Kresge Foundation Education Program

Kresge Foundation Education Program is sponsored by The Kresge Foundation. The Kresge Foundation's Education Program funds organizations and networks of institutions that prioritize improving educational outcomes and experiences for students with low incomes, underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, first-generation students, Black, Indigenous, and p…

Education - Kresge Foundation Our Story at 100 Promoting human progress since 1924, expanding equity and opportunity today Our Staff Our work is made possible by a staff of mission-driven professionals Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Central to how we operate and fund, we center DEI in all we do Careers Check for new openings and learn about working at The Kresge Foundation Board of Trustees Leaders who provide governance, expertise and support to our work Press Room Resources and information for commnunications professional American Cities Effective, inclusive community development in U.S. cities Arts & Culture Positioning culture and creativity as drivers of more just communities Detroit Expanding long-term, equitable opportunity in our hometown Education Addressing postsecondary attainment and closing equity gaps Environment Helping cities with equitable climate resilience strategies Health Building equity-focused systems of health to achieve well-being Human Services Increasing social-economic mobility for people with low incomes Social Investment Practice Unlocking capital for community development Strategic Learning, Research & Evaluation Building a culture of learning across the organization and support community learning priorities Initiatives Our time-bound funding programs can bring multiple Kresge teams together to co-create strategies Grants & Social Investments Grants Awarded A database of grants dating back to 2009 Social Investments Made A database of PRIs, guarantees and other investments How to Apply Details on eligibility, FAQs, Fluxx guidance and more For Current Grantees FAQs for partners, communicating about your work and more We work to increase college access and success while reducing inequitable student outcomes in the U.S. and South Africa.

Education Program grant dollars commited in 2023 Earning a quality postsecondary education is the surest pathway to increased opportunity and economic mobility among graduates. Bachelor’s degree recipients earn on average $1 million more over their lifetimes than high school graduates. Degree attainment is also a key component of self-determination and can help graduates positively shape their circumstances.

But while more people are entering college, and graduation rates have improved in recent years, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic inequities persist. We lead with equity as we work to help increase college access and success, advance economic mobility and strengthen urban communities.

We do this by funding organizations and networks of institutions that prioritize improving the educational outcomes and experiences of students we care most about – people with low-incomes, especially those living in cities, and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, including first-generation, Black, Latino, Asian-Pacific Islander, Native American, veterans and immigrant students.

Kresge’s Bill Moses honored with UNCF’s Impact Partner Award for advancing HBCUs Leading in this moment: Thrive Leaders Network gather in Detroit and welcome a new cohort Pass the Mic to Gen Z: How Listening First is Reengaging a Generation Q&A: How Jobs For the Future helps states build education‑to‑employment pathways From 114 students to 3.

2M: How a modest philanthropic bet helped spur a statewide engine for student success All Education News & Views Strengthening the Economic Value Generated by Public Four-Year Colleges In a rapidly evolving world, are young men struggling to catch up, or refusing the direction it’s heading?

Access Denied: How 40% of Americans are locked out of the private student loan market We Invest in These Focus Areas We advance our mission through these focus areas. Urban Pathways to College We scale evidence-based practices to help students with low incomes better navigate the college admissions process.

Institutional Capacity Building for Student Success We support efforts to strengthen institutions that make it their primary mission to educate the students we serve. Aligning and Strengthening Urban Higher Education Ecosystems We seek to strengthen coordination between educational institutions and urban systems to help more students succeed in college.

We Invest in These Initiatives These targeted funding efforts help us advance our priorities often through cohorts of grantees. Advancing Student Transportation Solutions Helping colleges, transit agencies and researchers identify, address and evaluate transportation solutions for students. This initiative helps South Africa’s public universities strengthen their data analytics capacity to increase student success.

Funding for the Education Program We invite proposals supporting research, policy advocacy, evaluation, technology, partnerships and direct services that represent one or more of the following: networks of institutions; potential for broad scalability or replicability; potential to lead to systemic changes; or potential for long-term sustainability.

We also support technological or practice enhancements that effectively improve student success and decrease costs.

We work across the country, but prioritize funding in: Kresge Foundation focus cities of Detroit, Memphis or New Orleans; cities within our Education Program focus states of California, Florida, Michigan, and Texas; other large cities or state-wide initiatives; and South Africa, the only country where Kresge makes grants outside of the U.S. Education Social Investments Made Education, Social Investment Practice Grants Management Associate Education, Health, Human Services Senior Program Team Assistant