EL Education, originally called Expeditionary Learning, supports a network of 150 pre-K-12 public schools in 30 states and has launched an open source K-8 English language arts curriculum that has been downloaded more than 10 million times across 45 states. EL Education advocates a three-dimensional view of student achievement that puts character…

There's a gap between funders' perspectives on how much they support indirect costs ("overhead") and organisational development, and NGOs' perspectives on just how much funders are willing to support it. Improved communication between funders and NGOs would help to build trust and shift entrenched attitudes and practices. This research…

For non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the world of funders can be difficult to navigate. The question isn't just whom to approach for a grant. Equally important is how to make a successful pitch for money. This tip sheet how NGOs can approach funders. Two categories it covers are: (1) Know your funder; and (2) Customise your pitch. [For a…

This guide lists 13 capabilities subdivided into specific sub-capabilities that together constitute the overarching capability. The guide walks through a series of steps to help you identify and prioritise a short list of capabilities that can advance in order to meet a non-govermental organisation's (NGO's) current needs. See "How to Build…

This toolkit helps funders and NGOs to address the challenges they face in assessing organisational development needs. It was developed in partnership with five leading Indian intermediary organisations: Dasra, the Dhwani Foundation, Samhita Social Ventures, Sattva, and toolbox INDIA Foundation. All have extensive experience advising NGOs on their…

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated longstanding systemic and structural inequities in early childhood, particularly for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income families and providers. Through the remainder of 2020, it is anticipated that the pandemic will continue to disproportionately impact these communities. In July and August, the authors…

The most promising intervention for improving learning and reducing academic gaps in outcomes is present in every classroom: the "teacher". Teachers empowered to create relationship-centric, supportive classroom and school cultures, combined with rigorous academics, produce breakthrough results for their students. Three nonprofits'…

Researchers and journalists have documented the challenges confronting the nation's rural communities--dwindling populations, few employment opportunities, the opioid crisis, and a lack of public investment. However, there are many rural communities that are surmounting these obstacles and helping their young people build a brighter future. The…

In mid-2016, two years after 12 leading funders had launched an ambitious early childhood development collaborative, the group still had not settled on any investments. Noting the lack of progress, the group's principal convener, asked the group, "Should we stop meeting?" Posing this question helped prompt the collaborative to alter…

It is widely understood that school districts face significant barriers to designing and implementing sustained improvements in chronically underperforming schools. In particular, the size and complexity of urban districts pose daunting challenges to advance significant reform efforts, despite glaring need. A new wave of district-led…

This article is part of a Bridgespan Group research project that focuses on a new wave of district-led "innovation zones" that holds promise to overcome the challenges of turning around failing schools and deliver significant improvements in student outcomes. This new wave provides a subset of district schools with control over staffing,…

This article is part of a Bridgespan Group research project that focuses on a new wave of district-led "innovation zones" that holds promise to overcome the challenges of turning around failing schools and deliver significant improvements in student outcomes. This new wave provides a subset of district schools with control over staffing,…

This article is part of a Bridgespan Group research project that focuses on a new wave of district-led "innovation zones" that holds promise to overcome the challenges of turning around failing schools and deliver significant improvements in student outcomes. This new wave provides a subset of district schools with control over staffing,…

This article is part of a Bridgespan Group research project that focuses on a new wave of district-led "innovation zones" that holds promise to overcome the challenges of turning around failing schools and deliver significant improvements in student outcomes. This new wave provides a subset of district schools with control over staffing,…

This article is part of a Bridgespan Group research project that focuses on a new wave of district-led "innovation zones" that holds promise to overcome the challenges of turning around failing schools and deliver significant improvements in student outcomes. This new wave provides a subset of district schools with control over staffing,…