Question

Based on at least three examples, using sources, please show how philanthropists have influenced k-12 public education.

Words 200-300. Thank you

Answer 1

Philanthropic funding for education in the United States has a long tradition, starting with the establishment of higher education institutions and pre-dating the development of the public education system as we know it. Through time, the focus of private giving to support education has grown from an early emphasis on teacher colleges to now include direct funding for schools and students, as well as models for improving education.

Health, including both K-12 and higher education, is one of the most common philanthropic funding sectors, attracting nearly one-quarter of all philanthropic dollars for health-related contributions and trading. Currently 40 per cent of education contributions fund K-12 education, equal to currently $1.8 billion provided to K-12 education in 2012. While education-related giving accounts for a large share of philanthropic giving, philanthropic funding amounts to less than 1 per cent of total public K-12 funding, which poses a challenge to foundations seeking to affect structural change in public education.

Historical statistics show that the majority of education grants promote the "status quo" by providing financial funding for programs already engaged in by public schools. Yet recent developments in philanthropy for education indicate that a greater focus can emerge on change-oriented activities. Whether the implementation of the concepts of "venture philanthropy" would have a large effect on public education as a whole remains to be seen, but what is apparent is that funders can be pragmatic through explicitly identifying tangible targets, incorporating transparency through grantmaking, and exploring ways to scale impacts (i.e., through study and advocacy) and sustainability.