Posted on October 16, 2003

Education

The Center on Philanthropy and Public Policy at the University of Southern California has released a report that documents the impact of philanthropic foundations on the movement to give parents greater discretion over the schools their children attend. Foundation Engagement in Education Policymaking: Assessing Philanthropic Support of School Choice Initiatives (42 pages, PDF) discusses the emergence of charter schools and public voucher programs and examines the strategies some foundations have used to promote school choice, including providing financial support, disseminating research and information, and establishing networks of school choice advocates. The report, which was funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation as part of the Center's Foundations and Public Policymaking project, focuses on foundations in California and New York, and chronicles the rise of school choice in both states as well as the activities of individual foundations.