NCRP report shows most big ed foundations not serving the neediest kids

NCRP, a philanthropic watchdog group, has released a blockbuster report, Confronting Systemic Inequity in Education, showing how few of the ed foundations  focus their support on the neediest students. 

"If no one thinks this report is pushing the envelope and is outrageous in some way, then maybe we didn't go far enough," said Aaron Dorfman, executive director of the committee, which was founded 35 years ago to be a voice for nonprofit and marginalized communities. (Huffington)

New analyses of education grant data suggests that of 672 foundations included in the sample, only 11% devoted at least half of their education grant dollars to marginalized communities and only 2 percent devoted at least one-quarter of their education grant dollars for systemic change and social justice.

Among the biggest foundations described as "exemplary" are the Ford Foundation, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Noticeable in their absence from the list are Gates, Broad & Walton foundations.

"We're asking these philanthropies to ask themselves these tough questions," said report author, Kevin Welner, an education policy research professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder, adding that he was surprised by how few foundations were engaged in tackling inequity.

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The report's release coincides with the publication of a new book, The Gates Foundation and the Future of U.S. "Public" Schools (Routledge), Edited by Philip Kovacs which includes my chapter: "“Power Philanthropy: Taking the Public Out of Public Education”