Walton Family Foundation Awards $49.5 Million to Teach for America

The Walton Family Foundation has announced a three-year, $49.5 million grant to Teach for America to help double the size of its national teaching corps and provide professional development for first- and second-year educators in seven communities located in the foundation's priority investment regions.

The investment by the foundation makes it TFA's largest private donor and will support the organization's efforts to recruit up to 15,000 recent college graduates to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools by 2015. It also includes more than $24 million in support to provide training and professional development opportunities to over 5,000 first- and second-year corps members in seven communities, six of which are priority areas of focus for the foundation: Denver, Colorado; Los Angeles, California; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Newark, New Jersey; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Washington, D.C. The grant also targets efforts in the Delta region of Arkansas and Mississippi, a region where the foundation has long been active.

Prior to today's announcement, the foundation had contributed more than $22 million to TFA since 1993, in part because of the organization's strong record of leadership development. Indeed, a 2011 study by Monica Higgins of Harvard University and Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute found that TFA is producing more founders and leaders of education organizations than any other nonprofit in the country.

"The Walton family's support for Teach for America is driven not only by their ability to place the best and brightest college graduates into classrooms that need them most, but also by their proven track record of producing leaders for the parental choice and education reform movement," said Jim Blew, head of the Walton Family Foundation's K-12 education reform efforts. "Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, founders of theKnowledge Is Power Program (KIPP), and Michelle Rhee, former D.C. Public Schools chancellor and founder of StudentsFirst, trace their education reform roots to Teach for America, as do hundreds of other reform leaders. Because Teach for America alumni and corps members are involved in efforts to empower all parents to choose quality schools for their children, they are inspiring all schools to improve, helping transform public education in our nation."

“Walton Family Foundation Invests $49 Million in Teach For America.” Walton Family Foundation Press Release 7/27/11.

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Corporations Pledge $118 Million to Improve Public Education

The White House has announced that commitments totaling $118 million were made during President Obama's meeting with a group of the nation's top business and nonprofit leaders on Monday for efforts to improve public education across the country.

Pledges announced at the meeting include a three-year, $50 million commitment from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation in support of efforts to close the achievement gap and connect underserved and unemployed individuals to workforce success. As part of the commitment, the foundation announced a total of $4.5 million in grants to five nonprofit organizations, including $1 million to Citizen Schools to improve the academic performance and high-school readiness of low-income middle school students by expanding the learning day and providing academic support, leadership development, and hands-on learning projects; $1 million to Boston College's Lynch School of Education to support thirty Bank of America Leaders in Urban Education in the school's Masters of Ed Program; $1 million to City Year to fund middle school programs that support its Whole School, Whole Child strategy in high-need schools nationwide; $1 million to the GreenLight Fund to support high-impact education and youth development programs in Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay Area; and $500,000 toAchieving the Dream to help establish a learning community complete with asset-building tools and resources that can be disseminated nationally.

Also at the meeting, America's Promise Alliance announced the launch of a $50 million fund to support efforts to engage communities in dropout prevention; Microsoft pledged $15 million toward the development of new educational technologies, including videogame-based learning tools; and the Nike School Innovation Fund committed an additional $3 million to support students, teachers and principals across Oregon's education system.

"A world-class education is the single most important factor in determining not just whether our kids can compete for the best jobs but whether America can outcompete countries around the world," said President Obama. "America's business leaders understand that when it comes to education, we need to up our game. That's why we're working together to put an outstanding education within reach for every child."

“President Obama Meets With Powells and Leading CEOs on Making Investments to Ensure a Competitive US Workforce.” White House Press Release 7/18/11.

“Bank of America Charitable Foundation Announces $50 Million Three-Year Pledge to Education as a Path to Workforce Success.”Bank of America Charitable Foundation Press Release 7/18/11.

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Memphis City Schools Boosted Graduation Rates With Gates Grant

After receiving more than $90 million in support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Memphis City Schools has succeeded over the last two years in raising graduation rates and teacher effectiveness,WSBTV.com reports.

Awarded through the foundation's Intensive Partnership for Effective Teaching program, the grant enabled the school district to evaluate teachers more closely and, as part of a new model for teacher effectiveness, classify them as masters, professionals, or novices. In addition, the grant supported prep academies that assist at-risk students and provide others with opportunities to begin taking college courses while finishing high school.

Indeed, the grant has already made a difference, with Booker T. Washington High School graduating 82 percent of its seniors in 2010 — up from 55 percent in 2008.

"We were a neglected school system, we were a hemorrhaging school system, we were a failing school system," said Memphis City Schools superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash. "I don't think we would have gotten this far this fast [without the grant], I'm sure of it."

“Memphis Transforms Schools With $92M Grant.” WSBTV.com 7/14/11.

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Dodge Foundation Announces $4.4 Million in Grants

The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation in Morristown, New Jersey, has announced grants totaling nearly $4.4 million to more than a hundred nonprofit organizations in six states and the District of Columbia.

Grants were awarded to nonprofits working in the areas of education, the environment, media, and arts and culture. The foundation awarded $720,000 to eighteen environmental organizations, including $45,000 toCity Green for urban farm and garden projects; $545,000 in support of six "high-potential, innovative, and collaborative" initiatives; and $210,000 to three media organizations — WNYC Radio ($150,000), National Public Radio ($50,000), and Grist ($10,000).

More than half the funding ($2.4 million) was awarded to support arts organizations and arts education programs, including the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, which received $125,000 for its main stage and educational programs; the WheatonArts and Cultural Center, which was awarded $75,000 for its museum, studio, and arts education activities; and the New Jersey Ballet Company, which received $55,000 for its arts education activities. In addition, the foundation awarded $125,000 in general support to the Newark Museum, $45,000 to the Hunterdon Art Museum for arts education initiatives; and $30,000 to the Trenton Community Music School for its preschool program, Music for the Very Young.

"The Dodge Foundation is proud to be a leading funder of the arts in New Jersey," said its president and CEO, Chris Daggett. "These grants reflect our deep and long-standing commitment to the arts and to robust and transformative arts education opportunities for New Jersey's students."

“Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Awards 104 Grants Totaling Nearly $4.4 Million.” Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation Press Release 7/12/11.

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Bank of America Charitable Foundation Awards $1 Million for Summer Nonprofit Internships

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has announced grants totaling more than $1 million to support paid summer internships for high school students at nonprofits in forty-five cities across the United States and London.

Awarded through BofA's Student Leaders program, the grants will help the organizations meet increased demand for their services while addressing the national problem of teen unemployment.

Eight-week internships will be awarded to 230 high school juniors and seniors who have demonstrated a commitment to community service. The goals of the program include fostering the development of the next generation of leaders who will work to create positive change, strengthening the capacity of nonprofits in communities served by the bank, and expanding BofA's efforts to create a culture of service that strengthens local communities.

In addition to the internships, the students will participate in a weeklong Bank of America Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., where they will attend several Capitol Hill briefings and a series of interactive workshops on financial education, environmental sustainability, and nonprofit leadership.

"In communities across the country, teens are disproportionately affected by high unemployment rates," said Bank of America Charitable Foundation president Kerry Sullivan. "Our Student Leaders program helps civic-minded youth find paid employment while gaining valuable workforce skills that ultimately benefits the economic health of local communities. We view the Student Leaders program as an opportunity to engage young people in solving critical issues while also supporting nonprofits by providing valuable services to individuals and families in need."

“Bank of America Invests More Than $1 Million in Paid Summer Internships at Nonprofit Organizations.” Bank of America Charitable Foundation Press Release 7/11/11.

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Sam's Club Commits $2 Million to Health Organizations

Sam's Club has announced that it will award up to $2 million to four nonprofit organizations working to raise public awareness of health and wellness issues.

Awarded through its annual Giving Made Simple campaign, grants ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 will be distributed to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, the OASIS Institute, Sesame Street, and theY, based on votes cast by Sam's Club members and associates through August 1. Each vote for a participating organization on the Sam's Club site or Facebook page will add $5 to the amount that organization receives.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is planning to use the funds it receives to transform more than 1,600 schools into healthier places, while OASIS will work to engage more than 50,000 people age 50 and older in more active lifestyles to keep them healthy and well. Sesame Street will use its funds to help establish healthy habits, including oral preventive care practices, in nearly one million parents and at-risk children, while the Y will work to ensure that healthy food options, safe places for physical activity, and effective chronic disease prevention programs are accessible to all.

"As a membership warehouse club, members guide our every decision and we want them to have a role in how we give back, too," said Jill Turner-Mitchael, senior vice president of the Sam's Club health and wellness division. "This year, we are focusing our annual Giving Made Simple campaign on health and wellness and prevention of chronic disease, which we know is a top concern for everyone."

“Sam's Club Giving Made Simple Campaign Highlights Wellness, Pledges $2 Million.” Sam's Club Press Release 7/05/11.

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Kauffman Foundation Awards $3.2 Million to Form STEM Alliance

The Kansas City-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has announced a five-year, $3.2 million grant to establish the KC STEM Alliance, a new organization that will work to expand and enhance the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs in local middle schools and high schools.

Housed at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Computing and Engineering, the alliance will consolidate the management of two existing STEM programs that offer hands-on, project-based pre-engineering courses and extracurricular activities, Project Lead the Way and FIRST — streamlining program management and marketing, developing a universal evaluation strategy, and planning for the programs' lasting impact and sustainability. In partnership with regional industries, it will also coordinate funding, program operations, and volunteers and mentors to strengthen these and other STEM programs and make them available in more schools across the region.

While Project Lead the Way and FIRST receive state, federal, industry, and community funding as well as pro-bono support from local companies, the Kauffman Foundation has been a lead funder of the programs, investing nearly $5 million in them since 2005.

"With a vision to increase students' interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the KC STEM Alliance will encourage students to pursue careers in scientific and technical fields," said Kauffman Foundation president and CEO Carl Schramm, "which will lead to building a long-term, highly skilled workforce for the Kansas City community."

“Kauffman Foundation Grants $3.2 Million to Form KC STEM Alliance.” Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Press Release 7/06/11.

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McCormick Foundation Awards $5 Million in Grants

The Chicago-based McCormick Foundation has announced grants of nearly $5 million to seventeen organizations working to improve early care and education for at-risk children in Illinois.

The grants signal an expanded focus for the foundation on building a statewide early care and education system for all children up to the age of 8, with increased emphasis on principal preparation, improving early math curricula, meeting quality standards, and securing adequate funding.

Recipients include the Erikson Institute, which was awarded $450,000 to adapt its early math professional development program to a curriculum that community colleges can apply to early childhood teaching candidates;Illinois State University, which received $330,000 to help higher education institutions maintain educational quality as they redesign their programs to meet new certification criteria; the Latino Policy Forum, which was awarded $320,000 to focus on the needs of the state's growing Latino population; and Sesame Workshop, which received $180,000 to support the development and implementation of a child resiliency initiative designed to help children between the ages of 2 and 8 cope with stress and trauma.

"Illinois is a leader in early care and education and these grants will help Illinois sustain that work," said Sara Slaughter, the foundation's education program director. "These grants focus on principal preparation programs as Illinois moves to become the first state to have a pre-K-12 certification for principals. The grants also continue to improve state policy and move us closer to achieving a system of quality early care and education for children from birth to third grade in the state of Illinois."

For a complete list of grants, visit the McCormick Foundation Web site.

“Robert R. McCormick Foundation Invests Nearly $5 Million in Early Education.” McCormick Foundation Press Release 6/29/11.

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Wallace Foundation Awards $2.7 Million for Urban Summer Learning Efforts

The New York City-based Wallace Foundation has announced grants totaling $2.7 million to help six school districts strengthen their summer learning programs and study the effects of "summer learning loss."

Although typically focused on small populations, multiple studies have found that many students lose knowledge or skills they acquired over the previous school year during the summer months, and that the problem disproportionately affects low-income students.

Awarded as part of the foundation's multiyear, $50 million summer learning initiative, the grants will go to school districts in communities that already operate summer learning programs aimed at reducing summer learning loss, including Boston, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh, as well as the Dallas Independent School District, Rochester City School District, and Duval County Public Schools, which includes Jacksonville, Florida.

Districts receiving grants will use the funds to strengthen their summer programs, starting with incoming fourth-graders. Based on evidence gained this summer, researchers from the RAND Corporation will help school leaders identify areas where their summer programs can be improved. In 2013 and 2014, researchers will begin tracking students' progress to see what difference two years of summer learning programs make and how long the effects last.

"It's clear that the conventional school year is insufficient to adequately educate many students in urban districts," said Wallace Foundation president Will Miller. "Research has confirmed summer learning loss's toll on poor children; less is known about solutions — especially about whether participation for several summers can produce lasting benefits. These investments will build our knowledge of whether summer learning programs produce sufficient and cumulative academic gains to make it worthwhile for districts to use them to improve student achievement."

“Six School Districts to Participate in Major Project to Test Whether Summer Learning Programs Produce Lasting Academic Gains for Low-Income Students.” Wallace Foundation Press Release 7/06/11.

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Dollar General Literacy Foundation Awards $1 Million to School Libraries

The Tennessee-based Dollar General Literacy Foundation has announced grants totaling $1 million to help repair and restock school libraries damaged by natural disasters.

The grants were awarded through Beyond Words: The Dollar General School Library Relief Fund, a collaborative effort of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, the American Association of School Librarians, the American Library Association, and the National Education Association that was created after Hurricane Katrina to help public schools rebuild and expand their library programs after a disaster. Since its inception in 2006, the fund has supported more than 113 school libraries with grants to help defray the cost of replacing or supplementing books, media, and/or equipment.

To be eligible, school libraries must be located within twenty miles of a Dollar General store, distribution center, or corporate office. Applicants also must have lost a building or incurred substantial damage or hardship due to a natural disaster, fire, or an act recognized by the federal government as terrorism.

"School libraries play an important role in providing our nation's children with the educational resources needed to compete in the global marketplace," said Dollar General chairman and CEO Rick Dreiling. "We are proud to partner with the ALA and AASL in their mission to bring relief to school libraries most affected by these devastating disasters and hope our funding can help make the recovery and rebuilding process a little easier."

“Beyond Words: The Dollar General School Library Relief Fund Celebrates $1 Million in Funding to School Libraries Affected by Natural Disaster.” Dollar General Literacy Foundation Press Release 6/27/11.

Ruderman Family Foundation Awards $2.5 Million to Put Young Adults With Disabilities in Jobs

The Ruderman Family Foundation in Brokkline, Massachusetts, has announced a $2.5 million grant to Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston for a new program to help place young adults with disabilities in jobs.

The Young Adult Transitions to Work program will provide customized job training, placement, and ongoing support services for young adults with disabilities at Hebrew SeniorLife and other Boston-area employers. The project will be run by Jewish Vocational Service as part of CJP's Pathways program for people with disabilities. In partnership with Hebrew SeniorLife, the program will work to identify available jobs, develop specific training and support to match individuals with those positions, and offer comprehensive training designed to integrate life, work readiness, vocational skills, and ongoing case management once individuals have been placed in a job.

"There are some twenty-five thousand disabled young adults [between] the ages of eighteen and thirty in Boston's Jewish community who are capable of working if jobs can be provided in conjunction with the right training and support," said Ruderman Family Foundation president Jay Ruderman. "Thanks to the forward-thinking leadership at Hebrew SeniorLife, we are able to target the right kind of training and support for available jobs, something that is entirely new....It's a testament to what partnerships between the private sector, nonprofit world, and advocacy community can achieve, and a real breakthrough for the disability community."

“Ruderman Family Foundation Grant of $2.5 million Puts Adults With Disabilities in Jobs.” Ruderman Family Foundation Press Release 6/22/11.