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Supports intellectually ambitious and technically sound education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education, broadly conceived. This program is field-initiated and accepts proposals from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives.
Supports high-quality, field-initiated education research projects across various disciplines and methods. This program is designed to support smaller-scale studies that contribute directly to the improvement of educational theory, policy, and practice.
Spencer Foundation is a private corporation based in CHICAGO, IL. The foundation received its IRS ruling in 1993. It holds total assets of $664.8M. Annual income is reported at $704.8M. Members of the program staff, working individually and in small teams, conduct independent educational research that produces knowledge to help the Spencer Foundation and other Foundations and institutions engaged in education research and related fields to improve their policies and practices. These staff members produce internal documents, publications, and presentations aimed at a broader audience of education researchers and, when relevant, practitioners and policymakers. According to available records, Spencer Foundation has made 1,274 grants totaling $115.3M, with a median grant of $50K. The foundation has distributed between $20M and $49.4M annually from 2021 to 2024. Grantmaking activity was highest in 2022 with $49.4M distributed across 582 grants. Individual grants have ranged from $100 to $4.3M, with an average award of $90K. The foundation has supported 478 unique organizations. The foundation primarily supports organizations in District of Columbia, California, New York, which account for 27% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across 46 states. Contributions to this foundation are tax-deductible.
Members of the program staff, working individually and in small teams, conduct independent educational research that produces knowledge to help the Spencer Foundation and other Foundations and institutions engaged in education research and related fields to improve their policies and practices. These staff members produce internal documents, publications, and presentations aimed at a broader audience of education researchers and, when relevant, practitioners and policymakers.
Expenses: $441K
Members of the program staff, working individually and in small teams, conduct independent educational research that produces knowledge to help the Spencer Foundation and other Foundations and institutions engaged in education research and related fields to improve their policies and practices. These staff members produce internal documents, publications, and presentations aimed at a broader audience of education researchers and, when relevant, practitioners and policymakers. Based on available records, the foundation has funded 1,274 grants. Its grantmaking reaches organizations primarily in DC, CA, NY.
Spencer Foundation has distributed a total of $115.3M across 1,274 grants. The median grant size is $50K, with an average of $90K. Individual grants have ranged from $100 to $4.3M.
For information about applying for grants from Spencer Foundation, visit their official website. Many private foundations accept unsolicited proposals or have specific application windows.
Spencer Foundation is headquartered in CHICAGO, IL. While based in IL, the foundation distributes grants to organizations across 46 states.
| Name | Title | Compensation | Benefits | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Na'Ilah Suad Nasir | President & Director | $676K | $78K | $753K |
| Elizabeth Carrick | Chief of Staff & VP of Admin. | $334K | $91K | $425K |
| Andreason Brown | CFO & Treasurer | $317K | $63K | $380K |
| Doris Fischer | Board Secy & Rec Mgr (as of 10/22) | $120K | $47K | $167K |
| Judy Klippenstein | Board Secy & Rec Mgr (thru 9/22) | $57K | $24K |
Total Giving
$45M
Total Assets
$667.4M
Fair Market Value
N/A
Net Worth
$624.4M
Grants Paid
N/A
Contributions
$2.6M
Net Investment Income
$78M
Distribution Amount
$29.3M
Total Grants
1,274
Total Giving
$115.3M
Average Grant
$90K
Median Grant
$50K
Unique Recipients
478
Most Common Grant
$50K
of 2024 grantees were first-time recipients
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Academy Of EducationNational Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship Programs (Cohorts 24-25, 25-26, 26-27) | Washington, DC | $1.3M | 2024 |
| William T Grant FoundationSupport for the 2023 Institutional Challenge Grant Program at the William T. Grant Foundation | New York, NY | $650K | 2024 |
| University Of VirginiaYoung African American Children Animating Societal Change: A Mixed-Methods Inquiry | Charlottesville, VA | $158K | 2024 |
| Brown UniversityUnequal Childhoods? The Complex Logics of Childrearing in Latinx Families |
Other foundations that have funded Spencer Foundation.
| Funder | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrus Katzen Foundation Inc. | $1K | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Reinsch Pierce Family Foundation Inc. | $500 | 2023 | SUPPORT STRONG PUBLIC POLICY AND TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES |
| Gates Foundation | $500K | 2022 | K-12 EDUCATION |
| Gates Foundation | $500K | 2022 | K-12 EDUCATION |
| William T Grant Foundation Inc. |
PORTLAND, OR
LAS CRUCES, NM
BILLINGS, MT
WASHINGTON, DC
| $81K |
| Kirabo Jackson | Director | $15K | $0 | $15K |
| Carl Cohn | Director | $15K | $0 | $15K |
| Mike Williams | Director | $10K | $0 | $10K |
| Pamela Grossman | Director | $10K | $0 | $10K |
| Nonie Lesaux | Director | $10K | $0 | $10K |
| Cecilia Rios-Aguilar | Director | $10K | $0 | $10K |
| Rob Reich | Director | $10K | $0 | $10K |
| Jane Patterson | Director | $10K | $0 | $10K |
| Eduardo Padron | Director | $8K | $0 | $8K |
| Providence, RI |
| $127K |
| 2024 |
| Kansas State UniversityThe Tribal Education Department Capacity Building Project | Manhattan, KS | $101K | 2024 |
| Columbia University In The City Of New YorkSpencer Education Journalism Fellowship Program, 2020-2024 | New York, NY | $593K | 2024 |
| Martin ChautariHistory of the Public School Education in Nepal,1900-1990 | Bagmati | $315K | 2024 |
| University Of California Los AngelesMerit Financial Aid for Low-Income Students and Social Mobility | Los Angeles, CA | $313K | 2024 |
| New York UniversityOrganizing Family and Community: Collective Parent Action and Intergenerational Learning | New York, NY | $305K | 2024 |
| The Ohio State UniversityLongitudinal Peer Social Networks and Early Language Development: Transforming Understanding of Critical Features of Young Childrens Classroom Experiences | Columbus, OH | $295K | 2024 |
| Metropolitan State University Of DenverCentering Trauma-Informed Practices (TIP) to Sustain TIP Knowledge and Reduce Secondary Traumatic Stress in Novice Teachers: An Interdisciplinary Research-Practice Partnership. | Denver, CO | $266K | 2024 |
| Boston UniversityRe-imagining Alternative Education: Designing for Geographies of Care and Responsibility | Boston, MA | $247K | 2024 |
| Arizona State University Foundation For A New American UniversityEYEPlay ADAPT:Expanding A University - Theater - School District Partnership to Support Early Literacy for Preschoolers with Diverse Abilities through Drama | Tempe, AZ | $243K | 2024 |
| University Of Missouri - St LouisCountering the Unintended Consequences of School Reforms: Communally-bonded Schools Reconnecting Black Students, Strengthening Communities, and Improving Educational Outcomes | Saint Louis, MO | $218K | 2024 |
| University Of California BerkleyRace-conscious education policies and adaptive anti-discrimination in a divided, multiracial democracy | Berkeley, CA | $206K | 2024 |
| American Indian College FundAmerican Indian and Alaska Native College Students: Building Collaborative Data Capacity and Investigating College Access, Persistence, and Graduation Success | Albuquerque, NM | $199K | 2024 |
| The University Of Texas At AustinDo Campus Contexts Make Black Women Faculty Sick? A National Study of Black Women Academics Health Outcomes at Historically Black and Predominantly White Postsecondary Institutions | Austin, TX | $198K | 2024 |
| University Of Colorado DenverDeveloping Research Capacity to Support the Assessment of Student Learning and Program Outcomes in Action Civics Programming | Denver, CO | $197K | 2024 |
| Harvard UniversityThe Black Teacher Archive: Charting New Paths in Digital Humanities and the History of African American Education | Cambridge, MA | $183K | 2024 |
| American Indian Science And Engineering SocietyLeveraging the AISES Archival Database: Mixed Methods Study on Native STEM Success | Albuquerque, NM | $181K | 2024 |
| Drexel UniversitySTEAMing through Dance: A Multimodal Exploration of Black Girls Intersectional Identities and STEAM Literacies within a Transdisciplinary STEAM Counterspace. | Philadelphia, PA | $173K | 2024 |
| University Of Illinois At ChicagoTeaching about Race, Racism and Racial History: Investigating Experiences of Educators in Chicago | Chicago, IL | $167K | 2024 |
| Philadelphia Student UnionThe Philadelphia Student Debt Coalition: Creating a Research-Organizing Model for Student Loan Policymaking | Philadelphia, PA | $165K | 2024 |
| University Of North Carolina At Chapel HillBack to Normal? The long run effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on student, educator, and school outcomes | Chapel Hill, NC | $164K | 2024 |
| North Carolina State UniversityExamining Rural Dual Language Programs, Multilingual Learners, and Rural Community Cultural Wealth | Raleigh, NC | $163K | 2024 |
| Tulane UniversityWe are worthy of being heard and included: Engagement of youth voice in the evaluation of trauma-informed schools | New Orleans, LA | $163K | 2024 |
| Mercer UniversityUse Your Voice: Linguistic Justice to Literacy Practice in the State of Georgia | Macon, GA | $154K | 2024 |
| The Pennsylvania State UniversityChildrens Everyday Practices in Inclusive Transglossic Spaces: A Study of Collectivist Approaches to Deaf-Nondeaf Inclusive Bilingual Education in France | University Park, PA | $153K | 2024 |
| Learning Policy InstituteAdvancing SoLD-Aligned, Equity-Focused Educator Preparation and Policy | Palo Alto, CA | $150K | 2024 |
| Putnam County Charter School SystemUntelling the Past to Reimagine the Future: Transforming K-12 Education and Supporting the Transition to Higher Education in the Rural U.S. South | Eatonton, GA | $149K | 2024 |
| Northwestern UniversityTracing the Long Arc of Human Learning and Social Change: Parenting, Worldmaking and the Iranian Left | Evanston, IL | $145K | 2024 |
| University Of California DavisCentering racialized pre-service teachers: A proleptic re-design of teacher education for leveraging linguistic diversity | Davis, CA | $135K | 2024 |
| Stanford UniversityMonitoring, Analyzing, and Improving Educational Equity in New York State | Stanford, CA | $133K | 2024 |
| The Brookings InstitutionU.S. School Boards in a Time of Conflict and Consequence | Washington, DC | $133K | 2024 |
| Temple UniversityEmerging critical infrastructures during COVID-19: The role of PA school districts in supporting vulnerable communities during crisis | Philadelphia, PA | $127K | 2024 |
| University Of Southern CaliforniaKeeping It Real: Learning From and Effectively Supporting Scholar-Activists | Los Angeles, CA | $121K | 2024 |
| University Of MichiganDeveloping The Skills Needed for Living in a Diverse and Democratic Society: The Role of Liberal Arts Education | Ann Arbor, MI | $118K | 2024 |
| University Of Georgia Research Foundation IncOptimal Design of Experimental Studies Investigating Moderation and Main Effects | Athens, GA | $117K | 2024 |
| Wake Forest UniversitySomething Inside So Strong: Advancing Black and Hispanic Students' Reading Self-Efficacy, Leadership Development, and Community Engagement through CDF Freedom School Culturally Sustaining Academic Programming | Winston Salem, NC | $114K | 2024 |
| Michigan State UniversityRedesigning Virtual Schools as Networks of Care and Solidarity | East Lansing, MI | $111K | 2024 |
| University Of Massachusetts BostonIntersectional Organizing: Strategies for Cross-issue Solidarity in Educational and Social Justice Movements | Boston, MA | $108K | 2024 |
| University Of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeCultivating Black autistic youth agency in the context of police encounters in schools and communities | Milwaukee, WI | $108K | 2024 |
| Adelphi UniversityMapping school buildings using sensory ethnographic methods: A district-wide study of school architecture and spatial justice | Garden City, NY | $108K | 2024 |
| University Of Illinois At Urbana-ChampaignPolitical Conocimiento in Teaching Mathematics: Preparing Teachers to Advocate for Students | Urbana, IL | $107K | 2024 |
| University Of MiamiStrengthening the Miami-Dade Early Learning Partnership: IDEAS for Children | Coral Gables, FL | $105K | 2024 |
| Regents Of The University Of MinnesotaReclaiming Land and Languages Through Indigenous Community-Based Mobile Game Design | Minneapolis, MN | $105K | 2024 |
| The Schott Foundation For Public EducationEducation Justice Grassroots Data/Research Collaborative | Quincy, MA | $100K | 2024 |
| Humboldt State University Sponsored Programs FoundationRenewed Approaches to Education: Expanding Na:tinixwe Indigenous Language Resurgence | Arcata, CA | $90K | 2024 |
| Amplify GirlsCan mentoring improve adolescent girls' agency and educational outcomes? A Cluster-Randomized Control Trial and Process Tracing Evaluation of the Binti Shupavu Project in Tanzania | Chattanooga, TN | $85K | 2024 |
| University Of PittsburghExamining, Disrupting, and Transforming Inequitable Postsecondary Science Degree Trajectories for Rural Students Using Participatory Action Research | Pittsburgh, PA | $75K | 2024 |
| $100K |
| 2022 |
| EQUITY AND RESEARCH-PRACTICE PARTNERSHIP PILOT |
| William T Grant Foundation Inc. | $100K | 2022 | EQUITY AND RESEARCH-PRACTICE PARTNERSHIP PILOT |
| Susan Zirkl Z L Memorial Charitable Foundation Trust | $5K | 2022 | SUPPORT SADDLE ROCK RANCH DAY CAMP |
| Susan Zirkl Z L Memorial Charitable Foundation Trust | $5K | 2022 | SUPPORT SADDLE ROCK RANCH DAY CAMP |
| Harry D Forsyth Foundation | $3K | 2021 | CHARITABLE |
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