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
November 09, 2022 A Tech-Focused Family Foundation Takes a Cerebral Approach to Education Funding November 09, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen The Siegel Family Endowment’s inquiry-driven approach to education philanthropy reflects its founder’s scientific roots. Here’s how the foundation makes its decisions and what it funds.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
September 06, 2022 Despite the Fanfare, Ed Philanthropy’s Investment in Racial Justice Falls Short September 06, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Recent analysis by the Schott Foundation and Candid found that education philanthropy continues to “drastically underfund” K-12 racial justice work, even as a backlash against anti-racist education engulfs schools.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
June 22, 2022 “It Isn't Intractable; There Are Solutions.” How Raikes Backs Equitable School Funding and More June 22, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Started by Microsoft executives Jeff and Tricia Raikes, this foundation takes some unique approaches to ed funding and is zeroing in on the thorny issue of making school funding more equitable.Read More