New Profit
OVERVIEW: New Profit makes grants and investments to build equity in the U.S. Education is its largest giving area. Other areas of focus include health, criminal justice reform, civic engagement and economic opportunity.
IP TAKE: New Profit supports bold and innovative ideas toward building equity in the U.S. Education is its largest giving area, and a significant portion of recent grants have gone to organizations that aim to improve teaching, educational experiences and college and career readiness in underrepresented and low-income groups. In the areas of health, criminal justice, civic engagement and economic opportunity, New Profit’s grantmaking tends to go to organizations that work for and are run by marginalized and underserved people.
Interested grantseekers should fill out the organization’s online discovery form, from which New Profit invites letters of inquiry and grant applications. This accessible and approachable funder gives away $10 million a year on average, with grants awarded in amounts of up to $1 million.
PROFILE: Founded in Boston in 1999, New Profit describes itself as a “a national venture philanthropy organization created by and for social entrepreneurs.” The organization’s broad aim is to support people and initiatives that work to increase equity across the U.S. New Profit makes grants to organizations working in the areas of education, health, criminal justice reform, civic engagement and economic opportunity. Grantmaking is national in scope.
Grants for Early Childhood and K-12 Education
Education is New Profits largest area of giving. Recent grantmaking has focused on organizations and initiatives that improve quality of teaching and other school-level variables by incorporating research-based best practices at schools in urban and low-income areas. One recent grant supported CASEL, an organization that aims to bring social-emotional learning to Pre-K-12 classrooms. Another grantee, Pivot Learning, helps schools to bring increase teacher knowledge and understanding through “collaborative support systems.” New Profit has also given to Equal Opportunity Schools, Instruction Partners and the Springboard Collaborative, which works to helps schools and families develop early reading habits for young children.
Grants for Higher Education and Work and Opportunity
New Profit names postsecondary and career pathways as a funding priority. Recent grants have supported Braven, an organization that helps underrepresented students “transition from college to strong first jobs,” and the Urban Alliance, which “provides high school students from underserved communities with access to opportunities needed to solidify lifelong economic self-sufficiency.”
Grants for Criminal Justice Reform
Criminal justice reform is a smaller giving area for New Profit, with grantmaking focusing on prison education and initiatives for successful reentry. Grantees include the Prison Scholar Fund and Mothers for Justice, which serves victims of violence who are in and out of prison with job training, financial literacy and mental health services.
Grants for Civic and Democracy
New Profit’s civic engagement grantmaking focuses on increasing civic and political participation in underrepresented communities and enlisting Americans to create and maintain a more transparent and responsive government. One recent grant supported PushBlack, a nonprofit and independent media platform that emphasizes civic participation. Other grantees include The People, a nonpartisan organization working toward increased government responsiveness, and New Politics, which helps veterans, teachers and others become community leaders increase their involvement in the political process.
Grants for Public Health
Public health is one of New Profit’s smaller areas of giving. Recent grants have gone to Girl Trek, an organization that promotes walking as exercise is communities of color, and the Health Initiative, a campaign to increase investment in public health in the U.S.
Important Grant Details :
New Profit makes between $7 and $15 million in grants a year, with grants ranging from $10,000 to $1 million. The organization’s average grant size is about $100,000. This funder tends to support medium- to large-sized organizations with innovative ideas about how to achieve equity in the U.S. Education and youth initiatives account for more than half of New Profit’s grantmaking. For additional information about New Profit’s giving, see its current and past investments pages.
New Profit invites prospective grantseekers to complete its online discovery form. Once completed, New Profit may invite organizations to submit letters of inquiry for funding. Grantseekers are encouraged to read the organization’s Get Funding and Support Page for further information or to reach out to the Investment Selection Team via email.
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