May 24, 2023 “Rockstar Successful.” Why Early Ed Funders Are Backing This Unique Approach to Training Educators May 24, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen One thing holding back the American early childhood education system is a serious teacher shortage. EDvance is making the required education more accessible, drawing support from the Heising-Simons Foundation and others.Read More
May 22, 2023 On the Ground with the Ballmer Group, One of LA's Leading Antipoverty Funders May 22, 2023/ Wendy Paris Over the past few years, Steve and Connie Ballmer have continued ramping up their commitments in Los Angeles. We took a deep dive into how a vast tech fortune is being put to use to scale up local economic mobility.Read More
April 19, 2023 Who’s Providing Funding for Women and Girls’ Mental Health? April 19, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Philanthropic funding specifically addressing women and girls’ mental health remains vanishingly small. Some funders have been paying attention, though, and the organization Mindful Philanthropy wants to grow their ranks.Read More
April 06, 2023 How the Ballmers Aim to Build and Diversify the Early Ed Workforce in Washington State April 06, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The foundation of this billionaire donor couple has made early childhood education a priority, most recently in an effort to strengthen the struggling early educator workforce through a mix of strategies. Read More
January 12, 2023 Mental Health Professionals Are in High Demand. Who’s Funding Workforce Development? January 12, 2023/ Paul Karon As mental health programs expand, the nation is facing a growing shortage of professionals to work in settings from schools to hospitals. A few major players are engaged, but there’s a huge opportunity here for more funders.Read More
October 21, 2022 Climate Philanthropy Has a New Power Couple in Steve and Connie Ballmer October 21, 2022/ Michael Kavate A $217 million commitment from the Ballmer Group marks the mega-donors’ first foray into climate giving. With the couple’s son Sam Ballmer taking the lead, big grants are already starting to flow.Read More
July 26, 2022 This Major Anti-Poverty Collaborative is Doubling Down on Support for Early Childhood July 26, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Blue Meridian’s big investment in HealthySteps demonstrates the funding collaborative’s commitment to early childhood and interventions that disrupt the intergenerational cycle of poverty.Read More
July 20, 2022 Philanthropy's Role in the Growing Community Schools Movement July 20, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Community schools, which support academic and nonacademic needs of students and their families, have taken the spotlight. Philanthropy has played an important role in the development and spread of this education model.Read More
June 07, 2022 How One Nonprofit Is Pooling Public and Private Funds to Support Students in Rural America June 07, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Formerly an initiative of Berea College focused on Appalachian Kentucky, Partners for Rural Impact is now a standalone nonprofit, pulling together federal grants and private funding to improve education in rural areas. Read More
May 12, 2022 How a Public-Private Collaboration in L.A. Is Looking Beyond Punishment to Curb Youth Incarceration May 12, 2022/ Martha Ramirez Ready to Rise is channeling government and private funds toward local groups providing support to youth. Organizers hope it can be a model for communities seeking better ways to reduce crime and curb incarceration.Read More
April 29, 2022 Five-Alarm Fire: Should Philanthropy Do More About Attacks on "Critical Race Theory" in Schools? April 29, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen As attacks on anti-racist education in schools continue, some advocates argue they’re part of a broader assault on public education. Funders have been stepping up, but the situation is urgent and the sector could do more.Read More
April 06, 2022 Why Funders Are Rallying Behind Some Unusual Suspects Advocating for Early Childcare April 06, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Education advocates are making a big push for early care, but the cause has a long list of supporters, including police, military and business leaders. Here’s why some big ed funders are backing their work on the issue.Read More
March 03, 2022 Where a Huge Mental Health Gift from the Ballmers Is Headed—and What It Means for the Field March 03, 2022/ Paul Karon The Ballmer Group's $425 million grant establishes a new children's mental health institute, building on the funder's strategy of connecting universities with community programs. It’s also a bellwether for mental health giving.Read More
February 22, 2022 Getting the Call: A Look at MacKenzie Scott’s Recent Ed Giving February 22, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen What’s it like to get a bolt-from-the-blue gift from MacKenzie Scott? We talk to some recent recipients from the world of K-12 education and explore what this latest round of funding tells us.Read More
January 25, 2022 How Detroit Funders Teamed Up to Help Families Access the Child Tax Credit January 25, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen The expanded Child Tax Credit has substantially reduced child poverty, but many low-income families are not able to access the funds. Four philanthropies in Detroit created a unique campaign to help.Read More
January 13, 2022 What We Know About the Ballmers’ Ed Funding: Charters, Community Schools, Early Ed and More January 13, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen The Ballmer Group is a longtime funder of efforts to improve economic mobility, including support for K-12 and early childhood. It’s also been sharing more details about its grantees lately. Here’s what we know.Read More
December 01, 2021 Quiet But Extensive: What New Data on the Ballmers' Anti-Poverty Grantmaking Tells Us December 01, 2021/ Philip Rojc A new grants database offers further insights into the giving of billionaire couple Steve and Connie Ballmer, who have moved hundreds of millions to a wide variety of anti-poverty efforts. But are they still playing it too safe?Read More
September 01, 2021 The 988 Mental Health Emergency Hotline Is Coming. Philanthropy Can Help Ensure its Success September 01, 2021/ Paul Karon Funders say the upcoming national 988 mental health hotline is an opportunity to build robust local crisis response ecosystems—and possibly improve mental health care beyond emergencies. Here’s how philanthropy can help.Read More
June 23, 2021 Why Major Funders Are Teaming Up to Support Early Childhood Educators June 23, 2021/ Connie Matthiessen The Early Childhood Investment Collaborative is supporting six programs that aim to improve early educator preparation and pay. It’s part of larger push by some major philanthropic players to make early education the norm.Read More
June 08, 2021 The Pandemic Within the Pandemic: 3 Things to Know About a Big Investment in Behavioral Health June 08, 2021/ Paul Karon The Ballmer Group's landmark $38 million commitment aims to expand the pipeline of training for behavioral health practitioners in Washington State. We take a look at how giving seeks to address growing mental health concerns.Read More