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Strada Education Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$91.3M
Grant Range
$5K - $4.3M

Strada Education Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Total Assets: $2.1 billion
  • Annual Revenue: $91.3 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Varies by program
  • Grant Range: $5,200 - $4,286,528
  • Geographic Focus: National (US), with emphasis on District of Columbia, California, and Indiana
  • Number of Awards (2023): 141 grants

Contact Details

Address: 10 W Market St Ste 1100, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Phone: (317) 806-1200

Website: www.strada.org

Grantmaking Information: www.strada.org/how-we-work/grantmaking

Contact Form: www.strada.org/about/contact

Overview

Strada Education Foundation Inc (EIN: 47-3044430) is a nonprofit, largely endowment-funded organization headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, with an additional office in Washington, D.C. Founded in 2017 (formerly known as United Student Aid Funds before transformation), the foundation has total assets exceeding $2 billion. The organization's endowment stems from the 2017 transformation of USA Funds after the federal government ended the Federal Family Education Loan Program in 2010.

Strada's mission is to help clear the path between education and work, especially for those with the most standing in their way. The foundation supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen connections between education and employment in the U.S., with a special focus on helping those who face the greatest challenges securing opportunity through postsecondary education or training. The foundation particularly emphasizes supporting students from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, students who are low-income or first-generation, and students who have transferred or are working while at school.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Strada awards grants through specific initiatives and challenges rather than a continuous open application process. Recent grant programs include:

  • Innovation in Career Services Grants: Up to $300,000 each to institutions designing, implementing, and evaluating innovative approaches to career services. Eight institutions received funding in partnership with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities.

  • Beyond Completion Challenge: A $10 million partnership with the Taskforce on Higher Education and Opportunity. Phase 2 awarded four institutions $1.5 million each in three-year grants (2024). The program officially ended in 2024.

  • Employer and Community College Partnership Challenge: Two-year grants supporting partnerships that connect students with in-demand employment opportunities to strengthen regional economies. Awards of $4 million to 11 community college and employer partnerships.

  • HBCU Initiative: A $25 million initiative launched in Fall 2021, providing leadership training and opportunities to students at 28 historically Black colleges and universities (initially 84 students, now supporting 48 HBCUs).

  • Work-Based Learning Research: $325,000 awarded to the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) for in-depth research to increase work-based learning opportunities for college students (December 2023).

Priority Areas

Strada's grantmaking focuses on five strategic areas:

  1. Work-Based Learning: All learners should have access to work-based learning experiences, including paid internships and apprenticeships, that help connect their education to their career aspirations.

  2. Quality Programs (Clear Outcomes): All students should have access to programs that lead to quality jobs and mobility, and strengthening state data systems that enable students to make informed decisions about where and what to study.

  3. Skills-Based Hiring (Employer Alignment): Employers should assess and advance individuals based on skills and experiences, not only degrees. Regional workforce development partnerships.

  4. Employment Outcome Data (Transparency): Everyone should have access to accurate information on employment outcomes that can help them make informed decisions about postsecondary education.

  5. Career Coaching: Everyone should have access to education-to-career coaching that helps them reflect on their talents and interests, choose a career goal, map pathways through education, and navigate challenges.

Eligible Applicants: Nonprofit organizations, postsecondary education providers (two-year and four-year colleges and universities), community colleges, public charities, and workforce and skills-based educators.

What They Don't Fund

No specific exclusions are publicly documented on their website. However, based on their mission focus, Strada's grants are exclusively focused on education-to-employment pathways and do not appear to fund general educational programming unrelated to career outcomes or employment connections.

Governance and Leadership

Key Leadership

President and CEO: Stephen Moret (since 2022)

  • For more than two decades, Moret has provided strategic leadership at the intersection of economic development, higher education, and workforce development
  • Quote: "I have witnessed the transformational impact of postsecondary education in my own life and in the lives of many others. Through my professional work in multiple settings, I also have seen the impact it can have on the economic competitiveness and growth of regions, states, and our country as a whole."
  • On Strada's mission: "Strada's focused mission and substantial resources, paired with its distinctive, multidimensional approach, make it well-positioned to help revitalize and broaden participation in the American Dream of economic opportunity and mobility."

Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, and Chief of Staff: Aristide J. Collins, Jr.

  • Brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education and nonprofit leadership
  • Provides strategic leadership and support to the president and CEO

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer: Michael G. Austin

Other Senior Leadership:

  • Craig Robinson, Senior Vice President, Coaching
  • Justin Draeger, Senior Vice President, Affordability
  • Additional senior vice presidents for work-based learning and federal government relations

Board of Trustees: Ernest J. Newborn II was elected to serve as chair of Strada's Board of Trustees for a four-year term beginning January 2025.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Strada Education Foundation operates primarily through Request for Proposals (RFP) for specific grant programs rather than accepting continuous unsolicited applications.

When grant opportunities are available, Strada typically:

  • Announces specific grant challenges or initiatives through their website and partners
  • Provides detailed RFP documents with specific eligibility criteria, application requirements, and deadlines
  • Offers informational webinars for interested applicants
  • Uses a competitive application and review process

Recent RFP Examples:

  • SkillsFWD RFP (2023): Applications due November 8, 2023
  • Employer and Community College Partnership Challenge (2022): Proposal deadline of August 15, 2022

Organizations interested in Strada funding should:

  1. Monitor the Strada website (www.strada.org) for new RFP announcements
  2. Sign up for updates or newsletters if available
  3. Contact Strada directly through their contact form to inquire about upcoming grant opportunities
  4. Consider attending informational webinars when announced for specific programs

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by grant program. Specific timelines are typically provided in individual RFP documents when grant opportunities are announced. Based on the Employer and Community College Partnership Challenge example, the timeline was:

  • RFP released: Mid-2022
  • Deadline: August 15, 2022
  • Grant period began: November 2022

Success Rates

Strada does not publicly disclose overall grant success rates or the number of applications received versus awards made. This information may vary significantly by grant program.

In 2023, Strada made 141 grants, indicating active grantmaking across multiple initiatives.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly documented. Given that grants are awarded through specific RFP processes, organizations not selected in one competition would be able to apply to future grant programs as they are announced.

Application Success Factors

Based on Strada's funded projects and public statements, successful applications likely demonstrate:

Alignment with Strategic Focus Areas: Successful projects clearly connect to one or more of Strada's five priority areas (work-based learning, quality programs, skills-based hiring, outcome data transparency, or career coaching).

Examples of Recently Funded Projects:

  1. Arizona State University - Work+ Program ($1.5 million): Reshapes the experience of learners directly employed by the university through mentorship, peer feedback, and educational programming to increase career readiness. Expanded to cover all 12,000 working learners at ASU and launched pilot programs at eight other institutions (reaching 19,000 students total).

  2. Rio Salado Community College - CAREER Program ($1.5 million): Helps learners seeking basic literacy, GED preparation, and workforce training build academic and employment skills through the Custom Academic Readiness and Essential Employment Reskilling program.

  3. University of Texas System - Texas Credentials for the Future ($1.5 million): Redesigned undergraduate degree experiences to incorporate industry-recognized micro-credentials and skills badges into curriculum, focusing on students in majors with lower typical salaries that enroll disproportionate numbers of students of color across eight institutions.

  4. Innovation in Career Services: Eight institutions received $300,000 each to design, implement, and evaluate innovative approaches to career services focusing on quality coaching and career advising.

Innovation and Scalability: Strada seeks "innovative solutions to help learners and workers overcome systemic barriers." Successful projects demonstrate novel approaches that can potentially be replicated or scaled.

Focus on Equity: Strong emphasis on supporting students from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds, low-income students, first-generation students, and students who have transferred or are working while enrolled.

Measurable Outcomes: Projects that include evaluation components and can demonstrate impact on post-completion outcomes, including employment success and career mobility.

Partnership and Collaboration: Many successful grants involve partnerships between educational institutions and employers, or collaborations between multiple institutions.

Systems-Level Change: Strada values projects that don't just serve individuals but can influence systems, policies, or practices to improve education-to-employment pathways more broadly.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Monitor for RFPs: Strada does not accept continuous unsolicited applications. Success requires watching for specific grant program announcements and responding quickly when RFPs are released.

  • Align with the Five Focus Areas: Your proposal must clearly connect to at least one of Strada's strategic priorities: work-based learning, quality programs/clear outcomes, skills-based hiring, employment outcome data, or career coaching.

  • Emphasize Equity: Demonstrate how your project will specifically benefit students facing the greatest barriers—particularly students from underrepresented backgrounds, low-income students, and first-generation students.

  • Think Systems-Level: While Strada funds direct service programs, they're particularly interested in innovations that can be scaled or that influence systems and policies beyond a single institution.

  • Include Strong Evaluation: Build measurement and evaluation into your project design to demonstrate how you'll assess impact on employment outcomes and career success.

  • Build Partnerships: Consider how your project involves employers, intermediaries, or collaborations with other institutions to strengthen education-to-employment connections.

  • Attend Informational Webinars: When Strada announces a grant program, participate in any informational sessions they offer to better understand their expectations and priorities for that specific initiative.

References

  1. Strada Education Foundation - GuideStar Profile. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/47-3044430. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  2. Strada Education Network Inc - Instrumentl 990 Report. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/strada-education-network-inc. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  3. Strada Education Foundation - Candid Foundation Directory. https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile/?collection=grantmakers&activity=result&key=5141737. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  4. Strada Education Foundation - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strada_Education_Foundation. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  5. Strada Education Foundation - Grantmaking. https://www.strada.org/how-we-work/grantmaking. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  6. Strada Education Foundation - About. https://stradaeducation.org/who-we-are/. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  7. "$6 million awarded to expand programs aimed at student success beyond college completion." Strada Education Foundation. https://stradaeducation.org/press-release/6-million-awarded-to-expand-higher-education-programs-aimed-at-student-success-beyond-college-completion/. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  8. "Strada Education Network Names 15 Innovation Grant Winners in $10 Million Beyond Completion Challenge." Strada Education Foundation. https://stradaeducation.org/press-release/strada-education-network-names-15-innovation-grant-winners-in-10-million/. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  9. "Strada awards 8 grants focused on quality education-to-career guidance." Strada Education Foundation. https://stradaeducation.org/our-priorities/quality-coaching/strada-awards-eight-innovation-in-career-services-grants/. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  10. Strada Education Foundation - Our Leaders. https://www.strada.org/team. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  11. "Strada Education Network Names Stephen Moret as President and CEO." Strada Education Foundation. https://stradaeducation.org/press-release/strada-education-network-names-stephen-moret-as-president-and-ceo/. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  12. "Talent Disrupted: An Interview With Strada CEO Stephen Moret." Strada Education Foundation. https://stradaeducation.org/uncategorized/talent-disrupted-an-interview-with-strada-ceo-stephen-moret/. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  13. Strada Education Foundation - Contact. https://www.strada.org/about/contact. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  14. Strada Education Foundation Inc - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/473044430. Accessed December 22, 2025.

  15. "Strada Education Foundation Awards BHEF $325,000 to Gain Insights into Employers' Perspectives of Work-Based Learning." BHEF. https://www.bhef.com/news-events/releases/strada-education-foundation-awards-bhef-325000-to-gain-insights-into-employers. Accessed December 22, 2025.

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