Common Purposes: Defining the Reform Capabilities Created by Private Foundations through Strategic Giving in Support of the Common Core State Standards

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe: (1) What purposes for grant recipients are shared among private foundation that supported the movement to adopt the Common Core State Standards? (2) How do such shared purposes influence the strategic giving practiced by foundations that supported that movement? and (3) How are grants strategically distributed to recipients to fulfill or direct these purposes and advance the reform? Methods: Document analysis of 462 Common Core–related grant announcements from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, the Leona A. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, the Lumina Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, and The Noyce Foundation helps to show how nonprofit philanthropic foundations provided funding and support to other nonprofit organizations to develop, build support for, and implement the Common Core State Standards on a wide scale. Findings: The findings illustrate a set of common purposes that drove the reform forward and help to refine our understanding of how philanthropic foundations engage with the education policy process using their financial resources. The findings detail the reach and scale of the private financial investment supporting the reform. Implications: The stated purpose of the Common Core State Standards was to boost student achievement and foster efficiency through common resources across states. This study expands research on “strategic giving” in public education policy development and provides context for understanding the long-term benefits of the Common Core to schools and students.