AT&T Foundation—Supports initiatives that improve student achievement, teacher preparedness, and minority student success, and that increase the use of new technologies. Since 1996, the AT&T Foundation has “distributed more than $219 million in grants” to support new classroom technology, after-school programs, teacher training, and other educational endeavors. http://www.att.com/gen/corporate-citizenship?pid=7742
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation—With a $31.9 billion endowment, the foundation supports grantees in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and supports work in more than 100 countries. In 2005, about 70 percent of the foundation's grants went toward global efforts; the rest were dedicated to improving lives in the United States. “Total grant commitments since inception: $11 billion.” http://www.gatesfoundation.org/default.htm
Carnegie Corporation of New York—With a 2005–06 grants budget of “$25.5 million,” the corporation supports efforts to improve teaching and learning. With a rich history of supporting education, the foundation focuses on three major areas: (1) advancing literacy, (2) urban school reform, and (3) teacher education reform. “A theme that unites these subprograms is ensuring that all students gain access to an education of the highest quality that will prepare them for success in today's knowledge-based economy.” http://www.carnegie.org/index.html
Charity Navigator—Rates charities by evaluating two broad areas of financial health: organizational efficiency and organizational capacity. The organization issues an overall rating that combines a charity's performance in key areas, including how efficiently the charity may be expected to use support today and to what extent the charity is growing its programs and services over time. Charity Navigator provides these ratings so that people “can make intelligent giving decisions, and so that the philanthropic community can more effectively monitor itself.” http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm
Ford Foundation—Seeks to increase educational access and quality for the disadvantaged, to educate new leaders and thinkers, and to “foster knowledge and curriculum supportive of inclusion, development, and civic life.” Grant making supports policy, research, and reform programs in schools and higher-education institutions around the world, with particular emphasis on enhancing the performance of educational systems through improved finances, access, accountability, and training. Scholarships support a deeper “understanding of such issues as gender, identity, pluralism, and social responsibility.” http://www.fordfound.org/
Foundation Center—Established in 1956, and today supported by more than 600 foundations, the Foundation Center is a respected authority on philanthropy. It connects nonprofits and grant makers, supporting them with “tools they can use and information they can trust.” The center maintains a comprehensive database on U.S. grant makers and their grants. It also operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance philanthropy at every level. http://foundationcenter.org/
GE Foundation—The foundation invests in programs based on a fundamental premise: “A quality education ushers in a lifetime of opportunity, which helps build a strong and diverse workforce and citizenry. Today, the need for a quality education has never been more urgent, especially for individuals from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds.” GE addresses this “societal and economic imperative” by supporting high-impact initiatives that improve the access, equity, and quality of public education in communities around the world. http://www.ge.com/foundation/index.html
Getting the Grant: How Educators Can Write Winning Proposals and Manage
Successful Projects, by Rebecca Gajda and Rich Tulikangas. The authors guide you through the steps to take before, during, and after you write a winning proposal, including locating grant sponsors that match your needs and understanding the “grant speak” in their Request for Proposals (RFP); writing a persuasive proposal that states your case with data and incorporates the assumptions and biases of potential funders; establishing the system and structures to manage your grant money; and developing a plan to assess your use of grant funds and to prove your success. At each step, there are frameworks, checklists, and rubrics to help you use and adapt this book's guidelines and advice in any kind of education and social service situation. http://shop.ascd.org/productdisplay.cfm?productid=104001
Grants Alert—The primary goal at GrantsAlert.com is to “make life a little easier for those who devote their time to searching for education grants and identifying new funding opportunities for their organizations, schools, districts, consortia, and state education agencies.” http://www.grantsalert.com/
Grants.gov—A valuable source for researching federal government grants, including the thousands that are offered by all federal grant-making agencies each year. With the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services serving as managing partner, Grants.gov allows organizations to electronically find and apply for more than $400 billion in federal grants. http://www.grants.gov/index.jsp
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation—The foundation's Education Program funds policy studies, research, development, demonstrations, evaluations, dissemination, and public engagement to accomplish its objectives. It fosters student achievement by “developing, demonstrating, evaluating, and disseminating approaches to systematically improve classroom instruction in urban school systems.” Its California Reform programs use “research, policy analyses, public information strategies, and other means to help improve the quality of the state's schools and community colleges.” http://www.hewlett.org/Default.htm
KaBOOM!—Celebrating 11 years of service in 2007, KaBOOM! rallies communities to achieve better public policy, funding, and public awareness for increased play opportunities nationwide; provides resources including challenge grants for communities that wish to plan new playspaces on their own; and brings together children, businesses, and community interests for a select number of playspace builds each year. In 2007, KaBOOM! will build 222 playspaces. The next two-year cycle runs from July 1, 2007–June 30, 2009. http://www.kaboom.org/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation—With assets of “$5.5 billion” and grants and program-related investments totaling approximately “$200 million annually,” MacArthur is one of the nation's largest private philanthropic foundations. It makes grants and loans through various programs including Human and Community Development, which addresses issues in the United States such as affordable rental housing, juvenile justice reform, and education, with an emerging interest in how digital media impact learning. http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.855229/k.CC2B/Home.htm
Minnesota Council on Foundations—A self-described “community of grant makers” that works actively to strengthen and expand philanthropy and to “improve the vitality and health of communities.” The Council offers many resources to assist nonprofits and grant seekers in becoming familiar with the grant-making community and its interests. The Council does not give grants, provide technical assistance to nonprofits, or match funders and grant seekers. http://www.mcf.org/index.html
NASCO—The National Association of State Charity Officials (NASCO) is an association of state offices charged with oversight of charitable organizations in the United States. http://www.nasconet.org/
Nonprofit Guides—Offers free Web-based grant-writing tools for nonprofit organizations; charitable and educational public organizations; and other community-minded groups. The guides are designed to assist established nonprofits through the grant-writing process.” http://www.npguides.org/
Oracle Education Foundation—As part of its mission, the independent nonprofit foundation provides ThinkQuest and Think.com as free services to global school communities. These programs are designed to connect students around the world and engage them in collaborative, project-based learning using technology. The foundation “promotes global collaborative learning through partnerships” with schools, government agencies, other nonprofits, and nongovernmental organizations. In addition, it makes a small number of grants to select primary and secondary schools that serve as test beds for Think programs. It also funds evaluation activities linked to Oracle grants and programs. http://www.oraclefoundation.org/
Reading, Writing, and Rhythm—A nonprofit organization started by country music artist Chely Wright that is dedicated to improving the quality of music education in America's public schools. The goals are to raise public awareness about the importance of music education for the nation's youth, and to help public school music departments by providing them with musical instruments and equipment. Each year in June, Chely Wright hosts a benefit concert to raise money for Reading, Writing, & Rhythm, raising as much as $126,000 in cash donations, as well as the value of thousands of dollars in donated instruments and services. http://www.rwandr.org/?content=home
Robert W. Woodruff Foundation—With reported 2005 assets of nearly $2 billion, the foundation supports charitable, scientific, and educational activities. Grants generally are limited to tax-exempt public charities located and operating in Georgia. Principal giving interests are focused on the following program areas: elementary, secondary, and higher education; health care and education; human services, particularly for children and youth; economic development and civic affairs; art and cultural activities; conservation of natural resources; and environmental education. “Grants paid in 2005: $101,030,268 for 94 grants (high: $6,150,000; low: $13,480; general range: $100,000–$1,000,000).” http://www.woodruff.org/
Ronald McDonald House Charities—The RMHC National Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to eligible graduating high school seniors who face limited access to educational and career opportunities. Students are selected and awards are distributed on the basis of demonstrated academic achievement, financial need, and community involvement. To date, RMHC has awarded more than “$24 million” to help high school seniors attend college. http://www.rmhc.com/rmhc/index/programs/rmhc_scholarship_program.html