National Teleconference: The i3 Competition: Reflections and Looking Ahead

Listen to the teleconference:

Listen to a panel of funders from around the country in a national teleconference discuss the second round of the U.S. Department of Education's Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) competition. Hear funders' perspectives on last year's competition and discuss options for participation in the second round.

Grantmakers invested in improving education played an important role last year in the Department's i3 competition, particularly the requirement that i3 applicants obtain private-sector matching funds or in-kind donations. All 2010 i3 Grantees successfully secured their required private-sector matches, in large part thanks to the Foundation Registry i3, a grantmaker led effort to match applicants to funders. A second round competition of $150 million was announced by the Department last month to continue support for evidence-based practices in education. Applications are due by August 2; the awards will be made no later than December 31, 2011.

This teleconference is presented by the Foundation Center's Foundations for Education Excellence and the Council on Foundations' Public-Philanthropic Partnership Initiative. It features funders who supported the 2010 funding process who discuss their foundation's involvement in these efforts, the challenges and opportunities encountered, and their involvement in the current funding round under way.

Program Facilitator:

• Kartik Raghavan, Senior Advisor, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Presenters:

• Andrea Foggy-Paxton, Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Richard Laine, Director of Education, The Wallace Foundation
• Jim Pitofsky, Chief Strategy Officer, Arizona Community Foundation

Following the presentations, a Q & A session offers participants the opportunity to ask questions and to share their own experiences in the i3 funding process.