What Drives Our Philanthropy

The theme of this year’s report is From Learning to Action. This reflects our belief about the most important role we can play as a funder: identifying needed areas of innovation, testing promising solutions, and then scaling the adoption of those with the strongest evidence.

This report shares numerous examples of how we’ve applied this approach. At the core of our philanthropic strategy is an assessment of what’s needed given the barriers faced by learners from low-income backgrounds and the evolving world around us. We strive to make “the right grant at the right time” based on what we know and don’t know.

In 2023, we deployed nearly $101 million to grant partners, including significant investments to partners responding in real time to emerging opportunities.

• We sought out the most promising approaches for delivering the skills and credentials needed for high-demand jobs in critical industries. With federal infrastructure and green energy investments driving growth in well-paying jobs, we hope to ensure access to training that will give learners a solid economic footing in these sectors.

• We similarly seized the opportunity created by the reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated learners. Our goal is to catalyze the creation of high-quality postsecondary education in prison offerings — including those that provide seamless pathways for learners to access continued education or good careers after release.

As we undertake a refresh of our strategy in 2024, our commitment to “learning while doing” through our grantmaking and other activities will remain at the core. Look for more information about the strategy refresh later in the report.

We’re proud of the efforts our grantmaking has made possible. We’re also grateful to our grant partners whose tireless work on behalf of learners from low-income backgrounds inspires us and fuels the urgency with which we move forward.