The flagship foundation of America’s richest family has a new leader. Stephanie Dodson Cornell, a serial social entrepreneur who most recently worked at Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, was announced last week as the Walton Family Foundation’s new … [Read more...] about Five Things to Know about Walton Family Foundation’s New Executive Director
K-12
Susie Buffett Plays a Critical Role in the Family’s Giving. Who Is She, and What Does She Fund?
On June 21, 2022, Warren Buffett announced he was donating $4 billion in Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and four family charities — his son’s Howard G. Buffett Foundation, son Peter’s NoVo Foundation, daughter Susie’s … [Read more...] about Susie Buffett Plays a Critical Role in the Family’s Giving. Who Is She, and What Does She Fund?
Here Are Seven Grantmakers Backing Rural Communities in the South
The American South faces a number of pressing issues, including struggling local economies, lack of access to affordable healthcare and other resources, underfunded schools, and more. And while some funders have stepped up to provide funding, the … [Read more...] about Here Are Seven Grantmakers Backing Rural Communities in the South
“Ask Yourself Those Hard Questions.” How — and Why — a Regional Funder Plans to Sunset
As philanthropy attempts to find its post-2020 footing, I’ve noticed how issues that were top of mind for leaders throughout that tumultuous year and its immediate aftermath have quietly receded to the background. The first is the push for greater … [Read more...] about “Ask Yourself Those Hard Questions.” How — and Why — a Regional Funder Plans to Sunset
Two Years in, The 1954 Project is Moving the Needle on Funding for Black Leaders in Education
The 1954 Project was created in early 2021, a time of heightened awareness of systemic racism in the United States. George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police had sparked months of protests, and the COVID-19 pandemic revealed sharp … [Read more...] about Two Years in, The 1954 Project is Moving the Needle on Funding for Black Leaders in Education
New Funder Survey Explores the State of Ed Philanthropy and Where It’s Headed
Grantmakers for Education (EdFunders) just unveiled “Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2023,” the first national survey of education funders since before the pandemic. The findings reveal a sector with high ambitions and deep concerns — … [Read more...] about New Funder Survey Explores the State of Ed Philanthropy and Where It’s Headed
On the Ground with the Ballmer Group, One of LA’s Leading Antipoverty Funders
Two dozen high school and college students sat in a circle in an office building off Crenshaw Boulevard in South Los Angeles, drawing what they saw as obstacles to their dreams with magic markers on balsa wood boards — part of a leadership program … [Read more...] about On the Ground with the Ballmer Group, One of LA’s Leading Antipoverty Funders
An Audacious Effort to Transform the Foster Care System Gets a Big Funding Boost
Anyone who has had contact with the U.S. foster care system — particularly the children who’ve spent time in that system — will tell you that it’s broken. Sixto Cancel is one of those children, and now he is working to transform foster care from the … [Read more...] about An Audacious Effort to Transform the Foster Care System Gets a Big Funding Boost
The Education Culture Wars Are Only Growing Fiercer. These Funders Are Fighting Back
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on May 2, 2023.The education culture wars aren’t going away. In fact, they seem to be intensifying. Attacks on so-called critical race theory. Book bans. Restrictions on the rights of gender … [Read more...] about The Education Culture Wars Are Only Growing Fiercer. These Funders Are Fighting Back
Education Voucher Policies Are on the Rise Nationwide. What Role Is Philanthropy Playing?
Education vouchers are on the move. Florida just expanded its voucher program, Arizona did the same last year, and Utah, Iowa and Arkansas recently passed new voucher laws. In all, Republican lawmakers in 34 states have proposed various versions of … [Read more...] about Education Voucher Policies Are on the Rise Nationwide. What Role Is Philanthropy Playing?
Salesforce Stumbles, but Its Equity-Focused Philanthropy Marches On
Salesforce has been going through a rough patch lately. Last fall, Bret Taylor, the company’s co-CEO, announced that he was leaving his post after just one year on the job. Then, at the beginning of this year, founder and CEO Marc Benioff announced … [Read more...] about Salesforce Stumbles, but Its Equity-Focused Philanthropy Marches On
A Family Foundation Tapping a Fast Food Fortune Just Got a Lot Richer. Here’s What to Expect
Billionaires are made in many ways. Nuclear physicist Peter Buck, for example, turned a $1,000 loan to his son’s teenage friend into Subway — the world’s largest chain of fast-food restaurants. While the company has had its share of struggles in … [Read more...] about A Family Foundation Tapping a Fast Food Fortune Just Got a Lot Richer. Here’s What to Expect
Is Tutoring the Answer to COVID Learning Loss? These Funders Want to Find Out
Kevin Huffman understood early on that the pandemic would have a devastating impact on American students — and that some would be hurt far more than others. In March 2020, as schools were shuttered and classrooms went virtual, the former Tennessee … [Read more...] about Is Tutoring the Answer to COVID Learning Loss? These Funders Want to Find Out
Backed by a Billionaire Couple, a Chicago Nonprofit Takes a Community-Led Approach to Youth Equity
Philanthropy isn’t moving as fast as its most forward-thinking leaders might hope — Marguerite Casey Foundation CEO Carmen Rojas once told me she envisions a world where foundations no longer need to exist. But a section of philanthropy is … [Read more...] about Backed by a Billionaire Couple, a Chicago Nonprofit Takes a Community-Led Approach to Youth Equity
To Advance Health Equity, a Big Hospital Gift Targets the Earliest Childhood Experiences
As research on child development has progressed, funders supporting education and the wellbeing of children have shifted their work further upstream, into the earliest months and years of life. Sometimes, that means tackling health inequities … [Read more...] about To Advance Health Equity, a Big Hospital Gift Targets the Earliest Childhood Experiences
To Combat an “Urgent Threat,” a Donor Couple Makes a Big Commitment to News Literacy
Philanthropist Melanie Lundquist takes a boots-on-the-ground approach to giving. While some philanthropists insulate themselves with protective layers of aides and spokespeople and foundation infrastructure, Lundquist is all in on the projects she … [Read more...] about To Combat an “Urgent Threat,” a Donor Couple Makes a Big Commitment to News Literacy
A Restaurant Giant Steps Up for Students — One Classroom at a Time
Many people who recognize the chubby panda logo or have sampled the orange chicken may not know that Panda Express is also a significant source of funding for K-12 education. Since 2021, its foundation, Panda Cares, has given approximately $7.5 … [Read more...] about A Restaurant Giant Steps Up for Students — One Classroom at a Time
Will Jeff Bezos Disrupt Philanthropy Like He Disrupted Retail? It’s Doubtful
It’s been a news-packed week for billionaire watchers. Between the downfall of Sam Bankman-Fried, MacKenzie Scott’s latest grant drop and Elon Musk’s shenanigans at his $44 billion albatross, it would be easy to miss what may end up being the biggest … [Read more...] about Will Jeff Bezos Disrupt Philanthropy Like He Disrupted Retail? It’s Doubtful
MacKenzie Scott’s Far-Reaching Giving Continues to Grow. What Impact Is She Having?
One of the philanthropic sector’s real weaknesses over the years has been a tendency to go long on the strategy and short on the execution. That is, spending far too much time and resources spelling out intricate goals and theories of change, only to … [Read more...] about MacKenzie Scott’s Far-Reaching Giving Continues to Grow. What Impact Is She Having?
A Tech-Focused Family Foundation Takes a Cerebral Approach to Education Funding
The Siegel Family Endowment’s mission is to understand and help influence technology’s impact on society. Its grantmaking is grounded in the scientific method and, according to its website, its approach is “an iterative process of asking questions, … [Read more...] about A Tech-Focused Family Foundation Takes a Cerebral Approach to Education Funding
“Game-Changing” Gifts from MacKenzie Scott Boost Educators’ Ambitions — and Hopes for the Future
It’s head-spinning to watch MacKenzie Scott give her fortune away. From the beginning, Inside Philanthropy has followed closely as the novelist and former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has engaged in an unprecedented giving spree.Scott, who is … [Read more...] about “Game-Changing” Gifts from MacKenzie Scott Boost Educators’ Ambitions — and Hopes for the Future
How Philanthropy Can Combat a “Ferocious” Wave of Book Bans
In its recent report, “Banned in the USA: The Growing Movement to Censor Books in Schools,” nonprofit organization PEN America, which champions the cause of free expression in literature, “documented a ferocious wave of book bans that’s sweeping … [Read more...] about How Philanthropy Can Combat a “Ferocious” Wave of Book Bans
This Hedge Fund Billionaire’s Foundation Is a Black Box. Here’s What We Know About His Giving
Hedge fund billionaire Stephen Mandel Jr. and his wife, Susan, have granted nearly a half-billion dollars through their foundation over the past decade. Yet 99.9% of that sum went to a single recipient: Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, the nation’s … [Read more...] about This Hedge Fund Billionaire’s Foundation Is a Black Box. Here’s What We Know About His Giving
Billionaire Education Philanthropist Barbara Dalio Isn’t Giving Up on Disengaged Students
In August, IP took a look back at the Partnership for Connecticut, which shuttered just one year after getting off the ground in part through funding and leadership from Dalio Education. We weren’t able to get in touch with Dalio Education in time … [Read more...] about Billionaire Education Philanthropist Barbara Dalio Isn’t Giving Up on Disengaged Students
“Our Focus Is on the Children.” A Software Giant Ups Its Commitment to Public Schools
It’s hard for visitors to spend much time in San Francisco without noticing the presence of Salesforce, the huge, cloud-based software company. Many downtown buildings feature the company’s signature blue cloud logo, and the prominent Salesforce … [Read more...] about “Our Focus Is on the Children.” A Software Giant Ups Its Commitment to Public Schools
To Make Education Philanthropy More Equitable, Pay Attention to Who’s Getting Funded
As the executive director of The Equity Lab, and a former educator and school leader, I’ve dedicated my career to building equitable, anti-racist schools and organizations. In every aspect of my career, I’ve witnessed how systemic inequities … [Read more...] about To Make Education Philanthropy More Equitable, Pay Attention to Who’s Getting Funded
Celine Coggins Reflects on Her Time at the Helm of Grantmakers for Education
When she was in college, Celine Coggins had an experience that charted her path to the future. Her mother died unexpectedly just before her sophomore year, and her family could no longer afford the tuition. An alumnus of the college, who wanted to … [Read more...] about Celine Coggins Reflects on Her Time at the Helm of Grantmakers for Education
Despite the Fanfare, Ed Philanthropy’s Investment in Racial Justice Falls Short
The events of 2020 were so raw and eye-opening that they changed the conversation in the world of philanthropy. After the racial reckoning that followed George Floyd’s murder and other incidents of police violence around the country, major … [Read more...] about Despite the Fanfare, Ed Philanthropy’s Investment in Racial Justice Falls Short
Seven Problems That Have Defied Philanthropy
No one likes to talk for too long about their failures, and when you’re relying on the largesse of others, highlighting their failures can be risky. Those are a couple of the reasons why there’s still too little discourse about how philanthropy is … [Read more...] about Seven Problems That Have Defied Philanthropy
Funding Better Assessment Can Help Kids Recover from COVID-Era Learning Loss
If you were to walk into an American third-grade classroom today, you would see some students who are bored to distraction and others who can’t make sense of what they are being taught, some who are reading “Harry Potter” at home, and some who … [Read more...] about Funding Better Assessment Can Help Kids Recover from COVID-Era Learning Loss
