Education Reform Philanthropy Has Changed Radically Over the Past Decade
With the NewSchools Venture Fund Summit kicking off this evening, I thought I'd do an overview of the state of K-12 education philanthropy. I'm warning you now, friends: This is gonna get wonky! But stick with me and I promise you'll learn at least three interesting facts that will make you sound smart when discusing education reform at parties. (Those are the kinds of parties you go to, right?)
The NewSchools Venture Fund is one of the founding institutions of "venture philanthropy," a school of charitable giving that borrows its ethos from the world of venture capital. Venture philanthropists seek out non-profits that pursue social change while embracing data-driven corporate accountability standards. These donors often seek