Ecmc Foundation

ECMC FOUNDATION IS A GRANTMAKING FOUNDATION FOCUSED ON IMPROVING HIGHER EDUCATION AND CAREER SUCCESS AMONG UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED INNOVATION.

COLLEGE SUCCESS. THE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THREE FOCUS AREAS: COLLEGE SUCCESS, CAREER READINESS AND EDUCATION INNOVATION VENTURES; AND USES A SPECTRUM OF FUNDING STRUCTURES, INCLUDING STRATEGIC GRANTMAKING AND PROGRAM-RELATED INVESTMENTS. SINCE INCEPTION, THE FOUNDATION HAS PROVIDED FUNDING IN 49 STATES. THE COLLEGE SUCCESS FOCUS AREA SEEKS TO INCREASE PERSISTENCE AND GRADUATION RATES OF STUDENTS WHO FACE SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES IN EARNING A BACHELOR'S DEGREE. THESE STUDENTS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS, STUDENTS FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS AND STUDENTS OF COLOR. THE PROGRAM FUNDS POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES THAT IMPROVE AND SCALE SYSTEMIC REFORMS AND SUPPORTS TO INCREASE STUDENT SUCCESS AT POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS; INCREASE CURRENTLY ENROLLED STUDENTS' PERSISTENCE TOWARD A DEGREE; SUPPORT ON-TIME TRANSFER FROM TWO-YEAR TO FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTIONS; ENHANCE STUDENTS' PATHWAYS TO GRADUATION WITH CAREER-READY SKILLS; AND EVALUATE NEW RESEARCH FINDINGS AND PUBLICATIONS THAT PROMOTE STUDENT SUCCESS OUTCOMES. COLLEGE SUCCESS CURRENTLY FOCUSES ITS GRANTMAKING TOWARD PROGRAMS, INSTITUTIONAL NETWORKS, RESEARCH AND POLICY THAT ADDRESS BASIC NEEDS, IMPROVING CREDIT MOBILITY AND TRANSFER, ENHANCING STUDENT-CENTERED SUPPORT AND REFORMING SYSTEMIC APPROACHES TO ENHANCE COMPLETION. ADDITIONALLY, COLLEGE SUCCESS HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS IN COALITION EFFORTS WORKING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON KEY ISSUES: BASIC NEEDS INITIATIVE AND CATALYZING TRANSFER INITIATIVE.

CAREER READINESS. THE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THREE FOCUS AREAS: COLLEGE SUCCESS, CAREER READINESS AND EDUCATION INNOVATION VENTURES; AND USES A SPECTRUM OF FUNDING STRUCTURES, INCLUDING STRATEGIC GRANTMAKING AND PROGRAM-RELATED INVESTMENTS. SINCE INCEPTION, THE FOUNDATION HAS PROVIDED FUNDING IN 49 STATES. THE CAREER READINESS FOCUS AREA SUPPORTS INNOVATIVE APPROACHES AND PROMISING PRACTICES TO IMPROVE THE SUCCESS OF STUDENTS FROM UNDERSERVED BACKGROUNDS SEEKING ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS IN POSTSECONDARY CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) PROGRAMS. GRANTS MADE AS PART OF THE CAREER READINESS FOCUS AREA FUND PROJECTS, PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES THAT AIM TO ENABLE INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPLEMENT INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO IMPROVING POSTSECONDARY CTE (E.G., INITIATIVES FOR SINGLE MOTHER STUDENT SUCCESS, IMPROVING ONLINE CTE AND CTE LEADERSHIP COLLABORATIVE) AND GENERATE LEARNINGS THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO THE FIELD, TO UTILIZE INTERMEDIARIES TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO SUSTAIN AND SCALE PROMISING PRACTICES AND TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS TO RESEARCH, EVALUATE, AND SHARE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE PRACTICE AND INFORM POLICY. THE PROGRAM IS ROOTED IN THE BELIEF THAT LEARNERS WHO COMPLETE CREDIT-BEARING PROGRAMS AND EARN ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS WILL EXPERIENCE IMPROVED ECONOMIC STABILITY AND INCREASED SOCIAL MOBILITY.

EDUCATION INNOVATION VENTURES. THE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THREE FOCUS AREAS: COLLEGE SUCCESS, CAREER READINESS AND EDUCATION INNOVATION VENTURES; AND USES A SPECTRUM OF FUNDING STRUCTURES, INCLUDING STRATEGIC GRANTMAKING AND PROGRAM-RELATED INVESTMENTS. SINCE INCEPTION, THE FOUNDATION HAS PROVIDED FUNDING IN 49 STATES. ECMC FOUNDATION'S EDUCATION INNOVATION VENTURES (EIV) PROGRAM MAKES BELOW-MARKET-RATE INVESTMENTS INTO NONPROFIT AND FOR-PROFIT VENTURES THAT SEEK TO GENERATE BOTH SOCIAL IMPACT AND FINANCIAL RETURNS. COMPLEMENTING ECMC FOUNDATION'S STRATEGIC GRANTMAKING, THE EIV PROGRAM USES A FULL SPECTRUM OF PROGRAM-RELATED INVESTMENTS, INCLUDING DEBT AND EQUITY INSTRUMENTS, TO PROVIDE CATALYTIC, RISK CAPITAL TO EARLY-STAGE VENTURES WORKING TO INCREASE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES AND ECONOMIC MOBILITY AMONG LEARNERS AND JOBSEEKERS FROM SYSTEMICALLY DISADVANTAGED BACKGROUNDS. FINANCIAL RETURNS ARE REINVESTED INTO ADDITIONAL PROGRAM-RELATED INVESTMENTS, ALLOWING ECMC FOUNDATION TO RECYCLE INVESTMENT DOLLARS TO FUND FURTHER IMPACT INITIATIVES AND DRIVE CHANGES IN ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR LEARNERS AND JOBSEEKERS. IN 2021, EIV INVESTMENTS WERE FOCUSED TOWARD PROMISING, EQUITY-MINDED SOLUTIONS THAT COULD BOLSTER THREE BUILDING BLOCKS OF A POST-PANDEMIC ECONOMIC RECOVERY: I.E., CAREER NAVIGATION AND EXPLORATION TOOLS, TRAINING, UPSKILLING AND RESKILLING PROGRAMS, AND INNOVATIVE FINANCING STRUCTURES. AT YEAR END 2021, EIV HAS INVESTED $6.85 MILLION ACROSS 21 VENTURES.