OVERVIEW: NewSchools Venture Fund is a national venture philanthropy that backs early-stage entrepreneurs and educators working to improve U.S. public education. IP TAKE: New Schools Venture Fund calls itself a funder that “advances the field … [Read more...] about NewSchools Venture Fund
NewSchools Venture Fund
A Popular and Effective Education Approach Is Under Fire. Who Has Its Back?
“This Is an Emergency.” How Can Philanthropy Respond to Trump’s Assault on K-12 Education?
Should We Pay for Relationships? Why Philanthropy Needs to Invest in Social Capital
When I started my career in venture philanthropy, I got a baptism by fire in how funders think about risk and reward. Since then, philanthropy has shown a greater willingness to take risks in the education and workforce fields, where I now work as a … [Read more...] about Should We Pay for Relationships? Why Philanthropy Needs to Invest in Social Capital
Why Five Spinal Cord Injury Organizations Teamed Up to Launch a New Venture Philanthropy Fund
Venture philanthropy, which borrows the venture investment model from the world of for-profit business to achieve philanthropic goals, may not be the solution for every ill, but if there's one area where it makes resounding sense, it's in medical … [Read more...] about Why Five Spinal Cord Injury Organizations Teamed Up to Launch a New Venture Philanthropy Fund
What Is Going on in Education Philanthropy? Cutbacks and Shifting Strategies Disrupt the Field
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series about a wave of disruption and uncertainty in the world of education philanthropy. Here, we look at changes underway at major K-12 funders and how it’s impacting grantees. In the second … [Read more...] about What Is Going on in Education Philanthropy? Cutbacks and Shifting Strategies Disrupt the Field
This Bay Area Billionaire’s Foundation Is Booming. Here’s What We Know About Crankstart
This article was originally published on September 21, 2022. For a lot of billionaires, especially those hailing from or invested in the tech industry, the pandemic brought with it a financial windfall. That surge has led to more than a few new … [Read more...] about This Bay Area Billionaire’s Foundation Is Booming. Here’s What We Know About Crankstart
Appreciation Isn’t Enough: How One Big Ed Funder Is Boosting Teacher Well-being
Teachers have been through it. The job is tough at the best of times, and the last few years haven’t been the best of times. When the pandemic hit, teachers had to make the quick shift to remote learning, and then spent months trying to reach and … [Read more...] about Appreciation Isn’t Enough: How One Big Ed Funder Is Boosting Teacher Well-being
Here’s the Problem with John and Ann Doerr’s $1.1 Billion Climate Gift to Stanford University
Note: This article was originally published on May 6, 2022.The venture capitalist John Doerr, who has amassed billions betting on tech startups, and his wife, Ann, made one of the biggest single climate or university gifts in history on Wednesday. … [Read more...] about Here’s the Problem with John and Ann Doerr’s $1.1 Billion Climate Gift to Stanford University
Five Things to Know About MacKenzie Scott’s Latest Round of Gifts
Late last year, the philanthrosphere waited with bated breath for a fourth announcement from MacKenzie Scott—what we hoped would be another multibillion-dollar round of unrestricted gifts to hundreds of nonprofits. Instead, we got “no dollar signs … [Read more...] about Five Things to Know About MacKenzie Scott’s Latest Round of Gifts
What’s Going On With Philanthropy for K-12 Education?
In a sentence: Philanthropy focused on K-12 education is robust, rising, and rife with complexity and even conflict. What’s going on?“Education in America—and how to do it best—is an extraordinarily complicated and controversial topic, replete with … [Read more...] about What’s Going On With Philanthropy for K-12 Education?
Getting the Call: A Look at MacKenzie Scott’s Recent Ed Giving
What is it like to pick up the phone and learn that your organization has just received a multi-million-dollar gift from MacKenzie Scott? It’s an experience that’s occurring with increasing frequency as Scott, an author and the ex-wife of Amazon … [Read more...] about Getting the Call: A Look at MacKenzie Scott’s Recent Ed Giving
Can We Close the Educator Diversity Gap? A Funder With a Big Footprint Wants to Find Out
The research is in: students of color perform better when taught by teachers of color, and all students benefit when they have teachers from diverse backgrounds. But while over half of U.S. students are non-white, the educator workforce remains … [Read more...] about Can We Close the Educator Diversity Gap? A Funder With a Big Footprint Wants to Find Out
To Counter #PhilanthropySoWhite, a Foundation Offers a Paid Introduction to the Sector
People from both outside and inside philanthropy frequently criticize the sector for how overly white it is, and a 2021 survey from the Council on Foundations is the latest dataset to back up their critiques. The report found that the workforce is … [Read more...] about To Counter #PhilanthropySoWhite, a Foundation Offers a Paid Introduction to the Sector
Three Lessons for Funders Exploring Participatory Decision-Making
We are two former educators now working for organizations that support efforts to reimagine learning and improve education for each and every young person. Knowing and understanding the assets and needs of the communities we serve is critical for the … [Read more...] about Three Lessons for Funders Exploring Participatory Decision-Making
Why Three Leading K-12 Funders Are Lining Up Behind Education R&D
When we consider education spending, we typically think about school buildings, teacher training, curriculum innovations and other fixes for immediate needs. But what about deep, longer-term investments in research to solve persistent education … [Read more...] about Why Three Leading K-12 Funders Are Lining Up Behind Education R&D
How 11 Top Venture Capitalists Do Their Philanthropy
Philanthropists from the technology sector have been among the highest-profile givers of recent years. Billionaire entrepreneurs like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sean Parker, Jeff Bezos, Marc Benioff and Jack Dorsey have made news with their big … [Read more...] about How 11 Top Venture Capitalists Do Their Philanthropy
A Major K-12 Funder Takes the Participatory Grantmaking Plunge
Participatory grantmaking: It isn’t a term that rolls off the tongue, and yet many people in the philanthropy world are talking about it these days. It describes the process of including community members in grantmaking decisions. As GrantCraft put … [Read more...] about A Major K-12 Funder Takes the Participatory Grantmaking Plunge
From Talk to Action? Assessing Philanthropy’s Racial Justice Response
Michael Kavate, Liz Longley, Connie Matthiessen, Mike Scutari and Dawn Wolfe contributed to this report.What’s the best way to talk about how philanthropy has evolved—or not—on racial justice over the past year? For some, this time of reckoning has … [Read more...] about From Talk to Action? Assessing Philanthropy’s Racial Justice Response
For a K-12 Funder’s New President, “Racial Equity Is the Work”
In response to the events of 2020 and the growing outrage over racial injustice, many philanthropies are unveiling new racial equity and diversity programs. So the recent strategy rollout by the NewSchools Venture Fund has a familiar ring: The … [Read more...] about For a K-12 Funder’s New President, “Racial Equity Is the Work”
With the K-12 System in Crisis, Top Education Funders Are Largely Absent From Relief Efforts
More than 1,000 people in Detroit have died from the coronavirus. Michigan ranks seventh in the nation for the most cases, totaling 43,950, with 4135 deaths, a fatality rate of 9%. Although black residents comprise only 14% of the state’s population, … [Read more...] about With the K-12 System in Crisis, Top Education Funders Are Largely Absent From Relief Efforts
The Pandemic Offers Ed Tech Philanthropists a Chance to Revisit Previous Failures
In 1951, a children’s newspaper published “The Fun They Had,” an early short story penned by the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. Taking place in the year 2155, the story’s main characters are children named Margie and Tommy who are taught … [Read more...] about The Pandemic Offers Ed Tech Philanthropists a Chance to Revisit Previous Failures
Full Spectrum: A Venture Funder’s Latest Moves to Fuel Progressive Change
When we spoke to New Media Ventures’ President Christie George following its 2018 investment round, no one knew how the midterm elections would play out. Now, with a Democratic edge in the House and a growing constellation of organizers challenging … [Read more...] about Full Spectrum: A Venture Funder’s Latest Moves to Fuel Progressive Change
Promising Results: With an Infusion of Funding, a Teacher Prep Outfit Is Scaling Up
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation led a recent set of grants, totaling $9.1 million, to expand the reach of a teacher prep center housed at Texas Tech University. The University-School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Preparation National … [Read more...] about Promising Results: With an Infusion of Funding, a Teacher Prep Outfit Is Scaling Up
Can Venture Philanthropy Save Local News? This Ambitious Initiative Aims to Find Out
With regional local news outlets on life support, a new initiative funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Pierre Omidyar’s Democracy Fund asks a tantalizing question: Can venture philanthropy create sustainable ecosystems of strong … [Read more...] about Can Venture Philanthropy Save Local News? This Ambitious Initiative Aims to Find Out
“Build Capital.” Inside the World of Venture Philanthropy
When the field of venture philanthropy emerged two decades ago, fueled in part by the spirit of the dotcom era, its leaders had high hopes. They aimed to reinvent how nonprofits were financed and built. They believed that by borrowing key ideas from … [Read more...] about “Build Capital.” Inside the World of Venture Philanthropy
One of the Country’s Largest Foundations is Trying to Change How Philanthropy Works
In 2016, the Ford Foundation set out on an experiment—give $1 billion to social justice nonprofits, with all funds going to a combination of general operating support and organizational strengthening. In short, it was going to use a chunk of money … [Read more...] about One of the Country’s Largest Foundations is Trying to Change How Philanthropy Works
The End of the Charter School Era? Hardly. But a Key Charter Funder is Expanding its Agenda
The Walton Family Foundation, a giant among the pro-charter education funders, recently announced its plans for $100 million in new grants. For readers familiar with this funder, the amount is likely far less surprising than the foundation’s … [Read more...] about The End of the Charter School Era? Hardly. But a Key Charter Funder is Expanding its Agenda
Who’s Qualified? A Funder-Backed Effort to Open Up Early Childhood Teaching
What qualifies someone to teach preschool-age children? More to the point, is a bachelor’s degree necessary to be a qualified preschool teacher? It’s a debate that has raged for years—and it’s one with high stakes and no easy answers. Now, as early … [Read more...] about Who’s Qualified? A Funder-Backed Effort to Open Up Early Childhood Teaching
Another Push for Greater Teacher Diversity, Focused on a Group Often Overlooked by Philanthropy
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has a reputation as a leader in addressing race in its quest for a more equitable society. A major recent grant by this funder combines two of its long-held causes, early childhood education and support for Native … [Read more...] about Another Push for Greater Teacher Diversity, Focused on a Group Often Overlooked by Philanthropy
