This document is the latest Grantmakers for Education's (EdFunders) study of what's now and what's next for education philanthropy. It aims to give insight into the priorities of the education funding community, and to help funders understand their role in supporting education innovation that benefits the nation's learners. The findings in this…

How should philanthropy support young people in this perilous time in U.S. history? The confluence of a global pandemic, an economic crisis, and a nationwide call for racial justice will fundamentally alter the lives of all American learners. Change is inevitable, but whether it will widen inequity or result in systemic change that narrows…

Grantmakers for Education's "Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2018-19" report offers insights on the current and evolving priorities of the education funding community. It can help funders to understand their role in supporting education innovation and identify future priorities that hold the greatest promise for benefiting…

The Boston Foundation--one of the nation's oldest community foundations--had always been committed to equity and even played an important role during Boston's fractious school desegregation era. But the board knew it could do more and needed to do more; the future well-being of individuals, families, communities and the city as a whole demanded…

As 2015 came to an end, education funders in Texas were reflecting not only on the results of their grantmaking over the past year but also on what the state legislature had (and had not) accomplished during its most recent session. Thirty-four Texas funders felt a particular sense of satisfaction because they had helped shape some of the new…

Standardized tests are under a microscope as states prepare to administer new PARCC and Smarter Balanced tests aligned to the Common Core State Standards. This brief takes on five concerns about testing and is designed to help funders reframe the larger conversation to preserve a critical source of information about school, teacher and student…

As in past years, this report draws from a survey of Grantmakers for Education membership that provides a snapshot of giving patterns as well as grantmakers' qualitative impressions of lessons and insights from their work. For the first time, this report has sought out the perspectives of non-members who are active in the field, to help broaden…

It is often noted that children spend most of their waking hours out of school. What they do during non-school hours is important, because access to high-quality learning, both in and out-of-school, is key to cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development. In the United States today, demand for after-school programs outstrips supply: 8.4…

The Grantmakers for Education (GFE) Institute attracted more than 60 grantmakers from national, corporate, community and family foundations, with interests in systems and programs from early learning through postsecondary completion. And while attendees arrived with diverse experiences and expertise in grantmaking to support policy change, they…

"Benchmarking 2010" offers insights into the current priorities, practices and concerns of education grantmakers. The report is divided into five sections: (1) Mapping the Education Grantmaking Landscape; (2) 2010 Funding Priorities; (3) Strategies for Leveraging Greater Impact; (4) Identifying Significant Trends in Education Funding; and (5)…

Through Grantmakers for Education's (GFE's) "Benchmarking 2008" research report, the researchers sought to make the act of sharing among GFE members as easy and worthwhile as possible. The researchers started with an online survey, which was completed by education grantmakers from more than 150 organizations. They analyzed their responses for…

A key part of Grantmakers for Education's program portfolio to improve education philanthropy, the biannual Education Grantmakers Institute provides an especially unique and effective venue for strengthening the skills and knowledge of grantmakers. Held at a leading academic institution, the Institute includes noted scholars and researchers…

Gaps in academic achievement between students from various racial and ethnic groups and from low-income families are a cause for national concern. The advent of high stakes testing and the increased awareness of high dropout rates have rekindled the search for ways to help all children succeed in school. Many strategies to address lagging…

For much of the past 20 years, philanthropists have invested significant time, money and knowledge into the important task of improving the nation's education system. Collectively, their efforts have targeted all aspects of the system--from helping teachers upgrade their skills and knowledge to creating better curricula and classroom tools, from…

Increasingly, foundations are choosing to engage in public policy debates as a way of leveraging their investments and increasing their impact in advancing improvements community-wide, statewide or nationally. For foundations, influencing public policy decisions can happen in different ways: funding policy research and dissemination, building…