How Funders Are Responding to Education Politicization: Lessons from the Harwood Approach

March 28, 1:00 pm ET

Resources:

Slide deck: Responding to Education Politicization
Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2023

Join a discussion about the power of community-led, community-driven change to ward off and overcome the ideological divides and fault lines plaguing so many of our communities. This panel will discuss the Harwood Institute's report, "A Common Agenda: How Three Communities Overcame Societal Tumult to Create Educational Equity Agendas." With a foreword written by EdFunders' Executive Director Nicole Rodriguez Leach, the report details how three very different communities, in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, each produced a shared education equity agenda at the height of the education culture wars. Each community is currently taking action to deliver real community-driven change through their agendas. The report highlights different lessons funders can learn about shifting civic culture and the kind of process it takes to discover a community's aspirations to inform strategy, approach and funding. Our panelists will speak to the report's key findings, the unfolding narrative in each community and what funders can learn from each community's progress.

This event is intended for members and other education grantmakers.

There is no cost to attend this Grantmakers for Education program. Registration closes 15 minutes prior to the program time. By registering for this program, you agree to our Learning Environment Commitment. Thank you for your patience; we review each registration in advance.

Thank you to our cosponsors, the Harwood Institute.

About the Speakers

Rich Harwood
President and Founder
The Harwood Institute

Rich Harwood founded what is now known as The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation in 1988. Over the past 30 years, Rich has innovated and developed a new philosophy and practice of how communities can solve shared problems, create a culture of shared responsibility and deepen people’s civic faith. The Harwood practice of Turning Outward has spread to all 50 U.S. states and is being used in 40 countries. Rich has invested his career in revitalizing the nation’s hardest-hit communities, transforming the world’s largest organizations and reconnecting institutions like newsrooms and schools to society. In Newtown, Connecticut, after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Rich led the process for the community to collectively decide the fate of the school building.

Tammy White
President
United Way of Berks County

Tammy White has been with United Way of Berks County for more than 30 years. Since 2009, she has served in the role of president. Prior to serving as president, White led United Way of Berks County’s resource development department for 19 years. United Way creates community changes by supporting more than 80 different programs provided by 33 agency partners within the focus areas of Education, Financial Stability, Health and Safety Net Services. Tammy also currently serves on the board of directors for Berks Alliance and the Berks Business Education Coalition. She also serves on the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation Partners Committee and is actively involved in the Early Childcare Education team to promote the importance of early learning with parents and guardians.