Background/Context: The traditional literature on the history of higher education in the United States focuses on linear explanations of the inexorable growth of the size, mission, and importance of colleges and universities. That approach ignores or minimizes a recurrent strain of discontent with the higher education sector, especially from…

Purpose: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been involved in academic programs in many Western countries, actively participating and reshaping policy implementation. This tremendous growth in external voluntary and philanthropic organizations in schools is associated with a global trend toward decentralization, commodification,…

Education within capitalism too often reproduces social and economic inequalities. Schools are depicted as failing and teachers are blamed. In this paper, I examine the discourses underlying this situation and the role of foundations in the US and the World Bank in developing countries in maintaining it. I look at the neoliberal remedy of…

National philanthropies have recently played a prominent role in spending on U.S. urban school board elections, largely seeking to promote candidates who support charter schools. In Atlanta in 2017, 30 candidates competed for nine open school board seats. One practice has been to fund intermediary organisations (IOs) (e.g. advocacy groups,…

Non-Government Organisations (NG0s) which support education in Africa may use different titles such as Council or Trust, are almost always Non-profit organizations. They differ in size, ranging from small local organisations through to large internal multinationals. When founded they will often reflect the ideas, objectives and views of their…

Transnational policy borrowing and lending of ideas is mostly from the global North to the global South. In sub-Saharan Africa, transnational policy borrowing and lending is complicated by western "dirty gossips" (distortions and stereotypes) about African societies. While works by Steiner-Khamsi, Quist and Kendall outline the…

Financial aid from the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (STBF) provides exceptionally generous support to a college population similar to that served by a host of state aid programs. In conjunction with STBF, we randomly assigned aid awards to thousands of Nebraska high school graduates from low-income, minority, and first-generation college…

The Voluntary Support of Education (VSE) annual survey collects data on fundraising outcomes in higher education institutions in the United States. It is regarded as the definitive source of information on philanthropic support of those institutions. This research brief--the first in a series--is an example of the Council for Advancement and…

How should philanthropy support young people in this perilous time in U.S. history? The confluence of a global pandemic, an economic crisis, and a nationwide call for racial justice will fundamentally alter the lives of all American learners. Change is inevitable, but whether it will widen inequity or result in systemic change that narrows…

Annual giving is a critical component of funding support for colleges at universities. It provides immediate funding for operations throughout the year for immediate use and provides an entry point for other types of giving. Alumni giving rates for annual gifts are a key factor in receiving corporate gifts, as they are an indicator of recipients…

Recent years have witnessed not only the growth of charter schools, but also a surge of philanthropies acting as institutional entrepreneurs who offer both funding and legitimacy. And yet, over a short period of time, foundations' once diffuse giving has become increasingly concentrated. In order to explain these changing dynamics of philanthropic…

This Study analyzes policies, practices and attitudes with respect to responsible investing among 186 U.S. private and public/community foundations. These respondents comprised 52 private/independent foundations, 49 private/family foundations, eight public foundations and 77 community foundations, together representing a total of $39.7 billion in…

This study set out to examine factors that influence and motivate foundations in their decision-making strategies to support Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and how decisions are shaped by the identity, characteristics, and institutional advancement offices at these institutions of higher learning. Twelve semi-structured interviews were…

Drawing on data from a study of the changing landscape for teachers' professional development (PD) in England, this paper addresses the provision of PD for teachers in schools serving high-poverty communities designated as 'Opportunity Areas'. Beginning with critical examination of relationships between teaching quality and social mobility, the…

In this case study, Lumina Foundation and NewSchools Venture Fund, two grantmakers represented on Grantmakers for Education's Equity Impact Group, offer up strategies and learnings on their recent journeys in embedding diversity, equity and inclusion into their organizational cultures, grantmaking practices and field-building efforts. The major…