… [Read more...] about Chronic Absenteeism Poses a Tough Challenge for Post-Pandemic Ed Giving
K-12
During Back-to-School Season, One Funding Intermediary Aims to Help Teachers Help Students
Inside the Bainum Family Foundation’s Deepening Support for Early Ed
Who’s Backing Rural Ed? A Selection of Key Funders to Know
Schools Are “the Heartbeat of Rural Places” — and They Could Use More Philanthropic Support
It’s no secret that rural America has been overlooked by philanthropy over the years. A 2021 report by the nonprofit consulting firm FSG found that while 20% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, only 7% of funding from the top 1,200 … [Read more...] about Schools Are “the Heartbeat of Rural Places” — and They Could Use More Philanthropic Support
A Closer Look at the Data-Driven Ed Philanthropy of John and Laura Overdeck
How a New Funder Is Taking on the Thorny Issue of Youth Mental Health
Earlier this week, as U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy made a remarkable call to add mental health warning labels to social media apps, he deemed the youth mental health crisis “the defining issue of our time.” It’s certainly one that could do with … [Read more...] about How a New Funder Is Taking on the Thorny Issue of Youth Mental Health
It’s Time to Invest in Loving Systems to Support Black Male Student Success
This May marked the anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education, a decision that aimed to establish equal access to quality public education for all students regardless of race. Seventy years have passed since the Supreme Court … [Read more...] about It’s Time to Invest in Loving Systems to Support Black Male Student Success
Who’s Supporting This Innovative Effort to Boost Literacy in San Francisco Schools?
One Organization’s Quest to Forge a Civic Path Out of the Culture Wars, and Rally Funders
From CZI to Carnegie: A Leader in Education Philanthropy Talks About Her New Role
This Coalition of Funders Aims to Cool the Culture War Flames and Protect Public Schools
The Education Future Fund recently went public with a new website and an official name, but the funders driving the coalition have been working together for some time. The seven philanthropies teamed up as education culture wars erupted in school … [Read more...] about This Coalition of Funders Aims to Cool the Culture War Flames and Protect Public Schools
An Innovative Storytelling Platform Is Bridging Divides — and Landing Big Name Funders
Launched in 2013, Narrative 4 is a global, storytelling-based education nonprofit nurturing compassion and empathy among Gen Z students. A bedrock of the nonprofit’s work is Story Exchange, a facilitation tool that aims to foster deep connections, … [Read more...] about An Innovative Storytelling Platform Is Bridging Divides — and Landing Big Name Funders
Have K-12 Funders Stepped Up for Racial Equity and Justice Since 2020? Not According to This Report
The Schott Foundation for Public Education just published the third edition of Justice Is The Foundation, its annual overview of philanthropic support for racial equity and justice in education. As was the case in previous years, the report’s … [Read more...] about Have K-12 Funders Stepped Up for Racial Equity and Justice Since 2020? Not According to This Report
What Is Going on in Education Philanthropy? Here Are the Currents Shaking Up the Field
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a two-part series about a wave of disruption in the world of education philanthropy. In the first installment, we took stock of changes underway at major K-12 funders and how it’s impacting grantees. Here, we … [Read more...] about What Is Going on in Education Philanthropy? Here Are the Currents Shaking Up the Field
What Is Going on in Education Philanthropy? Cutbacks and Shifting Strategies Disrupt the Field
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series about a wave of disruption and uncertainty in the world of education philanthropy. Here, we look at changes underway at major K-12 funders and how it’s impacting grantees. In the second … [Read more...] about What Is Going on in Education Philanthropy? Cutbacks and Shifting Strategies Disrupt the Field
A Conversation With Jim Shelton of Blue Meridian Partners
Jim Shelton is the president and chief investment and impact officer of Blue Meridian Partners, a poverty-focused collaborative of heavy-hitting donors that, among other things, gives serious money to place-based, multisector partnerships, as I wrote … [Read more...] about A Conversation With Jim Shelton of Blue Meridian Partners
A Family Foundation’s Refreshingly Accessible Approach to Funding Research and Education
At the risk of overgeneralizing, a lot of family foundations tend to be fairly opaque, without much in the way of a public-facing profile. Many do not have websites, post their grants online, publish annual reports and founder’s statements, or accept … [Read more...] about A Family Foundation’s Refreshingly Accessible Approach to Funding Research and Education
More Than a Check: Inside a Place-Based Funder Where Donors Offer Non-Monetary Support
Launched in 1998, Chicago’s Springboard Foundation Fund provides grantees, most of which offer after-school and supplemental education programs, with up to five years of general operating support and access to convenings and capacity-building grants. … [Read more...] about More Than a Check: Inside a Place-Based Funder Where Donors Offer Non-Monetary Support
Rural Capacity Building: New Funding Gives This Appalachia-Based Ed Nonprofit Room to Grow
Education may be one of the top causes philanthropists support, but the sector as a whole often glosses over rural education despite the obvious need there. A recent study by the Center for Public Education found that while rural youth make up nearly … [Read more...] about Rural Capacity Building: New Funding Gives This Appalachia-Based Ed Nonprofit Room to Grow
What’s the Plan for the Moody Foundation’s Texas-Sized Pledge to Lone Star State Students?
There is no question that the Moody Foundation — and the family behind it — have made their mark on Texas. The foundation is known for large, capital-purpose gifts, and the family name adorns buildings across the state, including at the University of … [Read more...] about What’s the Plan for the Moody Foundation’s Texas-Sized Pledge to Lone Star State Students?
With Two Big Supporters, a New Research Center Will Help Kids Thrive in a World Filled With Tech
Whether you are on the subway, at the doctor’s office, or waiting to board a plane, if you look up from your phone long enough to notice, you’ll see that everyone around you is bent over their phone, too. What does it mean that we’ve become a society … [Read more...] about With Two Big Supporters, a New Research Center Will Help Kids Thrive in a World Filled With Tech
Back to School in New Shoes: A Simple but Powerful Way to Support Kids Experiencing Homelessness
Every kid wants new kicks for the first day of school, but that’s not an option for many of the 1-million-plus children in the U.S. who experience homelessness. One Nashville school official told Jaime Ellis, vice president for strategic … [Read more...] about Back to School in New Shoes: A Simple but Powerful Way to Support Kids Experiencing Homelessness
A Philanthropy Built on Chocolate Expands its Mission to Support Early Childhood
Chocolate is the Hershey family’s most celebrated commodity, but Milton Hershey, the so-called “Henry Ford of chocolate,” left behind another legacy, as well: a school that carries his name. The Milton Hershey School, based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, … [Read more...] about A Philanthropy Built on Chocolate Expands its Mission to Support Early Childhood
Who Is Funding Efforts to Support the Nation’s 1 Million Homeless Students?
As kids across the country are settling into the new school year, having worked through the usual mix of nerves and excitement, many of them are still struggling with the relentless challenges that come with being a student who is also homeless. Just … [Read more...] about Who Is Funding Efforts to Support the Nation’s 1 Million Homeless Students?
This Couple Just Won One of Conservative Philanthropy’s Top Prizes. What Are They Into?
Each year, the Philanthropy Roundtable awards the Simon-DeVos Prize for Philanthropic Leadership to a living donor or donor couple seeking to “advance the principles of personal responsibility, resourcefulness, volunteerism, scholarship, individual … [Read more...] about This Couple Just Won One of Conservative Philanthropy’s Top Prizes. What Are They Into?
Funders Get Behind a New Plan for School-Based “Health Hubs” in Detroit
Schools in Detroit are kicking off the school year with something new: The district is creating “health hubs” to address student and community needs. The health hubs will offer free health, mental health and dental care for Detroit students; they … [Read more...] about Funders Get Behind a New Plan for School-Based “Health Hubs” in Detroit
Recent Layoffs Raise Questions About the Future of Education Funding at CZI
Recent developments at Chan Zuckerberg Initiative haven’t received much attention: During the second week of August, the philanthropy created by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, cut its education team, laying off 48 … [Read more...] about Recent Layoffs Raise Questions About the Future of Education Funding at CZI
As Book Banning Campaigns Spread, this Funder is Defending the Right to Read
Amanda Jones was accused of being a groomer and a pedophile, she was trolled and doxxed on social media and snubbed at high school football games. Given this treatment, one might assume that Jones is some kind of deviant. In fact, she is a school … [Read more...] about As Book Banning Campaigns Spread, this Funder is Defending the Right to Read
A Big K-12 Funding Push Seeks to Create More Pathways to Career Success
COVID-19 was tough on the U.S. education system, and it faces ongoing challenges as the pandemic ebbs. Along with widespread learning loss, an alarming number of students are exhibiting deteriorating mental health; teacher shortages are common, and … [Read more...] about A Big K-12 Funding Push Seeks to Create More Pathways to Career Success
