At Meeting #2, Partners will review the Letters of Interest (LOIs) and select six organizations to move forward to our next stage: virtual “coffee chats” between small groups of Partners and nonprofit applicants that will take the place of written grant applications.
SV2’s Spring 2021 Education Grant Round — part of SV2’s local Pathways to Opportunity focus — will focus on education approaches and organizations that are addressing the effects of the COVID pandemic and building toward more equitable education outcomes in the recovery. The pandemic has disproportionately affected low income students and families, and has both revealed and intensified inequitable academic outcomes for students from underrepresented groups. This Grant Round will look at interventions including expanded learning, family engagement, and teacher development -- approaches that are needed both now and as we look forward to recovery and rebuilding from the pandemic. We’re especially interested in organizations which have innovated or pivoted to bring new approaches to advance educational equity.
As part of SV2’s commitment to embedding an equity lens in our grantmaking practice, we’ve designed this Grant Round based on insights from a variety of community stakeholders, especially those close to the ground and with lived experience. A Partner research team conducted 25 interviews in November and December with a variety of educators, funders, researchers, and nonprofit leaders. Their insights and recommendations have shaped our approach to this Grant Round as well as the pool of nonprofit organizations we’ll consider.
This Grant Round will continue SV2’s approach to the application process: virtual “coffee chats” between small groups of Partners and nonprofit applicants will take the place of written grant applications. Partners will learn about the sector and conduct diligence on the organizations over the course of five meetings from January to June. The Grant Round is led by Partners Meg Bannick and Grace Mah and staff member Jody Chang. Meetings will be on Thursdays from 11:30am -1:30pm via Zoom.
Please contact Jody Chang (jchang@sv2.org) with questions.