September 28, 2023 Why This L.A. Funder Created a Children’s Library at Men’s Central Jail September 28, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Gordon Philanthropies focuses on education and literacy, including by funding a new children’s library at Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles. The library aims to strengthen bonds between incarcerated men and their children.Read More
September 27, 2023 This Couple Just Won One of Conservative Philanthropy’s Top Prizes. What Are They Into? September 27, 2023/ Philip Rojc A passion for private education and entrepreneurship drives the giving of Laura and Jeff Sandefer, who won the 2023 Simon-DeVos Prize for Philanthropic Leadership. Here’s a look at what they back and what they’ve founded.Read More
September 20, 2023 AI in Education? Salesforce Takes the Plunge September 20, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Artificial intelligence loomed very large at several recent Bay Area functions hosted by Salesforce. As the trailblazing corporate funder leans into AI in its education giving, are there pitfalls to consider?Read More
September 11, 2023 Hands-On Help: The Other Side of MacKenzie Scott’s Recent Early Childhood Ramp-Up September 11, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen In her early childhood giving this year, MacKenzie Scott is pairing advocacy with direct service funding, including support for programs that provide one-on-one, in-home maternal and infant healthcare.Read More
August 22, 2023 Recent Layoffs Raise Questions About the Future of Education Funding at CZI August 22, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a committed ed funder, just cut its education team by 30%. What do these layoffs mean for the philanthropy’s education support going forward?Read More
June 13, 2023 Two Years in, The 1954 Project is Moving the Needle on Funding for Black Leaders in Education June 13, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen For Black-led education organizations, accessing philanthropic dollars is far tougher than for their white counterparts. This pooled funding effort is prying open doors — and philanthropic coffers.Read More
June 05, 2023 New Funder Survey Explores the State of Ed Philanthropy and Where It’s Headed June 05, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Last week, Grantmakers for Education released the results of its first national survey of ed funders since the pandemic. We caught up with co-Interim Executive Director Ulcca Joshi Hansen to discuss the results.Read More
May 24, 2023 “Rockstar Successful.” Why Early Ed Funders Are Backing This Unique Approach to Training Educators May 24, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen One thing holding back the American early childhood education system is a serious teacher shortage. EDvance is making the required education more accessible, drawing support from the Heising-Simons Foundation and others.Read More
May 02, 2023 The Education Culture Wars Are Only Growing Fiercer. These Funders Are Fighting Back May 02, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen A handful of philanthropies are supporting grassroots efforts to push back against well-funded attacks on public education. They’re hoping more funders will take a stand.Read More
April 06, 2023 How the Ballmers Aim to Build and Diversify the Early Ed Workforce in Washington State April 06, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen The foundation of this billionaire donor couple has made early childhood education a priority, most recently in an effort to strengthen the struggling early educator workforce through a mix of strategies. Read More
March 30, 2023 Education Voucher Policies Are on the Rise Nationwide. What Role Is Philanthropy Playing? March 30, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Increasingly widespread voucher policies divert public school funding to pay for private and home schooling, which experts say poses a dangerous threat to public education. Who’s funding them? And who’s keeping their distance?Read More
February 22, 2023 This Fund Has Backed Native American Students for 50 Years. Despite Strides, It Faces Huge, Unmet Need February 22, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Native Forward, the largest organization supporting Native American scholars in the U.S., is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Even after a gift from MacKenzie Scott doubled its budget, it is able to fund just 14% of applicants.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
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 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
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