly used to arrange meetings with the victims, retested DNA found with the bodies and scoured Heuermann’s internet search histor

Photos show iconic stops along historic Route 66

When it comes to Route 66, it’s not about getting somewhere fast — it’s about the journey.One of the most iconic highways in the world, the Mother Road is turning 100 this year. Despite losing its status decades ago as one of the nation’s main arteries, people from around the world still flock to it to take perhaps the quintessential American road trip and soak in the neon lights, kitschy motels and culinary offerings.Aside from establishing a course from bustling Chicago to th

Eight states, three time zones and a ton of history: Take a trip down Route 66 as it turns 100

(AP) — If you’ve ever planned to motor west and take the highway that’s the best, this might be time: Route 66 turns 100 this year.The Mother Road, as author John Steinbeck dubbed it, has evolved over the years from an escape for poor farmers fleeing the devastating dust storms of the 1930s to perhaps the quintessential American road trip that’s still delivering kicks.Although there have been faster and more direct routes between the nation’s second- and third-largest cities for some time, Route

Volunteers turn a fan’s recordings of 10,000 concerts into an online treasure trove

All of it is slowly becoming available for streaming and free download at the nonprofit online repository Internet Archive, including that nascent Nirvana show recording, with the audio from Jacobs’ cassette recorder cleaned up.Jacbos’ first recording was in 1984By the time Jacobs snuck his tape recorder into that Nirvana gig, he had been recording concerts for five years already. As a teen discovering music, Jacobs began taping songs off the radio. “And I eventually met a fellow who

Route 66, a quintessential American road trip heavy on kitsch and history, turns 100

The road feeds us, and as long as we put our feelings and love back into the road, it will reverberate with the travelers and the stories of the people.”A divided highwayRoute 66 was an economic boon to the Native American tribes along the way. But although it brought tourists, it also left scars of eminent domain across tribal land and perpetuated stereotypes.More than half of the highway crossed through Indian Country, and vendor signs often made casual references to tipis and feathered headdr

‘I’m disappointed that it had to get here’: Lawyer who filed recall against Ferguson hopes issue resolves before it goes to court

Olympia-based lawyer Conner Edwards filed a recall petition against Washington Governor Bob Ferguson, hoping the action will push the governor to fill two vacant seats on the Public Disclosure Commission.Edwards told “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio he doesn’t want Ferguson to be recalled, but he does want the governor to address the two empty seats.“I’m hoping genuinely that it doesn’t even go to court,” Edwards said. “If he is willing to

Seattle police assign permanent officers to Magnuson Park after successful pilot program

After a successful 90-day pilot program last year, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) will now make permanent its Neighborhood Resource Officer (NRO) program in Magnuson Park.The program consists of three officers and grew out of SPD Chief Shon Barnes’ belief in community-oriented policing.“They’re going to be establishing relationships with our community. They’re going to make sure we can reduce crime. They’re going to be making sure we are fulfilling our obligati

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Ray Stevens recovering after breaking neck

NASHVILLE (AP) — Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Ray Stevens broke his neck and is recovering at home after being briefly hospitalized, according to a statement published Tuesday.The 87-year-old country star known for his topical satire fell late last month, according to the statement released on the social platform X. Doctors have told him to wear a neck brace for about a month.“He remains fully mobile & in good spirits,” the statement said.Stevens’ decades-long recording caree