our grantmaking process

The Raikes Foundation makes grants in three core program areas: Education, Youth Homelessness, and Impact-Driven Philanthropy. We also make a limited number of community grants and grants for special projects. Proposals are by invitation only. We make the majority of our grants to organizations we have identified. We do not accept unsolicited proposals. 

To be eligible for a grant, applicants must be classified as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and as public charities under section 509(a)(1), (2) or (3) of the Code. Public organizations designated under section 170(c) of the Code are also eligible. The Raikes Foundation does not make grants to individuals or to organizations outside the United States. 

The Raikes Foundation does not fund: individuals; organizations that discriminate on the basis of age, race, national origin or citizenship, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or religious belief; or religious purposes unless grant activities address the needs of the wider community without regard to religious beliefs.

Even if our grants and strategies don’t fully succeed, we only fail if we don’t learn.

– Jeff Raikes

List of Grants

Organization Requests Award Date Amount Program
Southern Education Foundation Brown's Promise: General Operating Support 07/05/23 $5,000.00 Community Giving
Southern Education Foundation Brown’s Promise General Operating Support 01/01/24 $150,000.00 Education
Southern Education Foundation Brown’s Promise: Communications Research Project 09/27/23 $55,000.00 Education
Bowie State University Foundation, Inc. BSU Philanthropy Initiative-Managing Philanthropy and Non-Profit Programs 04/27/23 $25,000.00 Executive Director Discretionary
Building Changes Building Changes Education Program 10/21/22 $775,000.00 Youth Homelessness
Building Changes Building Changes Education Program 12/02/24 $725,000.00 Youth Homelessness
The Good Nation Foundation Inc Building for Democracy Education Fund 04/04/24 $100,000.00 RED - IDPI Cross Cut
Foundation for California Community Colleges California Learning Lab: First Inaugural Annual Conference 07/19/22 $10,000.00 Education
New Venture Fund Campaign for Our Shared Future: General Operating Support 08/14/23 $250,000.00 RED 1 - National Strategy
American Council on Education Carnegie Classifications Project​ 10/01/23 $250,000.00 Education
Thousand Currents Center for Transforming Philanthropy 11/14/22 $250,000.00 Impact Driven Philanthropy
Hispanics in Philanthropy Change Philanthropy: UNITY Summit Sponsorship (2023) 06/02/23 $10,000.00 Community Giving
Community Foundation of New Jersey Child Welfare Funders Collaborative Fund 12/05/24 $100,000.00 Youth Homelessness
Trustee of Tufts College CIRCLE General Operating Support 12/12/22 $1,500.00 Community Giving
Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU): Scaling SEP Practices and Supporting Systemic Change 09/27/23 $840,000.00 Education
Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU): Increasing Adoption of SEP Approach to Equitable College Classrooms 02/21/23 $280,000.00 Education
Coalition For Juvenile Justice Collaborating for Change 03/06/23 $45,000.00 Youth Homelessness
Coalition For Juvenile Justice Collaborating for Change 09/10/24 $35,000.00 Youth Homelessness
Panorama Global Collaborative Learning from Impact Philanthropy 09/29/22 $15,000.00 Impact Driven Philanthropy
Third Sector New England Inc. Communications Capacity Support 05/09/24 $6,500.00 Youth Homelessness
New Venture Fund Communities for Just Schools Fund: General Operating Support 07/07/22 $2,100.00 Community Giving
New Venture Fund Communities for Just Schools: General Operating Support 12/06/23 $500,000.00 Education 1 - Field Building
NW Children's Foundation Community Annual Forum - Healing-Centered Practices & Childhood Trauma Sponsorship (2023) 02/15/23 $5,000.00 Community Giving
Possibility Labs Community Centric Fundraising: General Operating Support 12/08/22 $150,000.00 Impact Driven Philanthropy
Tides Foundation Core Operating Support - Center for Working Families Fund 11/03/22 $100,000.00 RED Base
Council of Chief State School Officers Council of Chief State School Officers Community of Practice for Improving School Climate ​ 11/01/23 $262,700.00 Education
RVC Seattle Creative Justice: General Operating Support 11/18/22 $10,000.00 Youth Homelessness
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Democracy Alliance Pooled Fund 03/06/23 $300,000.00 RED - IDPI Cross Cut
Rockefeller Family Fund Democracy Power & Innovation Fund 06/25/24 $100,000.00 RED 4 - Collaborative Funding
Ashland Greenwood Public Schools Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award 02/17/22 $3,000.00 Trustee Directed Gifts (Historical)
Ashland Greenwood Public Schools Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award 02/24/23 $3,000.00 Trustee Directed (Recurring)
Ashland Greenwood Public Schools Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award 02/01/24 $3,000.00 Trustee Directed (Recurring)
U-Power Dodge for a Cause Event Team Sponsorship 11/14/22 $1,250.00 Trustee Directed Gifts (Historical)
U-Power Dodge for a Cause Event Team Sponsorship 01/26/24 $1,250.00 Trustee Directed (One Time)
JustFund US Donor Engagement Experimentation 02/14/22 $200,000.00 Impact Driven Philanthropy
Giving Compass Network Donor Survey and AI Analysis Prototype 09/29/23 $10,000.00 Impact Driven Philanthropy
We Are Down Home Down Home NC General Operating Support 03/25/24 $25,000.00 RED 2 - State-Based Organizing
National Public Education Support Fund Education Funder Strategy Group Membership (2023) 03/06/23 $25,000.00 Education 1 - Field Building
National Public Education Support Fund Education Funder Strategy Group Membership (2024) 01/30/24 $25,000.00 Education 1 - K-12 Field Building
National Public Education Support Fund Education Funder Strategy Group Membership (2025) 01/16/25 $25,000.00 Education 1 - K-12 Field Building
National Public Education Support Fund Education Funders Strategy Group Membership (2022) 05/04/22 $25,000.00 Education
SchoolHouse Connection Education Leads Home: Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness in the Pandemic Recovery and Beyond 04/04/22 $500,000.00 Youth Homelessness
Georgetown University Edunomic's Lab General Operating Support 09/08/22 $300,000.00 Education
Georgetown University Edunomics Lab General Operating Support 05/24/24 $300,000.00 Education
Georgetown University Edunomics Lab: Elevating Ed Finance Policies to Support Students Experiencing Homelessness 10/02/24 $100,000.00 Youth Homelessness
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Emergent Fund: Movement Rapid Response Organizing Initiative 12/07/22 $50,000.00 Trustee Directed Gifts (Historical)
Treehouse Ending Foster Care to Prison Pipeline 08/03/22 $25,000.00 Youth Homelessness
Treehouse Ending Foster Care to Prison Pipeline 10/01/23 $35,000.00 Youth Homelessness
TeamChild Ending Foster Care to Prison Pipeline 11/26/24 $70,000.00 Youth Homelessness
National Conference of State Legislatures Engaging Legislators in the Fight to End Youth Homelessness 11/27/23 $410,000.00 Youth Homelessness