4 Inclusive Practices to Improve Grantmaking with Communities
By Natalie Wilson, Partner, Racial Equity As a Black mother raising a brilliant Black girl who attends a public middle school, I came to this work because I wanted more for all children, especially those furthest from opportunity. I wanted to be at the table where decisions were made to find, fund, and support the […]
Council of Parents, Students, and Innovators Selects Grantees to Receive $1.5 Million Investment for Racial Equity
NewSchools’ Racial Equity Council has selected a group of innovators to receive $1.5 million in funding. These innovators are disrupting racial inequities and advancing the wellbeing and achievement of students in Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities. Whether it’s ensuring students have access to mental health services or culturally relevant curricula, the selected organizations — all […]
Ceding Power: NewSchools Shifts Grantmaking Power to Parents, Students, and Education Innovators
NewSchools Venture Fund In April, NewSchools launched a new funding opportunity to provide dream capital to innovators of color with bold ideas to advance racial equity in education. This investment area combines a broad focus with a new approach to grantmaking: Ceding decision-making power to a council of parents, students, and education innovators. The council […]
Trends Emerging From Our First 62 Investments in 2021
By Frances Messano Here at NewSchools, we kicked off 2021 with the launch of a new three-year strategy, focused on four investment areas: Innovative Public Schools, Learning Solutions, Diverse Leaders, and Racial Equity. Our team is energized by the tremendous response from education innovators and leaders across the country. As we analyzed data from the […]
Investors Often Ignore Entrepreneurs of Color. NewSchools Venture Fund Wants to Change That
This blog was originally published by EdWeek MarketBrief on May 28, 2021 and can be found on their website here. Investors Often Ignore Entrepreneurs of Color. NewSchools Venture Fund Wants to Change That By Sean Cavanagh | May 28, 2021 Frances Messano wants her organization to nurture promising, diverse talent within school districts — and […]
A Major K-12 Funder Takes the Participatory Grantmaking Plunge
This blog was originally published by Inside Philanthropy on May 25, 2021 and can be found on their website here. A Major K-12 Funder Takes the Participatory Grantmaking Plunge By Connie Matthiessen | May 25, 2021 Participatory grantmaking: It isn’t a term that rolls off the tongue, and yet many people in the philanthropy world […]
Dream Capital for Innovators Advancing Racial Equity in Education
By Frances Messano, President, NewSchools Venture Fund For the past year, there have been loud calls for justice and change stemming from the ongoing police killings of Black and Brown people and the violence against Asian-Americans. This week, George Floyd was given a measure of justice after a jury in Minneapolis convicted his killer, the […]