June 05, 2023 New Funder Survey Explores the State of Ed Philanthropy and Where It’s Headed June 05, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Last week, Grantmakers for Education released the results of its first national survey of ed funders since the pandemic. We caught up with co-Interim Executive Director Ulcca Joshi Hansen to discuss the results.Read More
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 02, 2023 The Education Culture Wars Are Only Growing Fiercer. These Funders Are Fighting Back May 02, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen A handful of philanthropies are supporting grassroots efforts to push back against well-funded attacks on public education. They’re hoping more funders will take a stand.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
March 30, 2023 Education Voucher Policies Are on the Rise Nationwide. What Role Is Philanthropy Playing? March 30, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Increasingly widespread voucher policies divert public school funding to pay for private and home schooling, which experts say poses a dangerous threat to public education. Who’s funding them? And who’s keeping their distance?Read More
February 22, 2023 This Fund Has Backed Native American Students for 50 Years. Despite Strides, It Faces Huge, Unmet Need February 22, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Native Forward, the largest organization supporting Native American scholars in the U.S., is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Even after a gift from MacKenzie Scott doubled its budget, it is able to fund just 14% of applicants.Read More
November 30, 2022 To Combat an "Urgent Threat," a Donor Couple Makes a Big Commitment to News Literacy November 30, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Billionaire couple Melanie and Richard Lundquist are throwing their support behind the News Literacy Project to arm students and the public against mis- and disinformation.Read More
November 22, 2022 A Restaurant Giant Steps Up for Students — One Classroom at a Time November 22, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Andrew and Peggy Cherng, the college sweethearts who started Panda Express, have directed millions toward education and healthcare for low-income children and youth through the company’s foundation, Panda Cares.Read More
October 25, 2022 “Game-Changing” Gifts from MacKenzie Scott Boost Educators’ Ambitions — and Hopes for the Future October 25, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen We’ve seen a flurry of new gifts from MacKenzie Scott lately, including some big K-12 donations. Two recent education grantees say the recognition and affirmation are almost as valuable as the dollars.Read More
October 11, 2022 Billionaire Education Philanthropist Barbara Dalio Isn't Giving Up on Disengaged Students October 11, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen In an invisible crisis, an alarming number of students disengage from and ultimately drop out of school. Dalio Education is working to identify these students in Connecticut and help them get back on track before it’s too late.Read More
September 26, 2022 To Make Education Philanthropy More Equitable, Pay Attention to Who’s Getting Funded September 26, 2022/ Michelle Molitor, Guest Contributor Drawing on a survey of over 200 grantseekers in education, guest contributor Michelle Molitor discusses prevailing structural inequities in grantmaking and what funders can do to shift that status quo.Read More
August 11, 2022 Why the Walton Family Foundation, a K-12 Funding Leader, Is Focusing on Career Pathways August 11, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen The Walton Family Foundation is a giant in the ed funding world, and its priorities are worth keeping an eye on. Here’s the story behind its expanding support for job and career pathways.Read More
August 08, 2022 What Went Wrong? A Look Back at the Collapse of a Billionaire-Funded Education Partnership August 08, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Barbara Dalio spearheaded an ambitious public-private partnership for education equity in Connecticut. Not long after, it all went up in smoke. The saga highlights some fraught questions about big donors’ role in K-12 funding.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
May 19, 2022 This Texas Billionaire Is a Major K-12 Donor. Here are Four Things to Know About His Foundation May 19, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Texas billionaire Charles Butt is a significant donor to education in the state and beyond, with an emphasis on supporting public schools. Here’s a crash course on his foundation, which gives millions to the cause annually.Read More
May 16, 2022 The New CEO of the LEGO Foundation on Helping Vulnerable Children in Times of Crisis May 16, 2022/ Liz Longley The LEGO Foundation has maintained its mission to support children while responding to immediate needs created by COVID, the Ukraine war, and other disasters. The funder’s new CEO explains how they strike the right balance.Read More
May 12, 2022 This Funding Partnership Takes a Brainy Approach to Early Ed — and Backs Movement Building May 12, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Will the U.S. tackle its early care crisis once and for all? Many early ed funders believe it’s past time, including the Trust for Learning, a unique coalition of family foundations working to improve access for every child.Read More
May 10, 2022 Appreciation Isn't Enough: How One Big Ed Funder Is Boosting Teacher Well-being May 10, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen As schools cope with teacher shortages and many burnt-out educators plan to leave the profession, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative marked Teacher Appreciation Week with $4 million in grants for educator well-being.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
March 31, 2022 Five Things to Know About the Skillman Foundation, “Fierce Champions of Detroit’s Children” March 31, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen At 60 years old, this Detroit-based funder is a stalwart supporter of K-12 education in the region. Now, the laser-focused foundation has a new leader—and big ambitions for the future. Here’s what you need to know.Read More