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Grantmakers for Education

EIN 33-0919329 · Portland, OR

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong93 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

AS THE LEADING NETWORK FOR EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY, GRANTMAKERS FOR EDUCATION OFFERS AN UNPARALLELED PLATFORM FOR LEARNING, COLLABORATION, AND INFLUENCE-BACKED BY FRONT-LINE SECTOR RESEARCH, EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS AND A VIBRANT COMMUNITY OF PEERS.

Income
$3.4 million
Spending
$3.2 million
Spent on programs
70%
Reserves
8.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 74%
Employees
10
Volunteers
12
Highest pay
$282,015, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 83% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 8.9 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 13% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 20% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    70% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    11 of 11 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $1.2 million spent. CONFERENCES AND PROGRAMS: THE CORE OF GRANTMAKERS FOR EDUCATION'S WORK WITH GRANTMAKERS REMAINS IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL PROGRAMS AND CONVENINGS DESIGNED TO GIVE FUNDERS OPPORTUNITIES TO DELVE DEEPER INTO EDUCATIONAL ISSUES AND STRATEGIES, DISCUSS GRANTMAKING DILEMMAS, AND CONNECT WITH COLLEAGUES WORKING ON SIMILAR ISSUES. EQUITY IS INCORPORATED THROUGHOUT OUR PROGRAMMING. THIS YEAR THE ORGANIZATION OFFERED A WIDE ARRAY OF PROGRAM FORMATS COVERING A LARGE RANGE OF TOPICS OVER THE YEAR. MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO SELECT FROM ALMOST 50 OFFERINGS, IN ADDITION TO THE CONFERENCE, THAT SERVED MANY LEARNING STYLES IN A NUMBER OF VENUES. FROM TOPICAL WEBINARS, TO IN-PERSON STUDY TOURS TO ON-SITE AND VIRTUAL GATHERINGS, MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO LEARN ABOUT AND ENGAGE WITH TOPICS THAT COVERED THE EDUCATION SPECTRUM AND BEYOND.GRANTMAKERS FOR EDUCATION'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE REMAINS OUR LARGEST AND MOST POPULAR PROGRAM. THE CONFERENCE IS A DYNAMIC NATIONAL GATHERING FOR FUNDERS TO LEARN ABOUT EMERGING EDUCATION ISSUES AND EFFECTIVE EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY. THE 2024 ANNUAL CONFERENCE WAS A CELEBRATED SUCCESS, WHICH OVERALL PROVIDED A 98% SATISFACTION RATE. ALMOST 850 EDUCATION GRANTMAKERS AND EXPERTS ENGAGED IN CONVERSATIONS AND PROGRAMMING CENTERED ON THE PUBLIC PROMISE OF EDUCATION IN A VIBRANT AND INCLUSIVE MULTIRACIAL DEMOCRACY. ATTENDEES WERE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT LEARNING, MEETING IN PERSON AND CONNECTING WITH COLLEAGUES.
  2. $475,217 spent. IMPACT GROUPS: IMPACT GROUPS ARE COMMUNITIES OF MEMBERS WHO AGREE TO LEARN AND LEAD TOGETHER. GRANTMAKERS FOR EDUCATION HOSTS IMPACT GROUPS AS MEMBER-DRIVEN SPACES IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS WITH A COMMON INTEREST CAN CONNECT AND COLLABORATE AROUND A SPECIFIC TOPIC TO EXCHANGE IDEAS, SHARE AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. FROM GRAPPLING WITH IDEAS ABOUT CRITICAL PROBLEMS TO STUDYING POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS TO TAKING ACTION WITH OTHERS, AND MORE, IMPACT GROUPS ALLOW PARTICIPANTS TO EXPLORE AND UNDERSTAND THEIR INDIVIDUAL, ORGANIZATIONAL, AND COLLECTIVE ROLE IN TACKLING THE LARGE AND COMPLEX ISSUES WITHIN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEMS.THE INFLUENCE AND IMPACT OF GRANTMAKERS FOR EDUCATION IMPACT GROUPS CONTINUES TO GROW OVER THE YEARS. IN 2024, THE OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME IMPACT GROUP HELD OVER 20 PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, WHICH INCLUDED ALMOST 1,000 PARTICIPANTS. IN ADDITION, THEY PUBLISHED A DATABASE WITH MULTIPLE PARTNERS ON STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT A THRIVING OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME WORKFORCE. THE POSTSECONDARY ACCESS AND ATTAINMENT IMPACT GROUP MAINTAINED REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH ALMOST 300 MEMBER COLLEAGUES, STARTED A NEW WEBINAR SERIES AND RESEARCHED AND PUBLISHED A LANDSCAPE SCAN OF POSTSECONDARY COLLABORATIVES. IN ADDITION, GRANTMAKERS FOR EDUCATION LAUNCHED A NEW IMPACT GROUP IN 2024 ON PLAYFUL LEARNING. OTHER IMPACT GROUPS CONTINUED THEIR STRONG WORK IN BRINGING TOGETHER MINDFUL LEADERS IN THEIR AREAS OF INTEREST TO LEARN, CONNECT AND ADVANCE THE FIELD.
  3. $468,926 spent. MEMBER SERVICE AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES: GRANTMAKERS FOR EDUCATION PROVIDES INDIVIDUALIZED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND GUIDANCE TO HELP GRANTMAKING ORGANIZATIONS REFINE THEIR STRATEGIES AND TO CONNECT THEM WITH OTHER PEER GRANTMAKING ORGANIZATIONS FOR PEER ASSISTANCE AND COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES.
  4. $128,247 spent. COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS: THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS FUNCTION INCLUDES DEVELOPING REPORTS, CASE STUDIES AND NEWSLETTERS THAT PROMOTE DEEPER KNOWLEDGE OF EFFECTIVE GRANTMAKING PRACTICES AS WELL AS HIGHLIGHT TRENDS AND EMERGING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD. GRANTMAKERS FOR EDUCATION HAD AN ACTIVE YEAR IN COMMUNICATIONS, LAUNCHING A FEATURE TO SHOWCASE MEMBER VOICES, RELEASING PUBLICATIONS THAT HELPED GRANTMAKERS MAKE SENSE OF AND DRIVE ACTION IN THE FIELD, AND CLOSING SEASON TWO OF OUR PODCAST.MEMBER INSIGHTSMEMBER INSIGHTS IS A NEW OFFERING THIS YEAR CREATED FOR MEMBERS TO SHARE IDEAS, SUCCESSES, CHALLENGES OR LESSONS THAT CAN BUILD KNOWLEDGE, GROW OUR COMMUNITY AND STRENGTHEN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY. THE QUARTERLY FEATURE IN OUR NEWSLETTER AND WEBSITE FEATURED FOUR MEMBERS WRITING ABOUT TOPICS THAT COVERED THE VALUE OF INVESTING IN PUBLIC EDUCATION ADVOCACY, THE POTENTIAL OF PLAYFUL LEARNING AND THE IMPORTANCE OF LEADERSHIP FOR EDUCATION EQUITY.PUBLICATIONSOVER THE YEAR, GRANTMAKERS FOR EDUCATION PRODUCED THREE PUBLICATIONS: AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS DATABASE LANDSCAPE SCAN OF POSTSECONDARY FUNDER COLLABORATIVES GRANTMAKERS FOR EDUCATION'S TOP 10 OF 2024

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since August 2002.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.