Jan 2025
Celebrating 30 Years of Grantmakers for Education
We’re excited to spend 2025 honoring the 30-year anniversary of the founding of Grantmakers for Education!
EdFunders has been a preeminent convener and connector, field researcher and resource-builder, and trusted partner and advisor for 30 years. In 1995, leaders in education philanthropy joined together to develop a professional community with the purpose of strengthening the sector’s connection, capacity and effectiveness. Since that time, the organization has grown in size and evolved in approach, but still retains many of its original core goals and values.
Join us in honoring this milestone over 2025. We'll look back on the organization’s history, highlight the vital partnerships with members and others in and beyond the field of education philanthropy. Our members have had impact and influence within philanthropy, as well as on education practices and policies, and have provided many positive contributions to the field of education over the past three decades.
We'll also use this opportunity to imagine what we can do over the next 30 years as a robust network that's inspired to generate learning, innovation and social impact in the field of education and philanthropy.
What you can expect:
- A celebration of founding members and highlights of the organization’s history.
- Anniversary articles and events celebrating the moment and visioning for the future of the field.
- Special highlights on the positive impact and influence of members and the field of education philanthropy.
Grantmakers for Education’s work, and that of its members, remains relevant and responsive to dynamic sociopolitical environments and the changing nature of philanthropy, as well as changing priorities and expanding knowledge about the science of teaching and learning in education. Stay tuned for more details as we look back and move forward!
Memorializing Our Past
Poem written by Lisa Ann "LAMARKS" Markuson of Ars Poetica at the 2024 annual conference in response to the announcement of our coming anniversary.
Founding Organizations
Organizations that participated in the 1996 Grantmakers for Education planning retreat:
Amoco Foundation
Atlantic Philanthropic Service Co.
Helen Bader Foundation
BellSouth Foundation
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Danforth Foundation
Ford Foundation
The George Gund Foundation
Walter & Elise Haas Found
Hegeler Institute
The Heinz Endowments
Hitachi Foundation
International Paper Foundation
The Johnson Foundation
Knight Foundation
Learning Communities Network, Inc.
Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation
Mississippi Power Foundation
The Moriah Fund
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
National Foundation for the Improvement of Education
Oppenheimer Family Foundation
The Panasonic Foundation
Pew Charitable Trusts
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
The Rockefeller Foundation
Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
Southern Education Foundation
Stuart Foundation