Nationwide Survey of Education Philanthropies Finds Most Will Maintain or Increase Giving Amid Shifting Political Environment

For Immediate Release

Nationwide Survey of Education Philanthropies Finds Most Will Maintain or Increase Giving Amid Shifting Political Environment

PORTLAND, OR. – June 30, 2025  In a new benchmarking survey by Grantmakers for Education, the nation’s largest association of education funders, respondents indicate that they remain committed to supporting education, with more than one-quarter expecting to increase education giving over the next year and the vast majority reporting that their giving will remain about the same.

Released to the public today, Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2025 reports on a national survey of grantmakers representing a cross-section of U.S. education funders. This is the ninth survey by the organization, now in its thirtieth year.

“In a period of shifting federal and state policies, the findings make it clear that education remains a philanthropic priority, which is critical in a time when there are more demands on robust and well-resourced learning environments that serve all learners,” said Nicole Rodriguez Leach, executive director of Grantmakers for Education. “Education funders are maintaining their commitments and leaning into challenges and emerging opportunities. They are directing resources toward an evolving and growing range of priorities, including early learning, artificial intelligence and narrative change. This year’s report offers direct insight from funders themselves about how these trends are taking shape in the field.”

Highlights of the survey include the following:

Funders remain committed to equity while adapting in a changing environment. Of the specific populations funders support, individuals facing economic disadvantages were most often the focus, while close to half of those surveyed reported that some of their education funding focuses explicitly on ethnic and racial groups. However, both of these shares were lower than those reported in the 2023 edition of the benchmarking series. While many funders will continue to support equity-related initiatives, some have changed the language they use to avoid admonition or retribution. Close to one-third of the respondents indicated that they modified the terminology they use to characterize their activities related to education equity.  

“Our focus on education in a majority non-white state naturally gives us opportunities to work on diversity, equity and inclusion without having to say ‘diversity, equity and inclusion,” said one respondent. “We haven’t explicitly used DEI language even though we’re absolutely working on that. Our vision for healthy systems is that when working correctly, they should take care of every person within them.”

Funders recognize the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to benefit students but also see challenges with its adoption in learning environments. The survey results point to AI as the factor with the greatest potential for a positive impact on education over the next five years. Nearly two out of five funders (39%) now support initiatives related to the use of AI and technology for learning, up from 33% in 2023 and 14% in 2018. However, AI also ranked third among factors respondents believe will have the greatest potential for a negative impact.

“One question that I have is whether foundations are evolving fast enough in their thinking,” said one respondent. “I’m not saying rush, but we are sometimes not prone to innovation. How do we ensure that we keep pace with the needs of the world?”

Funders are looking beyond the classroom and embracing a holistic approach to learner success. A growing number of funders understand that family and community systems must be well-designed and high-functioning to ensure learners can reach their full potential.  A substantial majority of respondents provide funding for services and supports outside of school including health, housing and nutrition. These efforts apply to learners at every stage of the continuum from early childhood to postsecondary.  The only exception to the growth in support for the whole learner approach was social and emotional learning, with 54% of funders supporting related initiatives in 2025, compared with 62% in 2023.

Other focus areas outside of school include policy and advocacy, student voice and narrative change. “What is giving me hope is that this is long-term work, longer than one administration,” said one respondent. “So, the new narrative we’re developing can contribute toward different outcomes in the future. This type of narrative change work has the ability to influence public policy in such a vast and diverse way locally, statewide and nation-wide.”

The full Trends in Education Philanthropy: Benchmarking 2025 report can be viewed online.

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For media inquiries, contact Beverly Ross Denny, Managing Director at brossdenny@edfunders.org.