Earlier this summer, IECF was awarded $1 million over two years to invest in community-based organizations working on educational issues including curriculum development, teacher training, and more. The grant, from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is aimed at helping to ensure education equity in the Inland Empire.
“We are excited by this partnership,” said Michelle Decker, IECF CEO, “because it puts funding into our community-based groups to continue advocating for better outcomes for students. We struggle to achieve equity in this region for our students, especially Black and brown students, and this funding will help us continue to connect needs, innovations, and state policy.”
Two other results will come from this investment. First, IECF will be able to hire a Director of Policy and Governmental Affairs this autumn who can help lead this work as well as begin to help IECF develop a policy and advocacy arm of the foundation. The investment will also bring together three community foundations – IECF, California Community Foundation, and the Central Valley Community Foundation – to share lessons learned and work together on educational policy.
For more information about our work in this area, contact Michelle Decker at mdecker@iegives.org.