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Cotsen Foundation For The Art Of Teaching

Annual Giving
$6.3M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.0M
Decision Time
2w
Success Rate
20%

Cotsen Foundation For The Art Of Teaching

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $6,262,409 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Very selective - targets top 20% of teaching faculty
  • Decision Time: 2 weeks for alumni grants; fellowship selection involves multi-step screening
  • Grant Range: $500 - $10,000 (alumni grants); larger amounts for district partnerships
  • Geographic Focus: Southern California only

Contact Details

Address: 12100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 520, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Phone: (310) 826-0504

Email: info@cotsen.org

Website: https://cotsen.org/

Fellowship Recruitment: lcatayong@cotsen.org (for schools interested in joining the waiting list)

Overview

The Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING was established in 2001 by Lloyd Cotsen, former CEO and chairman of Neutrogena Corporation. With assets of $259,058,588 and annual giving of $6.2 million (2023), the foundation's mission is to transform good teachers into great teachers. The foundation operates a two-year fellowship program pairing mentors with cohorts of 5-7 teachers at selected schools in Southern California, along with a comprehensive alumni grant program supporting ongoing professional development. As of the 2025-2026 academic year, the ART of TEACHING has worked with approximately 33 districts, 220 schools, and 1,900 teachers, with over 1,500 alumni and more than 250 teachers in 42 schools comprising the 2024-2025 cohort.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

ART of TEACHING Fellowship Program (Invitation Only)

  • Two-year fellowships for cohorts of 5-7 teachers per school
  • Teachers work with assigned mentors for minimum 2 hours weekly
  • Program includes professional learning communities and coaching
  • Currently limited to Southern California schools with a waiting list
  • Larger grants to districts/schools to support program implementation

Alumni Strategic Opportunity Grant: Up to $10,000 per school

  • Sustains alumni work through professional learning communities
  • Requires principal involvement and minimum 50% staff participation
  • Application: Rolling basis via online portal

Alumni Study Grant: Up to $750 per participant (minimum 3, maximum 15 recommended)

  • Supports teacher collaboration to improve student learning
  • Groups must meet at least three times yearly
  • Application: Rolling basis via online portal

Family Engagement Grant: $750 (classroom) or $2,000 (school-wide projects)

  • Helps families understand curriculum and support home-school partnerships
  • Available to both current participants and alumni
  • Application: Rolling basis via online portal

Alumni Conference Grant: Varies by conference

  • Supports professional development continuing fellowship work
  • Covers registration, airfare, accommodations (not per diem)
  • Application: Rolling basis via online portal

Alumni Classroom Library Grant: Up to $500

  • Supports classroom library growth aligned with student identity/interest
  • Cannot fund guided reading sets or organization materials
  • Application: Rolling basis via online portal

Teaching & Learning Tools Grant: Up to $500

  • Supports curriculum-responsive teaching and student learning tools
  • No consumable or organization materials
  • Application: Rolling basis via online portal

Priority Areas

  • Teacher professional development and collaborative learning
  • Family engagement and parent involvement in learning
  • Classroom literacy and learning tools aligned with student needs
  • Mentoring and coaching models for teaching excellence
  • School-wide instructional improvement initiatives

What They Don't Fund

  • Stipends for participants (except for planning/facilitating in Strategic Opportunity Grants)
  • Refreshments for meetings
  • Per diem expenses such as mileage
  • Consumable materials
  • Organization materials (bins, shelves)
  • Guided reading sets
  • Schools outside Southern California
  • Unsolicited fellowship applications from schools not in their network

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors

  • Jonathan Victor (Board Chair) - Senior Managing Director, Balmoral Funds
  • Dr. Barry Munitz (President and CEO) - Leader of the foundation's strategic direction
  • Dr. Steven Koblik - Former President, The Huntington Library
  • Ms. Lucia Laguarda - Principal, John J. Daly Elementary School
  • Dr. Steven Lavine - Former President, California Institute of the Arts
  • Dr. Leslie J. Lockhart - Former VP Talent & Culture, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
  • Dr. Charles Stanish - Executive Director, Institute for Advanced Study of Culture and Environment

Officers and Senior Staff

  • Jerry Harris - Executive Director
  • Jolie Godoy - Chief Administrative Officer and Board Secretary
  • Kamyab Hashemi-Nejad - Chief Financial Officer

Senior Program Officers: Angela Bae, Lyndon Catayong, Dianne Glinos, Alicia Jackson, Alejandro Jauregui, Carlen Le-Hessinger, Jodi Manby

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For ART of TEACHING Fellowship Program

This is NOT a public application process. The foundation works by invitation only with schools and districts in Southern California. There is currently a waiting list of districts and schools seeking to participate.

For Schools/Districts: Contact recruiter Lyndon Catayong at lcatayong@cotsen.org to be added to the waiting list. A screening committee evaluates whether teachers, leadership at the school, key district administrators and others have the capacity and commitment to participate. Strong support from the district and principal are required for a school to be considered.

For Individual Teachers: Once a school is selected for the program, the foundation invites experienced teachers to apply. Selection involves:

  1. Written application answering and reflecting on 10 pedagogical questions
  2. Classroom observation of a full lesson by 2-4 outside educators
  3. Interview with the screening committee
  4. Selection of a mentor and 5-7 fellows from the applicant pool

The process is very selective, targeting the top 20% of teaching faculty, and not all applicants are chosen.

For Alumni Grants

Access: Create a Blackbaud User Account at https://cotsen.org/our-grants/ to submit applications online

Application Method: Rolling basis with no deadlines

Process: Draft proposals in Word before submitting online; the foundation reviews applications and may request revisions

Decision Timeline

Alumni Grants: Applicants can expect a response within two weeks. If revision requests are made, applicants should complete the revised application within two weeks.

Fellowship Program: Multi-step screening process timeline varies by school/district selection cycle.

Reapplication Policy

Alumni grant recipients must submit final reports to be considered for future grants. For fellowship applications, teachers not selected in one cycle may be encouraged to reapply in future cohorts depending on feedback from the screening committee.

Application Success Factors

For Schools Seeking Fellowship Partnership:

  • Demonstrate strong support from district leadership and school principal
  • Show capacity and commitment from teachers, leadership, and district administrators
  • Be located in Southern California
  • Target your top 20% of teaching faculty as potential fellows

For Teachers Applying for Fellowships:

  • Demonstrate excellence in teaching through classroom observation
  • Provide thoughtful, reflective responses to pedagogical questions
  • Show commitment to ongoing professional growth and collaboration
  • Be prepared for a rigorous selection process

For Alumni Applying for Grants:

  • Draft proposals in Word before submitting to ensure clarity and completeness
  • Align grant requests with student learning improvement goals
  • For Study Grants, demonstrate collaborative focus with minimum 3 participants and at least 3 meetings yearly
  • For Strategic Opportunity Grants, ensure principal involvement and minimum 50% staff participation
  • Avoid requesting prohibited items (stipends, refreshments, consumables, organization materials)
  • Submit complete applications to receive timely two-week response
  • Complete any requested revisions within two weeks
  • Submit final reports on time to maintain eligibility for future grants

Emphasis on Collaboration: The foundation consistently emphasizes collaborative professional learning, whether through mentoring relationships in the fellowship program or group study grants for alumni. Applications should demonstrate how teachers will work together to improve practice.

Evidence-Based Approach: The foundation values data-driven approaches to validate program effectiveness, so demonstrating how you'll measure impact can strengthen applications.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Geographic Restriction: The foundation only works with schools in Southern California - no exceptions
  • Fellowship by Invitation Only: Individual teachers cannot apply for fellowships unless their school has been selected for the program; schools must contact lcatayong@cotsen.org to join the waiting list
  • Alumni Grants are Accessible: If you're a Cotsen alumnus (former fellow or mentor), multiple grant opportunities are available with rolling deadlines and two-week response times
  • Draft Before Submitting: The foundation explicitly recommends drafting proposals in Word first, suggesting they value well-thought-out, polished applications
  • Collaboration is Key: Whether for Study Grants (minimum 3 teachers) or Strategic Opportunity Grants (minimum 50% staff), collaborative professional learning is central to their model
  • No Unsolicited Fellowship Applications: The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications from schools not in their network or from individual teachers whose schools aren't participating
  • Quick Turnaround: Two-week response time for alumni grants is exceptionally fast compared to most funders
  • Complete Reports Required: Final reports are mandatory for future grant eligibility, so budget time for documentation and follow-through

References

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