Foundations
Here's a look at documents from U.S. foundations
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Royal Society of Edinburgh Takes Over Celtic Academies Role
EDINBURGH, Scotland, April 29 -- The Royal Society of Edinburgh issued the following news:
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Royal Society of Edinburgh takes over Celtic Academies role
The RSE has officially taken over the secretariat role of the Celtic Academies Alliance, marked at a symposium on languages in Wrexham today, Wednesday 29 April.
The Celtic Academies Alliance Languages Symposium is intended to unite researchers and policymakers from Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by language-learning.
The Celtic Academies Alliance comprises the Royal
... Show Full Article
EDINBURGH, Scotland, April 29 -- The Royal Society of Edinburgh issued the following news:
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Royal Society of Edinburgh takes over Celtic Academies role
The RSE has officially taken over the secretariat role of the Celtic Academies Alliance, marked at a symposium on languages in Wrexham today, Wednesday 29 April.
The Celtic Academies Alliance Languages Symposium is intended to unite researchers and policymakers from Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by language-learning.
The Celtic Academies Alliance comprises the RoyalSociety of Edinburgh (RSE), Learned Society of Wales (LSW), and the Royal Irish Academy (RIA). Its role is to promote collaboration and strengthen cross-national understanding within the UK and the whole island of Ireland, using the collective expertise of the three national academies to inform public policy to address shared societal challenges, and advance research across a range of disciplines.
RSE President Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli PRSE will serve as the chair of the alliance, taking over from the previous chair, Professor Hywel Thomas FLSW, president of the Learned Society of Wales.
Under Professor Thomas' leadership, the Celtic Academies Alliance established itself formally, and brought together leading experts from across the Celtic nations to advise government officials and funders on topics including research collaboration, and relations between the nations within the alliance.
RSE President Sir Anton Muscatelli said: "It is with great pleasure that I accept the role of chair of the Celtic Academies Alliance.
"It was only in January of this year that the Celtic Academies Alliance was formalised, building on what had already been many years of fruitful work.
"These kinds of partnerships and alliances are more important than ever to our research communities and our wider society, and I am looking forward to stewarding the Celtic Academies Alliance through its commitments over the next year."
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URL: Learned Society of Wales
URL: Royal Irish Academy
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Original text here: https://rse.org.uk/royal-society-of-edinburgh-takes-over-celtic-academies-role/
Nemours Children's Health Neurologist Elizabeth Wright-Jin Receives Prestigious Award to Advance Research on Neonatal Brain Injuries
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, April 29 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:
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Nemours Children's Health Neurologist Elizabeth Wright-Jin Receives Prestigious Award to Advance Research on Neonatal Brain Injuries
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WILMINGTON, Delaware (April 29, 2026) - Elizabeth Wright-Jin, MD, PhD, has received a Career Development Award from the American Academy of Neurology to further her research on hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), the most common brain injury in babies.
Dr. Wright-Jin, a neonatal neurologist and an early-stage investigator at Nemours Children's Health, Delaware
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JACKSONVILLE, Florida, April 29 -- Nemours Foundation posted the following news release:
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Nemours Children's Health Neurologist Elizabeth Wright-Jin Receives Prestigious Award to Advance Research on Neonatal Brain Injuries
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WILMINGTON, Delaware (April 29, 2026) - Elizabeth Wright-Jin, MD, PhD, has received a Career Development Award from the American Academy of Neurology to further her research on hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), the most common brain injury in babies.
Dr. Wright-Jin, a neonatal neurologist and an early-stage investigator at Nemours Children's Health, DelawareValley, has developed mouse models that have provided valuable insights into HIE. This is a condition that occurs when the brain does not get enough blood or oxygen, often due to a difficult birth. Dr. Wright-Jin will use her Career Development Award, which totals $450,000 over three years, to examine the role the mother's immune cells may play in helping the baby's brain heal from HIE.
"We know that the mom's immune system has been exposed to many pathogens throughout her lifetime. That experience of her immune system allows her cells to react to subsequent 'threats' in more sophisticated ways than the newborn immune system, which is still immature," Dr. Wright-Jin explained. "We hope that our research will identify mechanisms for treating damaging inflammation after brain injury, to ultimately reduce the extent of harm to brain cells in the newborns."
Another crucial question is whether the maternal immune cells are transferred via umbilical cord blood or reside in a "reservoir" in the baby-perhaps in the bone marrow, the spleen, or circulating in blood.
Dr. Wright-Jin also aims to characterize the mother's immune cells. She theorizes that there may be types of immune cells that are more "beneficial" to the healing process in infants and some that are more "detrimental." Identifying these types may allow researchers to develop a tailored treatment approach to newborn brain injuries using a mother's own cells, she explained.
"I suspect that we are going to learn that mom-baby interactions are dynamic and complex, but likely influential to the outcome of HIE," she said.
HIE occurs in 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 births in the United States, and can result in developmental delays, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or autism, and may lead to early death. The risk of HIE is higher if the mother has experienced an infection of the fetal membranes, or if the baby has experienced a perinatal event, such as a placental abruption or other medical emergency.
About Nemours Children's Health
Nemours Children's Health is one of the nation's largest multistate pediatric health systems, which includes two freestanding children's hospitals and a network of more than 70 primary and specialty care practices. Nemours Children's seeks to transform the health of children by adopting a holistic health model that utilizes innovative, safe, and high-quality care, while also addressing children's needs well beyond medicine. In producing the highly acclaimed, award-winning pediatric medicine podcast Well Beyond Medicine, Nemours underscores that commitment by featuring the people, programs and partnerships addressing whole child health. Nemours Children's also powers the world's most-visited website with health information written for parents, kids and teens, Nemours KidsHealth.org.
The Nemours Foundation, established through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy, and prevention programs to the children, families and communities it serves. For more information, visit Nemours.org.
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Original text here: https://nemours.mediaroom.com/WrightJin
In WLF Victory, Unanimous Supreme Court Reverses State Effort to Close Federal Courts to First Amendment Claims
WASHINGTON, April 29 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
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In WLF Victory, Unanimous Supreme Court Reverses State Effort to Close Federal Courts to First Amendment Claims
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"Federal courts exist to vindicate federal rights - full stop, end of story."
-Zac Morgan, WLF Senior Litigation Counsel
Click here to read WLF's brief.
(Washington, DC)-Today in First Choice v. Platkin, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed an appellate court decision that denied a nonprofit targeted by a state attorney general from having its First
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WASHINGTON, April 29 [Category: Law/Legal] -- The Washington Legal Foundation issued the following news release:
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In WLF Victory, Unanimous Supreme Court Reverses State Effort to Close Federal Courts to First Amendment Claims
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"Federal courts exist to vindicate federal rights - full stop, end of story."
-Zac Morgan, WLF Senior Litigation Counsel
Click here to read WLF's brief.
(Washington, DC)-Today in First Choice v. Platkin, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed an appellate court decision that denied a nonprofit targeted by a state attorney general from having its FirstAmendment defense heard in federal court. The Court's reversal was a victory for WLF, who filed an amicus brief in support of First Choice.
The case arises from the New Jersey attorney general's investigatory demand for the identities of donors to First Choice, a nonprofit crisis pregnancy center. Donor privacy has been acknowledged as a First Amendment right by the Supreme Court since 1958's NAACP v. Alabama, but the court of appeals barred the federal courthouse door to First Choice's constitutional claim. What happened to First Choice is a widespread problem beyond the nonprofit sector. Business interests deemed unpopular or "on the wrong side" by politically ambitious AGs have also been hit with similarly unconstitutional demands and then shunted to state court.
The Court's reversal was a victory for WLF, whose amicus brief argued that bottling up this demand would violate section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act, burden First Amendment rights, and incentivize lawfare. The Court agreed-noting that Congress enacted section 1983 "with the express goal of ensuring a federal forum to citizens who claim that state actors have violated their constitutional rights" and concluding that "the Attorney General's demand for private donor information injures the group's First Amendment associational rights."
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Original text here: https://www.wlf.org/2026/04/29/communicating/in-wlf-victory-unanimous-supreme-court-reverses-state-effort-to-close-federal-courts-to-first-amendment-claims/
Environmental Groups Go to Court Against Maryland's Inadequate Industrial Stormwater Permit
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, April 29 -- The Chesapeake Bay Foundation posted the following news release:
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Environmental Groups Go to Court Against Maryland's Inadequate Industrial Stormwater Permit
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A major Maryland stormwater pollution permit is violating state and federal clean water laws and threatening people and waterways, according to environmental groups that argued their case today in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County.
For several years while Marylanders have experienced more frequent severe weather and flooding due to climate change, environmental advocates have insisted that
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ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, April 29 -- The Chesapeake Bay Foundation posted the following news release:
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Environmental Groups Go to Court Against Maryland's Inadequate Industrial Stormwater Permit
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A major Maryland stormwater pollution permit is violating state and federal clean water laws and threatening people and waterways, according to environmental groups that argued their case today in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County.
For several years while Marylanders have experienced more frequent severe weather and flooding due to climate change, environmental advocates have insisted thatMaryland Department of the Environment (MDE)'s 20-SW general industrial stormwater permit is not adequately protecting communities or the Chesapeake Bay.
Today in court, the Chesapeake Legal Alliance (representing Blue Water Baltimore and Gunpowder Riverkeeper), Environmental Integrity Project (representing Waterkeepers Chesapeake and Potomac Riverkeeper Network), and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (representing itself) argued that the permit fails to address climate change, allows toxic pollutants to reach waterways, and threatens the most vulnerable Marylanders.
Stormwater pollution-the fastest growing source of pollution in Maryland-occurs when rain washes toxic chemicals, oil, grease, and waste that were left on Maryland's roads, parking lots, and industrial sites into local waterways. When not managed properly, stormwater can cause flooding, safety concerns, and major damage to homes and businesses.
Maryland's 20-SW general industrial stormwater permit is responsible for reducing pollution at over a thousand sites across the entire state-including manufacturing sites, scrap yards, auto yards, coal handling facilities, and landfills. Yet it fails to:
* Consider the growing threats from climate change despite updated rainfall data demonstrating that storms are more frequent and intense;
* Address environmental justice concerns and protect communities most at risk;
* Require the removal of excess impervious surfaces like roads, parking lots, and sidewalks, and restore them to natural landscapes that better absorb rainfall;
* Create an effective permit limit to restore impaired waterways throughout Maryland, including the Chesapeake Bay.
MDE issued their initial 20-SW permit in Nov. 2022 after a public comment period and extensive concerns from environmental partners. In Dec. 2022, the groups filed an initial challenge and began negotiations with MDE. Several years later, MDE released an updated permit in Feb. 2025 which included little to no improvements. Environmental groups again challenged the legality of the permit in July 2025 and submitted separate briefs in the case. Official arguments were submitted in Dec. 2025 and heard in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County today. The judge is expected to announce a decision in the next several months.
The environmental groups challenging the permit issued the following statements.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Litigation Staff Attorney Sheronda Rose said:
"This permit is unlawful and leaves Maryland communities and waterways vulnerable to toxic pollutants that threaten public health and harm aquatic life. It relies on decades old precipitation data that does not reflect today's intense storms. MDE must require permittees to control runoff from these industrial facilities to better protect environmental justice communities and the Chesapeake Bay."
Chesapeake Legal Alliance Senior Attorney Evan Isaacson said:
"This may be the single most important pollution permit issued by the State of Maryland, given the nature of the pollution on these sites and the total lack of pollution control there compared to most regulated facilities. It is too important for the health of Maryland families and their waterways to let this unlawfully weak permit go unaddressed."
Abel Russ, Acting Director of Law and Policy for the Environmental Integrity Project, said :
"Industrial stormwater has high concentrations of toxic metals, organic chemicals, and other pollutants, yet Maryland's permit is very hands-off: Virtually no wastewater treatment is required, and there is very little monitoring, which severely limits transparency and accountability. Maryland has done better with other sectors and can do so here."
Alice Volpitta, Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper with Blue Water Baltimore said:
"This one permit covers nearly 300 facilities in the Baltimore region, where communities and waterways are already hit hardest by climate change, chronic disinvestment, and toxic pollution. The consequences of weak standards will have ripple effects, spreading across Maryland with every storm."
Gunpowder Riverkeeper Theaux Le Gardeur said:
"I am concerned that over the past five years in the Gunpowder, Bush, and Middle River areas, only 26 of the 119 facilities with industrial stormwater permits have been visited by a state inspector. This gap in inspections is akin to a 'see no evil' stance by MDE and fails to provide a clear picture to the public as to whether these sites are actually in compliance with permit conditions put in place to protect water quality and communities downstream."
Robin Broder, Acting Executive Director of Waterkeepers Chesapeake said:
"It's baffling why Maryland would release a permit that will harm some of our most vulnerable community members. We know that increased rainfall volumes due to climate change super-charges stormwater runoff, leading to serious health impacts in nearby communities. It's urgent that Maryland's permit protects public health."
Betsy Nicholas, President of Potomac Riverkeeper Network said:
"Maryland and federal law require enforceable limits in pollution permits to protect water quality. This permit should not be an exception. If we've learned anything over decades, aspiring to address pollution on a case-by-case basis is not practical and has failed the effort to protect Maryland communities and restore the Bay."
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Original text here: https://www.cbf.org/news/environmental-groups-go-to-court-against-marylands-inadequate-industrial-stormwater-permit/
Flight Attendant Receives Nearly $1,000,000 Following Ruling Against Airline and Union
SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, April 28 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation posted the following news release:
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Flight Attendant Receives Nearly $1,000,000 Following Ruling Against Airline and Union
Jury ruled TWU union and Southwest Airlines violated federal law in firing Charlene Carter; Fifth Circuit upheld ruling
Dallas, TX - Following a victory at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Southwest Airlines flight attendant Charlene Carter has now received almost $1,000,000 in damages in her federal case against both Southwest and the Transport Workers Union (TWU). Her case
... Show Full Article
SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, April 28 -- The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation posted the following news release:
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Flight Attendant Receives Nearly $1,000,000 Following Ruling Against Airline and Union
Jury ruled TWU union and Southwest Airlines violated federal law in firing Charlene Carter; Fifth Circuit upheld ruling
Dallas, TX - Following a victory at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Southwest Airlines flight attendant Charlene Carter has now received almost $1,000,000 in damages in her federal case against both Southwest and the Transport Workers Union (TWU). Her casecharged both the union and airline with violating her rights by terminating her for expressing her personal and religious beliefs in opposition to TWU political activism. Carter has received free legal aid from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys in her nearly decade-long case.
Carter's case began in 2017 when she sued both the union and airline in the Northern District Court of Texas for firing her in violation of both the federal Railway Labor Act (RLA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Through private communications, Carter had criticized the TWU Local 556 president for using union dues to send flight attendants to the 2017 "Women's March" and also panned the union's support for a host of divisive political positions. Title VII protects against religious discrimination in the workplace, while the RLA guards the right of workers in the air or rail industries to criticize union leadership.
Five years later, a jury found in Carter's favor, awarding her a $5 million verdict. The District Court ordered Southwest (NYSE: LUV) and the union to give Carter the maximum amount of compensatory and punitive damages permitted under federal law, in addition to other forms of relief. The District Court also ordered that Carter be reinstated as a flight attendant at Southwest. On appeal, the Fifth Circuit affirmed the District Court's finding that both Southwest and the union had discriminated against Carter based on her religious practice.
Now, a Satisfaction of Judgment filed with the District Court indicates that Carter was paid damages totaling $946,102.87 as her nine-year litigation comes to a close.
Southwest Attorneys May Still Be Held in Contempt
"Being a flight attendant is my livelihood and my passion, and union officials tried to manipulate company policy to upend my career simply because I spoke out about my most sincerely held beliefs," commented Carter. "This case has been a long, hard fight, but I'll never stop sticking up for what I know is right, and I hope that both my employer and TWU union bosses have learned that it doesn't pay to stifle flight attendants' freedom of religion and speech."
The case continues at the District Court, however, with the court asking for briefs on whether a contempt order against Southwest is necessary and, if so, what form a contempt order should take. Contempt arose as an issue in Carter's case after Southwest attorneys issued notices to flight attendants incorrectly informing them of the District Court's holding that the company had discriminated against Carter on the basis of religion.
"Ms. Carter was courageous in standing up to protect her religious and personal beliefs from the schemes of radical union officials and a compliant employer. While she is finally receiving compensation for her struggle, no one should forget that federal law still forces workers to accept union 'representation' they oppose and, adding insult to injury, forces workers to pay unwanted unions," commented National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix. "It is outrageous that, even though the court confirmed that the TWU union and Southwest violated Carter's legal rights, Carter to this day is still forced to subsidize TWU union bosses or else be fired by Southwest. We hope Carter's case will prompt a long-overdue conversation about how coercive union boss power infringes on the rights of millions of hardworking Americans."
Find out more about Carter's case here (https://www.nrtw.org/carter/).
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The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, assists thousands of employees in about 200 cases nationwide per year.
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Original text here: https://www.nrtw.org/news/carter-satisfaction-04282026/
Central New York Community Foundation: $3.2 Million Gift Helps First Marsellus M.A.D.E. Cohort Lean Into Leadership and Communication Skills
SYRACUSE, New York, April 28 -- The Central New York Community Foundation issued the following news release on April 27, 2026:
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$3.2 Million Gift Helps First Marsellus M.A.D.E. Cohort Lean into Leadership and Communication Skills
A $3.2 million gift is helping strengthen nonprofit leadership across Central New York through the Community Foundation's Marsellus M.A.D.E. to Lead program. The first cohort of nonprofit managers recently completed the six-month experience, building skills, confidence, and connections to better serve their organizations and community.
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Erin Murphy has worked
... Show Full Article
SYRACUSE, New York, April 28 -- The Central New York Community Foundation issued the following news release on April 27, 2026:
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$3.2 Million Gift Helps First Marsellus M.A.D.E. Cohort Lean into Leadership and Communication Skills
A $3.2 million gift is helping strengthen nonprofit leadership across Central New York through the Community Foundation's Marsellus M.A.D.E. to Lead program. The first cohort of nonprofit managers recently completed the six-month experience, building skills, confidence, and connections to better serve their organizations and community.
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Erin Murphy has workedat Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways for seven years, supporting adult members with training and learning opportunities and helping them succeed as mentors to young girl scouts. She describes herself as a people pleaser and an empathizer and introvert "I'm not that outgoing, go out and connect person," she said.
Open to opportunities to grow her professional skills, Erin applied to and was accepted into the Community Foundation's first cohort of our Marsellus M.A.D.E. (Mission-driven, Achievement, Dedication, and Elevation) to Lead program, made possible by a $3.2 million bequest from John D. Marsellus. Erin was one of 10 mid-level and senior nonprofit managers in the six-month organizational leadership program. Facilitated by Our Glass Consulting, the group met in person again once a month virtually and engaged in one-on-one consulting for about two hours to unlock leadership potential, improve capacity, expand their peer support network, and provide space to explore and solve daily challenges.
By the end of the program, Erin was empowered to seek advice on how to lead meetings about Girl Scout programs and was testing her newly honed skills, armed both with increased confidence and the language to understand her leadership style. "They have done a great job highlighting differences and how to lean into your strengths and identify what you could grow and how to do that," she said.
The first cohort completed its program in March and will celebrate with a graduation this month. The program jumpstarted with support from late donor, John D. Marsellus, a strong advocate for nonprofit professional development. John, an enthusiastic civic leader who died in June last year, was former president of his family business, Marsellus Casket Company. He was also a longtime volunteer and supporter of countless local and national nonprofits.
John's connection to the Community Foundation dates to 1973, when his father, John F. Marsellus, established a donor-advised fund. John and his father shared an interest in nurturing nonprofit leaders. He worked with the Community Foundation to develop the John F. Marsellus Sabbatical program, the Marsellus Executive Development Program, LeadUP CNY (later renamed The Marsellus Next Generation Leadership Development Program) and the Marsellus Forward initiative. Marsellus M.A.D.E. is the latest iteration of leadership programs inspired and supported by Marsellus.
"He was incredibly thoughtful and forward-thinking," said Danielle Johnson, senior director of grants and programs. "He was very aligned with what staff were seeing and hearing from nonprofit professionals. If the need for one program was dwindling, he was able to see new needs emerging. He was very intentional about where those needs were and where a program might be most impactful."
John's concern for nonprofit capacity went beyond building leadership skills, though. "He was also concerned about the leaders taking care of themselves," Danielle said. "He knew the real struggles of being in nonprofits and how isolating it can be in a leadership position. He understood the need to be around like-minded people so we can ultimately improve the community."
Demetrius McNeil and Arlaina Harris of Our Glass Consulting led the first cohort through guest presentations, discussions and interactive exercises aimed at self-assessment and growth. "We wanted them to see themselves as the great leaders they could be but also understand that they are not going through this alone," Demetrius said. "They found that common connection."
He was thrilled to see Erin take initiative to lead meetings at work and to witness growing relationships between emerging and more seasoned managers. One serious, real-life scenario had the participants work together to brainstorm how to modify a program that lost funding. A less serious exercise with a relevant message involved building paper chains -- with only one hand or without scissors. "It's a grade school exercise," Demetrius said. "It points out how we can accomplish things with limited resources. Hopefully they can take things back to their teams and create innovations for the folks they serve."
James Tweedie has already done that. He's relatively new to Central New York, having served as property management at the nonprofit housing development and management organization Christopher Community, Inc., for about 18 months. He previously spent about 20 years in property management in Delaware County. Marsellus M.A.D.E. to Lead helped him update his leadership skills and jumpstart a professional network in Central New York's nonprofit community.
"I am dumbfounded by the amount of people and the number of resources in Syracuse engaged in making Syracuse better," he said.
Thanks to new relationships with program participants, he's connected Christopher Community with Energy Smart CNY and the CNY Lyme & Tick-Borne Disease Alliance so their services can help clients at Christopher Community.
James describes his leadership style as director/thinker, expresser, harmonizer. "We talked about identifying the type of leader you are and how you work best with people based on their style," he said. "That's been really enlightening."
He noted that he's changed as a leader as his career has advanced. "I consider that growth," he said. "As you gain more experience and fight more battles, you become a different leader. I think I'm more direct and innovative in my approach than in the past."
James said it's been helpful to update skills, learn new concepts and meet people. "Some great bonds and relationships were made in the group," he said. "Those connections are going to be very fruitful for people."
The application window for the second cohort of Marsellus MADE to Lead opens June 11 at cnycf.org/made.
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Original text here: https://cnycf.org/3-2-million-gift-helps-first-marsellus-m-a-d-e-cohort-lean-into-leadership-and-communication-skills/
