College Futures Foundation

OVERVIEW: The College Futures Foundation supports K-12 and higher education in California. The foundation works in the areas of student-centric practices, education leadership and college affordability.

IP TAKE: The College Futures Foundation maintains partnerships with a broad array of nonprofits and institutions in California whose missions are aligned with its own. The College Futures Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funding, but conducts regular research to identify prospective grantees.

PROFILE: Established in 2005, the College Futures Foundation is a San Francisco-based foundation that aims “to create a clear educational pathway for low-income young people of color to attain bachelor’s degrees and achieve success in college and in life.” Working in both K-12 and higher education, its three areas of focus are student-centric practices, higher education affordability and the development of leadership.

Grants for K-12 and Higher Education

In the area of student-centric practices, the foundation supports “policies and practics that ensure progress and smooth transitions between systems and segments.” Funded projects have provided accelerated remediation, college preparatory mathematics and facilitation of transfer from community to four-year colleges and universities. Toward the affordability of college, the foundation focuses on “the development of a sustainable higher education finance system” and has funded projects that explore and assess alternatives to current higher education financial systems. Its leadership initiative aims to develop leaders who “champion policies and practices for increased and equitable student success” across California’s K-12 and higher education systems. Its student-focused program supports institutions working to design and implement curriculum and other practices that are “equity-focused and student-ready.” The policy initiative focuses on efforts to increase affordability and access to higher education for California students impacted by poverty.

Past grantees include the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the Public Policy Institute of California, the Regents of the University of California and the Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, which has developed 12th grade college preparatory math courses. Additional information about past grantees is available in the foundation’s grants database.

Important Grant Details

Grants range from $75 to $1 million, with many grants falling in the $100,000 to $300,000 range.

This foundation accepts grant applications on an invitation-only basis. The foundation staff conducts research to identify organizations that are doing work that aligns with its mission and to identify potential grantee partners. Direct general questions to the foundation at 415-287-1800 or info@collegefuture.org.

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