The Smithsonian's rich and vast collections differentiate them from every other museum on the planet, but it is their people that truly distinguish them. From astrophysics and American art to sociology and zoology, they represent a staggering breadth of knowledge and depth of commitment, yet the most exciting thing to watch is what happens when…

The rise in the influence of and spending by educational philanthropists and foundations over the past two decades, especially in the area of market-based reforms, such as charter schools, vouchers, and merit pay, is evident across the United States. Largely due to philanthropic investments, relatively new educational intermediary organizations…

Research libraries have sought to apply their information management expertise to the management of digital research data. This focus has been spurred in part by the policies of two major funding agencies in the United States, which require grant recipients make research outputs, including publications and research data, openly available. As many…

The purpose of this study is to better understand the characteristics that lead to revenue generation in K-12 education foundations. I reviewed higher education and K-12 education fundraising research literature to identify factors that might be related to success in private revenue generation. The review revealed three key factors explored…

In January 2011, teams of government education leaders and grantmakers from 13 states convened for Moving Forward with a Transformative Education Agenda: Practical Solutions for States and Districts, a first-ever national discussion of how grantmakers and state and local education officials might work together to promote elementary and secondary…

This publication is only available as a downloadable file. See who's giving and getting grants in your field. Strengthen your search for funds with the Foundation Center's digital edition of "Grants for Employment." This new "Grant Guide" reveals the scope of current foundation giving in the field. You'll find descriptions of 4,129 grants of…

A qualitative case study was conducted to determine whether major donors to an institution of higher education that existed to prepare ministers and missionaries were perceived by the institution's leaders as motivated by organizational effectiveness, financial efficiency, or evaluations by donor watchdog agencies. The case study was conducted…

Donations from alumni have historically been a leading source of charitable support for higher education. But in recent years, alumni supportiveness has been on a steady decline. Participation rates and gift sizes are at their lowest levels ever recorded. Nowhere is this issue more pressing than at private, master's comprehensive…

The 2017-18 school year saw our sponsorship portfolio grow from 4,100 students in 2016-17 to 4,800 students across five Ohio cities: Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Portsmouth. We're also honored to have been recognized by the National Association for Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) as part of NACSA's Quality Practice Project.…

For years, critics have pointed to the decreasing ability of health-care professionals to make decisions and provide services because of the demands of insurance companies and health-management organizations to sustain profits. Health-care decisions are increasingly being made by the wrong people and for the wrong reasons. So, too, with public…

Fifteen years ago, the Australian state of Queensland was famous more for its beaches than for its brain power. Fellow Australians thought of Queenslanders as miners, farmers, or surfers, not as professors or scientists. When Queensland announced in 1998 that it was planning to become a "Smart State," or a knowledge economy, locals…

Schools face the most challenging economic environment in decades. To sustain the quality of teaching, learning, and educational support services, they must find ways to expand their resources while at the same time using their resources more efficiently. School leaders must be knowledgeable about the funding "streams" that provide an opportunity…

When the W.K. Kellogg Foundation first approached a group of tribal college presidents in 1994 with a $23 million grant for a handful of their institutions, the tribal college leaders did not exactly trip over themselves to get the money. They wanted it to be split among all of them, and the foundation honored the tribal college leaders' wish.…

It takes one sweet company to make an industry collaboration work! Hershey Entertainment and Resorts is that company! The company is best known for its resort and entertainment entities. As background, it is important to understand the philanthropic history of the company, Milton Hershey, and the town he built on chocolate. Milton Hershey left…

Philanthropists across the country have long supported local schools and even funded new ones--primarily charters. These investments make a difference, sometimes a big one. At best, however, these are small-scale successes compared to the challenge of improving educational outcomes and life prospects for students across a whole district. The…