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The Schott Foundation for Public Education

Annual Giving
$3.0M
Grant Range
$6K - $0.5M

The Schott Foundation for Public Education

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2-4 million (varies by year; $1.9M in first half of 2024)
  • Total Historical Giving: Over $51 million since founding
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-only grantmaking)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Varies widely (from $6,000 for early-stage organizations to multi-year general operating grants)
  • Geographic Focus: National, with strategic focus on Northeast, Southeast, and West (California)
  • Application Method: Invitation only - does not accept unsolicited proposals

Contact Details

Overview

The Schott Foundation for Public Education was co-founded by mother and son Lilo Leeds and Greg Jobin-Leeds in 1991 and established as a 501(c)(3) public charity in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1999. The foundation is named after Lilo's parents, Caroline and Sigmund Schott, who immigrated to the United States from Nazi Germany just prior to World War II.

Schott is a Black-led national public fund serving as a bridge between philanthropy and grassroots organizers to advance racial justice in public education. With over $20 million in total assets (as of FY2024), the foundation has distributed more than $51 million to grassroots organizations since its founding. Unlike traditional foundations, Schott operates as a philanthropic intermediary that pools and leverages funding from multiple donors to increase the effectiveness of parent and youth-led organizations at scale beyond individual contributions.

The foundation's mission is to develop and strengthen a broad-based and representative movement to achieve fully resourced, quality PreK-12 public education. Schott received a significant investment from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, which has helped increase grants to grassroots partners and launch the Racial Justice in Education Endowment Collaborative Fund.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

National Opportunity to Learn (OTL) Network The largest national network of grassroots BIPOC youth and parent education equity and justice organizers, including:

  • Four national alliances
  • 306 local organizations
  • Presence in 32 states and 54 cities
  • Actively coordinating 120,000 people and impacting over 800,000

HEAL Together Initiative Formed in 2022 in partnership with Race Forward and NYU Metro Center to respond to attacks on public schools. Supports grassroots organizations in more than 20 states through:

  • Financial grants for local and statewide alliances
  • Training and technical assistance
  • Organizing infrastructure

Loving Communities Response Fund A participatory grantmaking initiative where OTL Network members are in the driver's seat. Supports community-led, grassroots organizations serving youth and families.

Racial Justice in Education Endowment Collaborative Fund A five-year, $30 million campaign to build endowments for three BIPOC-led national education justice alliances. Through the #EndowNow campaign, Schott is working to vest resources with organizations closest to the work, reducing their dependence on changing philanthropic priorities.

Loving Cities Initiative Provides tools, materials, training, technical assistance, and strategic advice to help local racial equity collaboratives influence budgeting and grantmaking processes.

Priority Areas

  • BIPOC-led grassroots education justice coalitions
  • Parent and youth organizing
  • Community organizing and base-building
  • School discipline reform and restorative justice
  • Community schools development
  • Multiracial democracy building
  • Health and wellness of children and families
  • Anti-racist, culturally responsive curriculum
  • Campaigns against book bans and inequitable policies

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations not led by or serving Black, Brown, and Native communities
  • Individual scholarships or direct services
  • Organizations not focused on systemic change in public education
  • Projects outside their geographic priority areas (Northeast, Southeast, West/California) unless part of national strategy

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

Officers:

  • Kyle Serrette (Board Chair) - National Education Campaign Manager, National Education Association
  • Marc Philpart (Vice Chair) - Executive Director, California Black Freedom Fund

Members:

  • Sonia Chang-Díaz - Former Senator, Massachusetts State Senate
  • Frank L. Gettridge - President & CEO, The Philanthropic Collaborative for Education
  • Tomeka Hart Wigginton - Founder and Principal, The HarWigg Group
  • Troy Johnson - Chief Financial & Operations Officer, Georgia Health Initiative
  • Kenneth Jones - Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, MacArthur Foundation
  • Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari - Advocacy Director, Alliance for Quality Education
  • Julian Vasquez Heilig - Dean, University of Kentucky College of Education
  • Alandra Washington - VP for Transformation and Organizational Effectiveness, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
  • Starsky Wilson - President & CEO, Children's Defense Fund

Executive Leadership

Dr. John H. Jackson - President and CEO (since 2007) Dr. Jackson previously served as National Director of Education and Chief Policy Officer of the NAACP (2000-2007). He was appointed by President Clinton to serve as Senior Policy Advisor in the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Jackson served on President Obama's Education Policy Transition Team and was named the James A. Joseph Lecture and Award recipient.

Diana Tate Vermeire - Executive Vice President Sabrina W. Horton - Senior Vice President of Partnership Engagement

Key Quotes from Leadership

Dr. John H. Jackson on grantmaking philosophy:

"It is about leveraging philanthropic dollars... to resource individuals and institutions closest to the pain."

"If you have a donor that cares about social justice and you're not investing in organizations led by people of color, you don't have a balanced portfolio."

On bold philanthropy:

Foundations must "give resources in a way that should make us feel uncomfortable" when investing in leaders of color.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Schott Foundation explicitly states: "We do not accept or respond to unsolicited grant proposals, inquiries, or letters of intent. Our grant applications are by invitation only."

Grants are typically made to organizations that:

  • Are already part of the Opportunity to Learn Network
  • Are referred through existing grantee partners
  • Align closely with Schott's strategic priorities and regional focus
  • Have established relationships with Schott staff or board members

Getting on Their Radar

Specific pathways identified through research:

  1. Join the OTL Network: Organizations can learn about the Network and how to get involved through the members section at schottfoundation.org. New grantees are often drawn from network members.

  2. Partnership with existing grantees: Schott works closely with national alliances like Journey for Justice Alliance and Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools. Collaborating with these organizations on campaigns may create visibility.

  3. HEAL Together Initiative: The multi-partner initiative (with Race Forward and NYU Metro Center) provides an entry point for organizations working on anti-racist education and defending public schools against attacks.

  4. Attend convenings: Schott staff attend education philanthropy events like EdFunders. The foundation values relationship-building within the education justice ecosystem.

  5. Contact for OTL Network: Lauren Hadi, SVP of Advancement (lh@schottfoundation.org), can be contacted regarding involvement with the Network.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. The foundation operates on a July-June fiscal year.

Success Rates

Not applicable - invitation-only grantmaking means there is no public application pool.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable for unsolicited applications. Existing grantees receive ongoing consideration based on relationship and impact.

Application Success Factors

What Schott specifically values in organizations:

  1. Proximity to communities: Schott's core philosophy is to resource those "closest to the pain" and "closest to the problems." Organizations must be led by and accountable to Black, Brown, and Native communities.

  2. Movement-building orientation: The foundation funds organizations that are building power, not just delivering services. The example of Journey for Justice Alliance - which started with "a handful of dedicated parent organizers, a vision for justice, and a $6,000 Schott grant" and grew to span 36 cities with 100,000+ members - illustrates what success looks like.

  3. General operating support readiness: Schott emphasizes general operating grants, trusting organizations to use funds as needed. Organizations should be prepared to articulate how unrestricted funding will build their capacity.

  4. Network participation: Active engagement in the OTL Network, HEAL Together, or other collaborative efforts demonstrates alignment with Schott's model.

  5. Regional alignment: Priority regions are Northeast, Southeast, and West (California). Organizations in these areas have better access to funding.

  6. Racial equity lens in all work: Per Dr. Jackson, education excellence requires addressing "institutionalized, race-based inequities" as root causes.

Recent funded examples include:

  • Alliance for Quality Education
  • Boston Education Justice Alliance
  • Californians for Justice
  • Down Home North Carolina
  • Georgia Youth Justice Coalition
  • Journey for Justice Alliance
  • Migrant Equity Southeast
  • NYC Communities for Change
  • Southern Echo
  • Step Up Louisiana

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only model: The Schott Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Building relationships and network participation are essential before any grant conversation.

  • Focus on BIPOC-led organizing: Schott exclusively funds organizations led by Black, Brown, and Native communities doing grassroots education justice work. Service-delivery organizations need not apply.

  • Pathway through the OTL Network: The Opportunity to Learn Network is the primary vehicle through which new organizations enter Schott's funding ecosystem. Learn about membership at their website.

  • Beyond grants: Schott provides substantial non-financial support including technical assistance (from grantwriting to crowdsourcing), convenings, trainings, and help building endowments.

  • Regional priorities matter: Strategic focus on Northeast, Southeast, and West (California) regions. National organizations working across these areas also fit.

  • Long-term relationship model: Schott is building a movement infrastructure, not making one-off grants. They are working to provide organizations with endowments for long-term sustainability.

  • Participatory approaches: Programs like the Loving Communities Response Fund demonstrate Schott's commitment to putting grantee partners "in the driver's seat" for funding decisions.

References

Accessed December 2024

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