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
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
July 27, 2023 As Book Banning Campaigns Spread, this Funder is Defending the Right to Read July 27, 2023/ Connie Matthiessen Across the country, conservative groups are working to ban books. The American Library Association is standing up to these challenges, with a big boost from Solidarity Giving, founded by billionaires Brian and Tegan Acton.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
May 22, 2023 On the Ground with the Ballmer Group, One of LA's Leading Antipoverty Funders May 22, 2023/ Wendy Paris Over the past few years, Steve and Connie Ballmer have continued ramping up their commitments in Los Angeles. We took a deep dive into how a vast tech fortune is being put to use to scale up local economic mobility.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
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