NELLIE MAE EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC

THE NELLIE MAE EDUCATION FOUNDATION ("FOUNDATION") STRATEGY IS INCLUSIVE OF GRANTMAKING, BUILDING THE CAPACITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF ORGANIZATIONS AND SCHOOLS THAT WORK TO PROMOTE RACIAL EQUITY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, PARTNERSHIPS AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS, AS WELL AS OTHER SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES. OUR GRANTMAKING ENCOMPASSES FOUR CORE FUNDS STRUCTURED TO REINFORCE ONE ANOTHER IN ADVANCING OUR MISSION TO ENSURE A HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION IS READILY AVAILABLE TO EVERY CHILD. ADDITIONALLY, AS PART OF OUR CORE GRANT FUNDS, THE FOUNDATION PROVIDES A ROBUST LEARNING COMMUNITY AND CAPACITY BUILDING SUPPORTS. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATION OF PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS.SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS LED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR:THE NELLIE MAE EDUCATION FOUNDATION HAS A RICH HISTORY OF INVESTING IN COMMUNITY-DRIVEN TRANSFORMATION AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT SUPPORT ALL YOUNG PEOPLE, WITH A FOCUS ON THE LOWEST RESOURCED SCHOOLS AND THOSE FURTHEST FROM OPPORTUNITIES. ORGANIZATIONS LED BY THOSE IN THE COMMUNITIES WE SEEK TO SERVICE ARE IN THE BEST POSITION TO ORGANIZE AND LIFT UP THE INVALUABLE VOICES OF THOSE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY EXCLUDED FROM DECISIONS MADE ABOUT THEIR SCHOOLS. THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE ADVOCATING FOR RACIAL EQUITY IN NEW ENGLAND SCHOOLS BY IMPLEMENTING CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING; DIVERSIFYING THE TEACHER WORKFORCE; ESTABLISHING RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES IN SCHOOLS; AND SERVING THE WHOLE CHILD AND FAMILY. BY PROVIDING MULTI-YEAR, GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT TO ORGANIZATIONS LED BY AND SERVING PEOPLE OF COLOR, FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING RACIAL INEQUITIES IN EDUCATION, WE BELIEVE WE WILL SUPPORT THE INCREASED FINANCIAL FREEDOM AND ORGANIZATIONAL STABILITY NEEDED TO ADVANCE THEIR MISSIONS OVER THE LONG TERM. THIS, IN TURN, HELPS ENSURE THAT EVERY STUDENT IS SET UP FOR SUCCESS, HAS THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO THRIVE ACADEMICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY, AND CAN PARTICIPATE IN A MORE RACIALLY JUST PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM. AMPLIFYING YOUTH VOICE & LEADERSHIP: TO ENACT MEANINGFUL CHANGE, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE EQUITY AND ACCESS GAPS EXIST. YOUTH, PARTICULARLY YOUTH OF COLOR, DIRECTLY EXPERIENCE EDUCATIONAL INEQUITIES, BUT THEIR VOICE IS USUALLY LEFT OUT OF DISCUSSIONS AROUND SOLVING THOSE PROBLEMS. YOUTH NEED SPACE TO ARTICULATE THEIR IDEAS, CONCERNS AND EXPERIENCES, AND SUPPORT TO BUILD THE SKILLS AND CAPACITY TO ARTICULATE, ADVOCATE FOR, AND EFFECT THE CHANGES THEY SEEK IN EDUCATION.YOUTH ORGANIZING GROUPS CAN ACHIEVE INCREASED IMPACT BY COLLABORATING WITH EACH OTHER. BUT WITHOUT DEDICATED FUNDING, IT CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR YOUTH ORGANIZING GROUPS TO FIND SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES AND BUILD CAPACITY. WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE CAN WORK COLLECTIVELY, THEY CAN BUILD POWER, AND INCREASE MOMENTUM AND MOVEMENT TOWARDS SHARED ACTION.THEREFORE, THE NELLIE MAE EDUCATION FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THE CAPACITY OF INDIVIDUAL YOUTH ORGANIZING GROUPS WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING THEIR COLLABORATION THROUGH A NEW ENGLAND WIDE NETWORK. AS A RESULT, MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS WILL BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE AT PURSUING THEIR AGENDAS AND MOVE TOWARDS MORE COLLABORATIVE AND ALIGNED WORK, INCREASING AND STRENGTHENING THE POWER OF YOUTH VOICE IN THE REGION OVERALL. WITH YOUTH VOICE ELEVATED, WE CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND WHERE AND WHY OPPORTUNITY GAPS EXIST, AND BEGIN CREATING A PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT IS RESPONSIVE TO THEIR NEEDS. ADVANCING COMMUNITY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS: WE BELIEVE THAT THE BEST WAY TO ACHIEVE EQUITY IN EDUCATION IS TO WORK WITH COMMUNITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE TRANSFORMING THEIR OWN SCHOOLS TO CREATE A MORE EQUITABLE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM FOR ALL STUDENTS. TO THAT END, WE SUPPORT COMMUNITY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE IDENTIFYING BARRIERS IN THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEMS, DEVELOPING REAL SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THESE BARRIERS, AND IMPLEMENTING THEM AT SCALE.WHEN SCHOOLS WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, STUDENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO THRIVE. WE KNOW THAT WHEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE WELCOMED INTO THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AND PLAY A KEY ROLE IN DECISION-MAKING, ALL YOUNG PEOPLE BENEFIT. ROBUST COMMUNITY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS ARE ESSENTIAL TO FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS OF TRUST AND RESPECT, AND BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING. SUCH PARTNERSHIPS CAN HELP FACILITATE INCLUSIVE DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES, AND LEVERAGE LOCAL RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE TO ADDRESS EDUCATIONAL INEQUITIES. THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF THIS GRANT FUND IS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY-DRIVEN PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN DISTRICTS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES TO ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY AND EXCELLENT, STUDENT-CENTERED PUBLIC EDUCATION. STUDENT EXPERIENCE EVENTUALLY AFFECTS ALL OF US, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE IT'S BUILT WITH EVERY STUDENT IN MIND. STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS AND MOVEMENT BUILDING:WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONVENING AND SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO ADVANCE EQUITY AND EDUCATION JUSTICE, BECAUSE WHEN ORGANIZATIONS COME TOGETHER AND ARE ABLE TO SHARE KNOWLEDGE, RESOURCES, AND GOALS, THEY ARE BETTER EQUIPPED TO ACHIEVE LASTING CHANGE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT MANY OF THE RACIAL EQUITY BARRIERS THAT EXIST IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM ARE IN PART SHAPED BY INEQUITABLE POLICIES, PAST AND PRESENT. WE SUPPORT EXISTING AND EMERGING PARTNERSHIPS, MOVEMENTS, AND COALITIONS THAT ARE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY AND DISMANTLE STATE AND FEDERAL POLICY BARRIERS AND PROMOTE INCLUSIVE POLICY DESIGN TO ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.ADDITIONALLY, WE BELIEVE THAT IF WE SUPPORT OUR GRANTEES TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY BUILDING AND CONNECTING WITH STATE AND NATIONAL COALITIONS, THEN ORGANIZATIONS WILL FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO ALIGN THEIR WORK AND USE THEIR COLLECTIVE POWER TO ADVANCE A SHARED VISION FOR EQUITY. OUR STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS AND MOVEMENT BUILDING FUND IS COMPRISED OF THREE SUB-FUNDS: 1) ADVOCACY; 2) COALITIONS AND 3) PARTNERSHIPS.ADDITIONAL FUNDS:AS PART OF OUR REINFORCING ACTIVITIES, WE ALSO HAVE TWO POOLS OF FUNDING THAT OFFER SUPPORT FOR MORE TIME SENSITIVE REQUESTS IN THE NEW ENGLAND REGION:RAPID RESPONSE - OUR RAPID RESPONSE FUND PROVIDES SHORT-TERM, TIME-SENSITIVE SUPPORT IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED A CRITICAL CONDITION THAT AFFECTS RACIAL EQUITY IN EDUCATION.EVENT SPONSORSHIPS - OUR EVENT SPONSORSHIP FUND PROVIDES FUNDING FOR ORGANIZATIONS HOSTING EVENTS SUCH AS FUNDRAISERS, TRAININGS, CONFERENCES, OR THE LIKE FOCUSED ON ADVANCING RACIAL EQUITY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.