NewSchools Venture Fund
Since 1998, NewSchools Venture Fund has supported some of the most successful, innovative social entrepreneurs in public education. By providing management assistance and working closely with foundation partners, NewSchools has helped close the achievement gap through its portfolio of over 30 organizations, including Green Dot Public Schools, New Leaders for New Schools, The New Teacher Center, and GreatSchools.
NewSchools is now raising the NewSchools Innovation Fund, to produce breakthrough results at scale for underserved students. It will support organizations turning around failing schools, developing outstanding charter schools, preparing great teachers and leaders, and enabling data to be used effectively to improve student achievement. These priorities complement the Administration's education agenda and offer another opportunity for foundations to participate in current reform efforts. To learn more, e-mail April Chou.
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KDK-Harman Foundation
Actively involved
as a convener
in education and philanthropy, KDK-Harman Foundation spearheaded the creation of Central Texas Education Stimulus Collaborative (CTXESC), a public-private partnership aimed at leveraging federal government funding beyond the initial formula based investments.
As the only region in Texas where a collaboration of private foundations, nonprofits, and school districts have worked together to develop a coordinated response to federal grant opportunities, CTXESC strives to achieve systemic educational impact across the Central Texas region
using consistent goals and measures that
are aligned with federal priorities.
To date, CTXESC has applied for and received a $1M T3 technology grant
through Texas Education Agency. CTXESC is currently preparing to submit
an application for the i3 grant opportunity.
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John D. and Catherine T.
MacArthur Foundation
 As part of a White House-
sponsored campaign to improve math and science education in the United States, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced a $2 million digital media competition designed to generate ideas with the potential to transform learning.
Supported by a grant to the University of California at Irvine and announced in partnership with National Lab Day, an initiative designed to revitalize science, technology, engineering, and math in schools, the Digital Media and Learning competition will seek to identify designers, inventors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and others to construct digital media experiences that help young people interact, share, build, tinker, and explore in new and innovative ways. Read the PND story»
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The William and Flora
Hewlett Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is investing $4 million to help states and districts use one-time stimulus funds to create lasting value and impact on student achievement. With grants from Hewlett, organizations like Education Resource Strategies and the Council of Great City Schools are supporting urban school districts to make good resource allocation decisions, including the use of stimulus funds.
Hewlett's investments have two further objectives: (1) accelerating the Open Education Resource movement by increasing state and district adoption of open textbooks and courses, and (2) ensuring timely dissemination of information about the use and impact of stimulus funding for education across the states.
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Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
A priority of the Kauffman Foundation is to help grantees and other local school and education-related organizations better understand opportunities available through ARRA funding.
In mid-April, the foundation held a one-day workshop for over 225 people to help them learn about the stimulus initiative and to share knowledge with others in the region about programs and funding opportunities. Kauffman has provided meeting space for community groups to convene around stimulus topics, and is working closely with grantees to discuss their potential for leveraging stimulus dollars.
The foundation is also helping Missouri state leaders gain access to materials needed to participate in the Race to the Top competition.
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Nellie Mae Education Foundation
The Nellie Mae Education Foundation is supporting state efforts in New England to develop high quality proposals for Race to the Top funds in order to move their education reform efforts forward. The Foundation also supports the New England Secondary School Consortium, a multi-state effort to transform schooling in the region through policy and practice that has helped bring chief state school officers together to discuss federal funding opportunities and other issues.
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Rodel Foundation of Delaware
The Rodel Foundation of Delaware was established in 1999 to catalyze the creation of world-class schools in Delaware. The foundation focuses on transforming public policy, incubating leading national best practices, and engaging the public on tough policy decisions. In an unprecedented public-private partnership, Rodel is working to implement Vision 2015, Delaware's comprehensive and bold public education plan.
Rodel is supporting multiple efforts central to Race to the Top and the i3 Fund, notably strategies to turn around failing schools and to expand our pipeline of effective teachers and school leaders. The foundation also invests in Education Voters of Delaware, which mobilizes citizen action, and in 25 district and charter Vision Network schools that are committed to data-driven instruction. |
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