March 09, 2023 Salesforce Stumbles, but Its Equity-Focused Philanthropy Marches On March 09, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The tech giant has hit rocky terrain of late, but the company’s philanthropy continues to move millions. Its Catalyst Fund is supporting Black-led nonprofits promoting leadership and job skills for young people of color. Read More
December 19, 2022 Is Tutoring the Answer to COVID Learning Loss? These Funders Want to Find Out December 19, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Pandemic-related learning loss threatens to widen the achievement gap. Arnold Ventures and other funders are backing an ambitious research project to determine if and how high-intensity tutoring can help.Read More
December 15, 2022 The U.S. Is in a Mental Health Crisis, but Funding Is Still Scarce. This Group Hopes to Change That December 15, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Mindful Philanthropy, which was founded by a group of mental health foundations, is pushing funders to boost support for an urgent — and still vastly underfunded — issue.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
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 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 17, 2022 How Philanthropy Can Combat a “Ferocious” Wave of Book Bans October 17, 2022/ Simone Ellin As book bans in schools become a key front in the culture wars, organizations like PEN America are betting that Americans’ faith in free speech will prove stronger. Do funders have their backs?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 “Our Focus Is on the Children.” A Software Giant Ups Its Commitment to Public Schools September 26, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen Salesforce’s latest round of education funding zeroes in on mental health and resilient schools. It’s praiseworthy support, but begs the question: why is so much private backing for public schools even necessary?Read More
September 19, 2022 Celine Coggins Reflects on Her Time at the Helm of Grantmakers for Education September 19, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen After four years at Grantmakers for Education, Executive Director Celine Coggins is moving on. We talked to Coggins about changes she has seen in education philanthropy, changes she’d like to see, and her plans for the future.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
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
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
March 29, 2022 A Funder’s COVID-Era Effort to Support Black Principals Finds a Permanent Home, New Leader March 29, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen During COVID, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies created an innovative network to provide support and community for Black school principals. Now, that network has a new home and brand new leadership.Read More
March 24, 2022 Round Four: Here’s What You Need to Know About MacKenzie Scott's Latest List of Gifts March 24, 2022/ Philip Rojc At long last, our two-time winner for Philanthropist of the Year has dropped another Medium post—this time with the names of grantees included. Here are some key takeaways. Read More
March 09, 2022 Five Things to Know About MacKenzie Scott’s Latest Round of Gifts March 09, 2022/ Philip Rojc The groundbreaking grantmaker left it to her latest grantees to publicize their gifts—or not. Since then, there’s been a steady stream of gift announcements, some of them massive. Here’s what you need to know.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