New Issue of MCF’s Giving Forum Features Minnesota Grantmakers’ Contributions to Education
Children in The Saint Paul Foundation’s Words Work! initiative. Read more about this initiative and others in Giving Forum.
Expenditures for elementary and secondary education in Minnesota topped $7.6 billion in 2006-07, according to the Report Card on American Education: A State-by-State Analysis by the American Legislative Exchange Council (whose source is the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics; Digest of Educational Statistics, 2007).
The $212 million in grants that went toward education in Minnesota in 2006 is not a small chunk of change (source: Giving in Minnesota, 2008 Edition, a report of the Minnesota Council on Foundations). However, when comparing $212 million to $7.6+ billion,* one does wonder what kind of impact grant dollars can make when it’s “out-billioned” several times over.
Unfazed by the funding differential, Minnesota grantmakers are asking, “What if every student in Minnesota had the opportunity to realize his or her educational goals?”
Achievement, opportunity and access gaps abound, and the road ahead looks daunting. But, through initiatives big and small, long-term and short-term, these grantmakers are investing in changing the trajectory of student success by building on the body of research, promoting effective practices that impact academic outcomes, engaging and empowering stakeholders, influencing policies, and leveraging resources.
We talked to funders about why they fund what they fund and how it’s creating opportunities to innovate, change and sustain in education. What they had to say is featured in our summer issue of Giving Forum, a publication of MCF.
Their initiatives are making sure children don’t enter school already behind, preventing students from falling further behind, and preparing students for post-secondary education. They’re investing in those closest to the student – parents, teachers and liaisons. They’re leading efforts to expand the meaning of “education” beyond the K-12 classroom to include perseverance in college, out-of-school time, early childhood mental health, opportunities for immigrants, and home visits for first-time parents in rural Minnesota. And they’re laying the foundation to create change through public policy engagement.
This issue of Giving Forum also includes a commentary on how Minnesota funders can impact educational effectiveness, data on education giving trends in Minnesota, a look at Minnesota’s two top education funders – Target and General Mills, and a compilation of education resources.
The investment by Minnesota grantmakers is helping each and every Minnesota student in ways that not even $7.6+ billion can.
- Chris Murakami Noonan, MCF communications associate
*While the $212 million in grants includes support of higher education, student services and other related education areas, I didn’t research total public-sector spending on early childhood or post-secondary education or all the other areas that feed into education, so this is not a true apples-to-apples comparison, and thus the “+” that accompanies the 7.6. If I was a research expert and this was a blog on research, this apple-to-orange thing might bother me more, but I’m sure you’ll roll with my numbers as I try to illustrate a point.
Other Posts Related to Education: New McKnight Focus: Literacy by the Third Grade, Making It Real, Even on My Day Off, A Data Nugget is Worth 1,000 Words
July 18, 2009 at 6:54 am |
As I review the various articles regarding this issue of philanthropy and education, I believe our philanthropic institutions often overlook programs that are making a positive impact on African American children who are students in our schools and that are not doing well on standardized tests. Until grantmakers develop new relationships, nothing will change.
July 20, 2009 at 9:10 am |
Let’s continue the conversation: What are some of those lesser-known programs that have achieved results that funders should know about, and what are some ideas for new relationships that can foster further progress?
I certainly agree that there is a great need for initiatives addressing the achievement, opportunity and access gaps that exist, especially related to African American students in Minnesota schools. In doing numerous interviews with Minnesota grantmakers – large, small, those with established initiatives in the area, those looking for ways to create more change – there was a consistent theme: All are aware of the great needs that exist concerning how the diversity of students are doing on standardized tests, and more importantly, what that indicates regarding their educational environment, learning opportunities, educational progress and future. All seemed very open to hearing ideas for innovating, changing and sustaining initiatives that tackle our education system’s most pressing challenges.