MOST RECENT
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.
Located at school sites and offering free health care for students and other resources for families, the health hubs have secured philanthropic backing from the Kresge Foundation, the Ballmer Group and others.
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?
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.
A number of education funders have been backing workforce development and career readiness programs. The latest big commitment comes from CZI, and seeks to give kids purpose and agency in their educations.
The flagship foundation of the country’s richest family has a new leader, Stephanie Dodson Cornell. Here, we hit the broad strokes of her career, plus some lesser-known facts that shed more light on her opinions and interests.
If Warren Buffett ultimately channels more of his fortune to family philanthropies, we can expect his daughter Susie’s profile to grow. We take a closer look at this publicity-shy giver and her Sherwood Foundation.
The rural South faces outsized needs, but receives limited funding that doesn’t always make it to the groups on the ground. We’ve rounded up some of local funders dedicated to supporting rural communities.
James B. McClatchy Foundation just published a plan to spend down by 2030. CEO Priscilla Enriquez explains how they came to this decision, challenges along the way, and why funders are so protective of their assets.
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.
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.
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.
Think of Us has a bold mission: to transform the foster care system from the ground up. The organization’s approach, which elevates those with lived experience, landed a major haul from The Audacious Project and others.
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.
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?
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.
The foundation of Peter Buck and his wife Carmen, both deceased, recently inherited a 50% stake in Subway, which could be worth billions. Here’s what we know about the family’s philanthropy and interests.
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.
Funded by Mark and Kimbra Walter, Chicago Beyond draws upon the work of veteran principal Liz Dozier. The group is investing millions in community-led initiatives, while challenging top-down dynamics in K-12 philanthropy.
Real estate investor John Schreiber and his wife Kathleen are long-time Chicago philanthropists. A recent $25 million gift underscores a more recent priority for the couple: early childhood, including conditions before birth.
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.
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.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez announced this week they will give most of the Amazon founder’s fortune away. Staggering dollar amounts aside, we can likely expect a fairly conventional philanthropic project.
Another update from America’s most exciting mega-donor shows an ever-evolving set of focus areas, which now include charter schools and lots of global giving. One question we still have: How does it all fit together?
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.
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.
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?
Stephen and Susan Mandel send 99.9% of their foundation giving to a donor-advised fund. But a trail of online acknowledgements paint a portrait of what they support — including many education and environment grantees.
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.
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?