Andrew Simon named editor-in-chief of The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Andrew Simon, an experienced nonprofit media leader and magazine editor whose work has focused on serving highly engaged, informed audiences, will be the new editor-in-chief of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, an independent journalism organization that helps nonprofits, foundations and others better understand trends and advance meaningful social change.

Throughout his career, Simon has sought to spotlight stories that help leaders see around the corner to the trends and insights that best inform and improve their decision making and maximize their organizations’ impact.

Over seven years, as director of leadership programming at Grist, a nonprofit news site focused on environmental news and commentary, Simon demonstrated innovation and thoughtful strategy in broadening and expanding the audience and developing significant new products. He launched or co-launched the Grist 50, an annual list of emerging leaders; Fix, a network and events program; a climate solutions vertical; the inaugural Predictions list; and Temperature Check, Grist’s first podcast.

Simon also started a journalism fellowship for emerging talent and was a founding leader of the Uproot Project, a network for environmental journalists of color. 

“Andrew’s experience and his wisdom will allow the Chronicle to innovate and grow, especially as we seek to do more to help social sector leaders navigate today’s rapidly changing terrain and imagine and understand what lies ahead and what that means for their work,” said Chronicle chief executive Stacy Palmer. “And we’re especially delighted to tap the expertise he gained as a leader of one of the earliest and most respected nonprofit journalism organizations.”

Previously, as senior editor at Fast Company, he oversaw the Most Creative People in Business and Fast Talk, a special section that offered leadership insights. He has also held editing jobs at a range of other magazines, including ESPN: the Magazine, Complex Media, and Vibe.

In 2019, he became a senior editor at McKinsey & Company with a focus on covering sustainability and the energy transition to help business leaders navigate the climate future. He helped lead and develop McKinsey’s Chart of the Day, which delivers critical information in a creative and easily digestible format.

“I am excited to take on this new challenge and do so with deep respect for the Chronicle’s outstanding professional staff and its committed readers, who work every day to effect positive social change,” said Simon. “I intend to continue building the Chronicle as an invaluable resource for its growing readership and the broader social sector by innovating, growing coverage and digital offerings, and delivering deep, fresh stories and new insights that provide interesting and actionable information.”

Advancing its bold plan to innovate, grow, and expand coverage of the social sector, the Chronicle became an independent nonprofit organization last year. With an influential print and online audience of more than 350,000 monthly, it provides critical information and insights to nonprofit and philanthropy professionals. Recent developments include:

• Exclusive reporting on the nation’s top donors in its annual Philanthropy 50.
• Expanding efforts to educate the public about the work of the social sector. Its partnership with the Associated Press enables people around the world to gain access to articles about nonprofits and foundations. And the AP and the Chroniclehave joined with the Conversation, a nonprofit that works with scholars to make their ideas accessible to the public, to start a free weekly newsletter, Giving Today, aimed at helping people better understand the world of philanthropy.
• Selecting the third round of journalism organizations to participate in its Philanthropy & Nonprofit Accountability Fellowship, which mentors journalists at local, regional, and other outlets on meaningful waysto cover the social sector.
• Building The Commons, a new section, set to debut April 2, on the ways nonprofits and foundations are working in communities to heal divides of race, gender, politics, faith, income, geography, generation and so much more.

To finance its transition, the Chronicle has received philanthropic commitments totaling nearly $9 million from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Lilly Endowment, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Ford Foundation, Heinz Endowments, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Walton Family Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. It has received other commitments to help it advance its mission from the Arthur M. Blank Family, Einhorn Collaborative, and JPB Foundation as well as Hewlett and Lilly.

CoP maintains a strict gifts and ethics policy to ensure integrity and objectivity for all news and analysis. None of the grant makers that support CoP have any advance knowledge of stories the newsroom is developing or any say in the reporting, writing or editing.