OVERVIEW: Based in Denmark, the Lego Foundation supports research and initiatives for early childhood and K-12 education. Grantmaking is global in scope.
IP TAKE: The Lego Foundation focuses its grantmaking on the role of play in children’s development and learning. In addition to funding early childhood and K-12 educational programs, the foundation also supports research and evaluation of play-based learning programs at leading research institutes around the world. This funder names Denmark, Mexico, South Africa and Ukraine as geographic priorities, but has funded projects and programs in many other countries as well. It recently ended a local educational grantmaking program in Connecticut.
Unfortunately, the Lego Foundation is not accessible or particularly responsive. However, it likes being collaborative and even partnering with some of its grantees, so if you’re a larger organization or research institute, you might want to consider how you could collaborate and network here to get on the foundation’s radar. Note that Lego only fields general questions.
PROFILE: Based in Denmark, the Lego Foundation is the philanthropic offshoot of Lego, the toy company that is famous for its plastic building block sets. The company has also licensed many games, movies and theme parks under the Lego brand name. The Lego Foundation aims “to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow” and makes grants for early childhood and K-12 education with a strong focus on the role of play in learning. This funder names Denmark, Mexico, South Africa and Ukraine as its areas of geographic focus, but its grants have supported initiatives in other countries as well. It is worth mentioning that a U.S. grantmaking program that supported educational programs in Connecticut ceased operations in the mid-2010s.
Grants for Early Childhood Education
Lego’s early childhood grantmaking focuses on learning that takes place through play in three specific contexts: home, school and community. Grantmaking relevant to home settings supports parent and caregiver programs that introduce learning activities that foster creativity, confidence and bonding through play. Funded programs for early childhood learning centers include curricula and experiences that encourage learning through collaborative play. The foundation also partners with cities and towns in its geographic areas of interest to create culturally relevant learning opportunities for young children at playgrounds, parks, museums and libraries. One grantee, Bangladesh’s Play Labs BRAC, received funding to develop and pilot play-based programs for children from the ages of three to five who are recovering from trauma. The Lego Foundation has also partnered with UNICEF on initiatives in South Africa, Mali and Paraguay that aim to teach parents and caregivers about the importance of learning through play in young children’s development. And at Harvard University, Lego has partnered with the Center on the Developing Child to conduct research on creative play as “a critical vehicle for developing the foundational cognitive, emotional, and social skills in the earliest years that are critical for success in school, in the workplace and throughout life.”
Grants for K-12 Education
Lego’s education funding aims to “reach millions of children with learning through play in different parts of the globe where there is an opportunity to scale our work and make a difference.” Funding mainly supports programs and research that involve play and creativity or assess how play can support learning in primary and secondary settings. The foundation has supported the Brookings Institution’s Skills for a Changing World Initiative, which aimed to bring experiential learning opportunities that translate into the kinds of skills students will need for technological careers of the future. Another recent grant went to Harvard University’s Project Zero, which conducted teacher-participatory research on “what it might mean to put play at the centre of schooling.” It also gave $13.4 million in grants to support Ukraine education programs.
Important Grant Details:
The Lego Foundation conducts its philanthropy through ongoing partnerships with research institutes, universities and other organizations. Its financial commitments to these grantee-partners are usually in the several millions of dollars. For additional information about its philanthropic projects, see the Lego Foundation’s programmes and projects page.
The Lego Foundation does not accept applications for funding or product donations. General inquiries may be addressed to the foundation staff via email. The foundation’s social media handles are also linked to its contact page.
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