Foundation education grants for 2014

By Valerie Strauss December 21 at 1:43 PM

Bill and Melinda Gates watch daughter Jennifer perform in an equestrian event during the Hollywood Reporter Trophy class at the Longines Los Angeles Masters on Sept. 27. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for EEM World)

Bill Gates is famous for many things, including spending hundreds of millions of dollars to develop, promote and defend the Common Core State Standards. In 2014, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded millions more for the Core, plus other issues in the education world.
Along with the Common Core, the big winners in terms of issue were charter schools — especially in Washington state (where Gates helps finance a campaign to win voter approval of charters) — and online and technology-based learning initiatives.
In terms of dollars spent, Gates is the leading billionaire/millionaire who has poured money into school “reform” in recent years. Such philanthropy has raised questions about whether American democracy is well-served by wealthy people who pour so much money into their pet projects — regardless of whether they are known to be useful in education — that public policy and public funding follow in their wake.

Here are  15 of the biggest education-related grants listed on the Gates Foundation’s Web site for 2014:

New Venture Fund
Date: May 2014
Purpose: to support the successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards and related assessments through comprehensive and targeted communications and advocacy in key states and the District of Columbia
Amount: $10,300,300
Term: 13
Topic: Global Policy & Advocacy, College-Ready
Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA
Program: United States
Grantee Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Grantee Website: http://www.newventurefund.org
[The New Venture Fund received another grant in January worth $2,266,215, plus at least two more during the year worth $601,637]

Education Trust Inc.
Date: March 2014
Purpose: for general operating support
Amount: $8,000,000
Term: 36
Topic: Global Policy & Advocacy
Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA
Program: United States
Grantee Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Grantee Website: http://www.edtrust.org
[The Education Trust is an organization that supports charter schools and other school reforms.]

Council of Chief State School Officers
Date: June 2014
Purpose: to support the implementation of CCSSO’s 2014-2015 Strategic Plan
Amount: $6,148,749
Term: 19
Topic: College-Ready
Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA
Program: United States
Grantee Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Grantee Website: http://www.ccsso.org