Education: Organizations to Support

giving back • my world • Mom It Forward Mondays • bettering communities

by Mom It Forward on May 23rd, 2011 | No Comments »

This week's Season of Service challenge is based on the verb "educate." Now, if you read this column religiously, you'll note that this verb has already been used, recently. So this post will focus on education nonprofits that you can support. More specifically, we'll focus on the top 10 education nonprofits in the country, as determined by GuideStar, an organization that provides impartial, analytical information on nonprofits to "advance transparency and encourage charitable giving." These nonprofits were chosen by a panel of 39 experts as being particularly effective or having the most impact either because of the scope of their work or the model that they provide.

Top 10 U.S. Education Nonprofits to Support

The Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) is a network of charter schools across the U.S. focusing on improving academic outcomes for disadvantaged youth. All students in a school's vicinity are eligible for admission, and tuition is free. Here is their donation link.
Invest in Kids identifies and scales up evidence-based programs, including the Nurse-Family Partnership Program and the Incredible Years Program, to help low-income children in Colorado. Here is their donation link.
The New Teacher Project has been able to impact schools and district offices by developing teachers who are committed to the teaching profession. Here is their donation link.
New Leaders for New Schools develops human capital. They have high standards and produce high quality leaders. Here is their donation link.
Teach For America also develops human capital in education. They work to change the way people look at the teaching profession. Here is their donation link.
NewSchools is a nonprofit venture philanthropy firm working to transform public education for low-income children. They work to achieve high-quality education for every child through funding and guidance of entrepreneurial organizations. Here is their donation link.
The Education Trust promotes high academic achievement for all students pre-kindergarten through college. Here is their donation link.
Green Dot Public Schools works to change the landscape of public education in Los Angeles by running high-achieving public charter schools. They also work with parents to encourage their school district to implement bold reform. Here is their donation link.
Aspire Public Schools is a non-profit organization that is also one of the highest-performing public school systems in California. It operates public charter schools across the state that focus on preparing urban students for college. Here is their donation link.
The Learning and Teaching Division of Education Development Center works in partnership with government agencies, foundations, districts, and community programs to expand educational opportunities through research into best practices and curriculum development. Here is their Facebook link.

You are encouraged to check out GuideStar's analyses or do your own research before supporting these organizations.

How Will You Support Education This Week?

What other ideas do you have for serving or supporting education?
How has supporting education made a meaningful difference for you this week?
How have others given to you this week and what difference has that made in your life?

How Else Can You Make a Difference This Season?

Make a meaningful difference this season by taking the Season of Service (SOS) Challenge. Here's how you can participate:

Commit to do one act of kindness/service based on the week's challenge.
Leave a comment with ideas relating to the week's challenge as well as your experience(s) performing it.
Enter to win each week's giveaway. Check out this week's prizes from PBS Kids by clicking here or here.
Join #gno this Monday on Twitter to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge.