Sample of the MacArthur eNews

The Possibilities of Technology: 
2005 Annual Report

Over the last few years, the MacArthur Foundation has been exploring the implications of the digital age.  We are engaged in a continuous and purposeful exploration on technological innovations and their possibilities for our work and our grantmaking. “We are especially interested in the effects that digital technologies are having on the way people think, learn, acquire, and evaluate information.  We want to know more about the influence of technology on the way people make judgments, interact, and form communities.  And we want to understand how these technologies affect the way all of us understand and exercise democratic rights and responsibilities,” writes Foundation President Jonathan Fanton in MacArthur's new Annual Report.  Read the story.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

	2005 Annual Report
	MacArthur Technology Grants
	Increasing the Diversity of Radio Programming

Use of Juvenile Mental Health Courts Grows
The use of special courts to deal with young offenders with mental illnesses is growing, according to  a recent study National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, a MacArthur grantee.  The first juvenile mental health court was started in 2001; since then 10 more jurisdictions across the country have added the specialized court, which is equipped to identify and provide appropriate mental health support services. According to the study, the courts provide judges with much-needed options and are an effective way to ensure compliance with treatment orders. The courts have also helped to raise awareness about the lack of community-based mental health services for young people and build support for treatment and new resources. Still, the study calls for greater scrutiny. It points out that there is relatively little evidence to prove the courts are effective.

for more information

	Juvenile Justice Grantmaking
	Juvenile Justice Newsletter
	Jonathan Fanton's Juvenile Justice Op-Ed

Photo Credit: Steve Liss

Reducing Maternal Mortality in Nigeria

More than half a million women die each year around the world from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth.  Maternal mortality in Nigeria, which accounts for ten percent of such deaths, is often the result of the lack of available and affordable care by a trained and skilled birth attendant during delivery.  MacArthur recently announced $800,000 in support of efforts to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity in Nigeria by training healthcare providers and providing health facilities with basic supplies. MacArthur began making grants in Nigeria in 1989 and opened an office in Abuja in 1994. Read the press release.     

for more information

	MacArthur in Nigeria
	Nigeria Information Sheet
	Op-Ed by Africa Office Director Kole Shettima

Supporting Innovative Media

“The spread of digital technology is dramatically changing news gathering, reporting, and broadcasting, as well as how people choose to access information,” said MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton. MacArthur’s approach includes support for traditional public media, as well as creative new efforts to make better information from diverse sources about events across the globe available to U.S. audiences. A longtime supporter of public radio and television, the Foundation recently announced $1.4 million for innovative projects that seek new ways to deliver high-quality information to the public. Read the press release. 

for more information

	Link TV
	OneWorld.net
	MacArthur's Media Grantmaking

Making Grants to Government

“As private institutions, foundations tend to support non-profit organizations acting independently of government but in the public's interest,” writes MacArthur Vice President Arthur Sussman in "Making Grants to Governments," in Foundation News & Commentary. Sometimes these projects complement government activity and sometimes they seek to hold governments accountable for their actions. But occasionally foundations find that making grants to government agencies or entities is a more direct route to solving problems, addressing issues, or bringing about lasting change.” Read the commentary.

for more information

	Council on Foundations Website
	Recent MacArthur Grants
	Arthur Sussman's Biography