Nellie Mae Education Foundation Inc

TO CHAMPION EFFORTS THAT PRIORITIZE COMMUNITY GOALS THAT CHALLENGE RACIAL INEQUITIES AND ADVANCE EXCELLENT, STUDENT-CENTERED PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR ALL NEW ENGLAND YOUTH.

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 AND COMBATTING ANTI-BLACK STRUCTURAL RACISM. 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 EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS LED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR: ORGANIZATIONS LED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE IN THE BEST POSITION TO ORGANIZE AND LIFT UP THE INVALUABLE VOICES OF 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, SUCH AS: IMPLEMENTING CULTURALY 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, IN TURN SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN MORE RACIALLY JUST PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEMS. THE FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTED $4.7 MILLION TO EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS LED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR.AMPLYFYING YOUTH VOICE & LEADERSHIP EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:YOUTH - PARTICULARLY YOUTH OF COLOR - DIRECTLY EXPERIENCE EDUCATIONAL INEQUITIES, BUT THEIR INPUT 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 CAN ACHIEVE INCREASED IMPACT BY PURSUING SIMILAR GOALS IN COLLOBORATION 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 FOUNDATION SUPPORTS CAPACITY OF INDIVIDUAL YOUTH ORGANIZING GROUPS WHILE 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. THE FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTED $3.2 MILLION TO SEVERAL EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO AMPLIFY YOUTH VOICE AND BECOME PART OF THE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT THEIR FUTURE.ADVANCING EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS:WHEN SCHOOLS WORK IN PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, STUDENTS ARE BETTER POSITIONED TO RECEIVE THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTS THEY NEED TO THRIVE. WE KNOW 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. THE FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTED $3.8 MILLION TO SEVERAL EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO BEGIN PARTNERHIPS EFFORTS.STRENGTHENING EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS AND MOVEMENT BUILDING: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 EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, MOVEMENTS, AND COALITIONS THAT ARE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY AND DISMANTLE STATE AND FEDERAL POLICY BARRIES TO ADVANCING 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 ADVANCE A SHARED VISION FOR EQUITY ON MULTIPLE LEVELS. OUR STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS AND MOVEMENT BUILDING FUND IS COMPRISED OF THREE SUB-FUNDS: 1). ADVOCACY 2). COALITIONS AND 3). PARTNERSHIPS. THE FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTED $3.0 MILLION TO BUILD STATE AND NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, COALITIONS, AND MOVEMENT BUILDING.THE FOUNDATION DISTRIBUTED $3.1 MILLION TO EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING WORK BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE FOUR CORE FUNDS.