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
Kent State University Foundation Student Experience Project Strategic Planning and Partnership for Scaling Advisor 08/09/23 $118,421.00 Education
President And Fellows Of Harvard College BELE Network: False Prophets and Wise Choices: A Humane Approach to School Reform 09/01/23 $250,000.00 Education
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Higher Ed Forward Fund (2023-2024) 11/21/23 $1,000,000.00 Education
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
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
National Equity Project BELE Network: Student Experience-centered, Equity-embedded, Data-driven (SEED) District Strategic Planning Project 10/01/23 $150,000.00 Education
American University American University School of Education Dean’s Discretionary Operating Funds 12/04/23 $10,000.00 Education
Tides Center PERTS: Strategic Scale-Up of Copilot Ascend and Communities of Practice 01/01/24 $1,200,000.00 Education
Excelencia in Education Membership for Latino Student Success Funders Group (2024) 02/12/24 $40,000.00 Education
Grantmakers For Education 2021 Annual Conference Sponsorship 06/11/21 $7,500.00 Education
American Council on Education General Operating Support 02/26/24 $7,750.00 Education
Grantmakers For Education 2022 Annual Membership 04/05/22 $3,700.00 Education
Valencia College Foundation General Operating Support 02/28/24 $10,000.00 Education
Policy Innovators in Education Network Inc. General Operating Support 10/25/21 $50,000.00 Education
The Seattle Foundation Grantmakers for Thriving Youth Policy Working Group Collaborative (2021-2022) 05/20/21 $1,600,000.00 Education
National Public Education Support Fund Education Funders Strategy Group Membership (2022) 05/04/22 $25,000.00 Education
The Seattle Foundation Resource Equity Funders Collaborative (2021-2022) 05/20/21 $2,300,000.00 Education
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law General Operating Support 11/23/21 $200,000.00 Education
National Public Education Support Fund Narrative and Policy Work on Critical Race Theory 09/16/21 $50,000.00 Education
New York University NYU Metro Center General Operating Support 10/25/21 $50,000.00 Education
Georgetown University General Operating Support (Edunomic’s Lab) (5/2022 - 5/2025) 09/08/22 $300,000.00 Education
Grantmakers For Education 2023 Annual Membership 05/03/23 $3,700.00 Education
Policy Innovators in Education Network Inc. General Operating Support 06/24/22 $75,000.00 Education
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Grantmakers for Thriving Youth Policy Working Group - Education Forward Fund (2023) 11/16/23 $25,000.00 Education
Education Trust Inc. Alliance for Resource Equity Core Operating Support 06/07/22 $900,000.00 Education
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Grantmakers for Thriving Youth Policy Working Group - Education Forward Fund (2023) 12/19/23 $300,000.00 Education
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities General Operating Support 06/21/22 $900,000.00 Education
Education Leaders of Color, Inc. BELE Network: General Operating Support 05/12/21 $175,000.00 Education
Learning Policy Institute General Operating Support 05/23/22 $900,000.00 Education
School Board Partners BELE Network: General Operating Support 05/12/21 $150,000.00 Education
National Center for Youth Law General Operating Support 05/24/22 $750,000.00 Education
The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University Student Experience Project: College Transition Collaborative Design, Implementation, Research & Tool Development 05/12/21 $1,094,980.00 Education
National Equity Project BELE Network: Equipping Chief Equity Officers to Drive Transformation (2021-2023) 07/26/21 $150,000.00 Education
New Venture Fund Seek Common Ground: Student Action Network for Equity 07/07/22 $25,000.00 Education
University of Toledo Student Experience Project (SEP) Learning Partners Facilitation & Planning 10/29/21 $20,000.00 Education
Digital Promise Global BELE Network: Toronto Anti-Racist Collaboration (District Network) (2021-2023) 07/22/21 $250,000.00 Education
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Grantmakers for Thriving Youth Policy Working Group Collaborative (2023 Core) 06/23/23 $500,000.00 Education
Colorado State University Reinvention Collaborative Annual Conference 09/20/21 $7,500.00 Education
Surge Institute BELE Network: General Operating Support 05/10/21 $300,000.00 Education
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Resource Equity Funders Collaborative (2023 & 2024) 08/04/23 $2,000,000.00 Education
Young Invincibles Young Advocates Program College Student Success Cohort 09/01/21 $150,000.00 Education
Council of Chief State School Officers BELE Network: Equipping State Teams to Drive Equity Transformation 07/26/21 $300,000.00 Education
The Seattle Foundation Grantmakers for Thriving Youth, Education Forward Fund 04/21/22 $200,000.00 Education 1 - Field Building
New Venture Fund Seek Common Ground: Student Action Network for Equity 08/03/23 $100,000.00 Education 1 - Field Building
New Venture Fund Communities for Just Schools: General Operating Support 12/06/23 $500,000.00 Education 1 - Field Building
National Public Education Support Fund Grantmakers for Thriving Youth Membership (2023) 03/06/23 $20,000.00 Education 1 - Field Building
National Public Education Support Fund Education Funder Strategy Group Membership (2023) 03/06/23 $25,000.00 Education 1 - Field Building
New Venture Fund Leading Now: Responsive Communications Support for Superintendents​ 04/01/23 $150,000.00 Education 1 - Field Building
Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Grantmakers for Thriving Youth Policy Working Group - Education Forward Fund (2023) 06/23/23 $500,000.00 Education 1 - Field Building
New Venture Fund Leading Now: AI Series for Superintendents in Leading Now and Chiefs for Change 11/01/23 $32,500.00 Education 1 - Field Building