How can you stay up to date with education philanthropy trends?

1 Follow key publications

To stay up to date on education philanthropy trends, you can follow reputable and relevant publications such as newsletters, blogs, podcasts, magazines, journals, reports, and books. Examples of publications to subscribe to or check regularly include Philanthropy News Digest (a daily news service featuring stories from foundations, nonprofits, and individuals involved in education philanthropy), The Chronicle of Philanthropy (a biweekly magazine that covers the nonprofit sector), Inside Philanthropy (a website offering in-depth reporting and analysis on trends, strategies, and personalities of education philanthropy), Education Next (a quarterly journal publishing evidence-based articles on current issues and innovations in education policy and practice) and Education Week (a weekly newspaper covering K-12 education news).

2 Join professional networks

To stay informed about education philanthropy trends, you can join professional networks that connect you with others who share your interest and expertise in the field. These may include associations, communities, forums, events, and webinars that offer learning, networking, collaboration, and advocacy opportunities. For example, Grantmakers for Education is a national network of more than 300 foundations and corporations that support education from early childhood to postsecondary education. It provides events, programs, resources, and publications to help its members improve their grantmaking and advance educational equity and excellence. The Center for Effective Philanthropy is a nonprofit that offers data and insights to help foundations and nonprofits enhance their performance and impact. The Philanthropy Roundtable is a network of more than 600 individual donors, foundations, and corporations that promote philanthropic freedom and excellence. Finally, The Education Trust is a nonprofit advocating for closing opportunity and achievement gaps for students of color and low-income students. It hosts webinars, podcasts, and events featuring experts from the education and philanthropy sectors.

3 Learn from best practices

Staying up to date with education philanthropy trends can be done by learning from best practices and examples of successful and innovative initiatives and programs that have been supported or implemented by education philanthropists. These can include case studies, evaluations, awards, and stories that showcase the impact, challenges, and lessons learned. The Wallace Foundation, for example, publishes case studies, reports, guides, and videos that share the findings and implications of its projects and partnerships in areas such as school leadership, afterschool programs, arts education, and social and emotional learning. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching also publishes reports, blogs, and podcasts that highlight the results and insights of its work and collaborations in areas such as developmental math, high school redesign, and teacher preparation. Additionally, The Broad Prize is an annual award that recognizes the urban school districts that have made the most progress in raising student achievement and reducing achievement gaps. It provides profiles, data, and videos that showcase the practices and policies of the winning and finalist districts. Finally, The Gates Foundation is a global foundation that supports initiatives and innovations in education, health, and development. It publishes stories, blogs, and podcasts that feature the voices and perspectives of its grantees, partners, and beneficiaries in areas such as early learning, college readiness, and global education.

4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?