Ploughshares Blog: Ploughshares Fund

Is Mother’s Day any one’s favorite holiday? We all love our mothers, but sometimes the pressure to find the right gift to express that love can be intense. To most of us, she’s one of the most important people in our lives, which is why it’s perhaps more difficult to find a gift that seems as important as she is. But what if Mother’s Day meant something more than commericialism? What if Mother’s Day was about peace? Read more »
Posted by Margaret Swink on April 10, 2012
The idea of ‘peace on earth’ is thrown around a lot this time of year. At Ploughshares Fund, we’re working to make it a reality. With the elimination of each nuclear weapon, we get closer to that goal. Whether we are urging Congress to reduce the nuclear budget, bringing together American and Russian leaders for informal dialogues, or speaking out against military action against Iran, our aim is always the same – to create a safer future. Read more »
Posted by Megan Murphy on December 23, 2011
To say that nuclear weapons policy is complex is a bit of an understatement. Attempting to keep up with what’s happening with North Korea, Pakistan, Iran and Russia can be overwhelming, and the science behind nuclear weapons is an entirely different intricacy. Discussing the differences between ICBMs, MIRVs, and SLBMs isn’t most people’s idea of coffee table banter. Read more »
Posted by Megan Murphy on December 8, 2011
One of the things that we're proudest of here at Ploughshares Fund is that we are a public foundation. Unlike most other funders in the field, our resources stem from individual contributions rather than a large endowment. In fact, roughly 75% of our annual contributed income comes from individuals who passionately believe that a world free of nuclear weapons is a desirable and achievable goal. We're proud to partner with these individuals to support some of the smartest people in the business. Read more »
Posted by admin on December 8, 2011
In honor of our 30th anniversary year, Ploughshares Fund is conducting interviews with some of our first donors - recording their stories of why they initially took a risk on Sally Lilienthal’s big idea. Board member and former Ploughshares Fund executive director Dr. Gloria Duffy interviews Paul Sack below. The interview has been edited and condensed for space. Read more »
Posted by admin on October 27, 2011
The passage of major legislation during a lame duck session of Congress is a rare and interesting phenomenon. In the past year, it’s happened twice. In both instances, philanthropy played a vital role in pushing through victories on controversial, long-stalled policy issues. Read more »
Posted by Samara Dun on October 20, 2011
In honor of our 30th anniversary year, Ploughshares Fund is conducting interviews with some of our first donors - recording their stories of why they initially took a risk on Sally Lilienthal’s big idea. Board member and former Ploughshares executive director Dr. Gloria Duffy interviews Carol Field below. The interview has been edited and condensed for space. Read more »
Posted on October 14, 2011
Our new Executive Director Philip Yun has worked in government, business, policy and academia. He’s been on the board of Ploughshares for several years and is a well-known Asia expert. He lives in San Francisco’s Richmond District, not far from the Ploughshares office. To get to know him better, we asked Philip a few quick questions about himself, his career and what he's excited to do at Ploughshares Fund. Read more »
Posted by admin on September 15, 2011
I’m thrilled to introduce Philip Yun as Ploughshares Fund’s new Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer. Philip has the talent, the drive and the know-how to help lead Ploughshares Fund to new levels of achievement. As many know, after fourteen years of outstanding leadership, our Executive Director Naila Bolus decided to leave this year to become the president of Jumpstart, an early education organization based in Boston. I joined Ploughshares Fund because of Naila. There is no one who could fill her shoes in exactly the same way.  Read more »
Posted by Joe Cirincione on September 15, 2011
The 111th Congress was one of the most productive in decades. But the lame-duck session was truly remarkable. Just a few days before the end of the session, 72 Senators voted to provide the advice and consent necessary to ratify the New START treaty, reducing the nuclear arsenals of both the US and Russia by a third, and putting arms inspectors back on the ground to verify those reductions. Read more »
Posted by admin on August 24, 2011