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EQUITY GRANTS For Work Within Educational Institutions

The Memorial Fund supports the Transformation of Education Systems by providing grants to groups affecting change from within educational institutions (birth through higher education) and creating internal conditions to allow for community-driven change.

Given the current sociopolitical climate and the demands of those working in these spaces, the Memorial Fund is primarily focused on supporting our current grantee partners in the most meaningful ways possible. We are currently not accepting new applications.

KEY FOCUS AREAS & TYPES OF WORK

To advance educational equity in Connecticut, we prioritize efforts that promote:  

  • Anti-racist and inclusive curricula
  • School climate (discipline, over-policing, exclusionary language practice, etc.)
  • Equitable school financing
  • Teacher Diversification
  • Training for educators to equip them with the skills needed to build impactful relationships (e.g., culturally responsive, restorative justice, Anti-Racist practices)


Types of Work 

  • Educator Organizing – mobilizing teachers, paraprofessionals, and others to support policy and practice changes at school, district, and statewide levels.
  • Policy Advocacy – addressing education issues at the state and local levels. Ensuring the narrative influencing policy and public opinion includes the interests of those most oppressed.
  • Training (for educators, parents, and students) –
    • Providing parents and students with information and understanding for active participation and organizing around their education.
    • Equipping staff with skills needed to engage in impactful relationships (culturally responsive, restorative practices, anti-racist, etc.).
  • Teacher Certification Access – creating pathways and eliminating obstacles to pre-service education programs and teacher certification systems.
  • Support for BIPOC Educators – affinity groups, mentorship, etc., centering the unique needs of BIPOC educators in white-dominant spaces.

The criteria listed here represent maximal alignment with the mission of the Memorial Fund (no group will have all characteristics) and are what we use to evaluate applications and determine funding levels. 

ORGANIZATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

  • Center the wisdom of those most impacted by racism and poverty
  • Co-create an anti-racist culture that explicitly addresses anti-Black racism  
  • Center BIPOC leadership who use a racial equity lens 
  • Build partnerships and trusting relationships 
  • Work to shift inequitable power dynamics 
  • Measure and demonstrate progress towards goals 
  • Articulate a clear path between proposed work and the potential for measurable progress towards the proposed outcome(s) 
  • Provide a solid rationale for how the proposed work would advance equity in educational institutions 

Those groups with the highest alignment with our mission and criteria are eligible for up to $135,000. Those groups with medium alignment are eligible for up to $85,000. Those groups with low alignment are eligible for up to $45,000.

Groups that center their work on education, or are viewed as filling one of the following roles will receive awards on the higher end of the range:

  • Collective Action Leaders – build relationships and lead coalitions by convening groups to create networks, strategize, and build public will.
  • Field Builders – provide key leadership in a field or area of strategic interest and are often uniquely positioned to advance change.
  • Infrastructure Supporters – build the infrastructure needed to support groups who are building community power or advancing educational equity.
  • Innovators – Pioneer strategies or practices to advance equity that can serve as models for others.

We are not accepting new applications for this program at this time.

Beyond the grant award, are there any other supports the Memorial Fund offers Equity Grantee Partners?

The Memorial Fund offers support to grantee partners in a variety of ways. The Fund hosts convenings around areas of interest identified by our partners and supports conference attendance at key mission-focused conferences. We also offer communications support through The Narrative Project.

We are also able to provide additional funding through our technical assistance program that can provide support for training and skill building; coaching; organizational development; and healing and wellness. Learn more here.

How do you support white, racially conscious leaders?

The identity/identities of an organization’s leader(s) is one of the factors we consider in our evaluation. Leaders who share an identity with the groups they serve, who are committed to partnering with and uplifting BIPOC leadership, and who actively listen to the wisdom of those most affected, will be more closely aligned with our criteria and priorities. While no single criterion will solely determine our funding decisions, our criteria collectively guide us in identifying the most aligned organizations.

How does the Memorial Fund expect grantee partners to measure progress?

We are interested in learning about how grantee partners are making meaning of their progress or sometimes lack thereof. While we are not interested in prescribing what groups should measure or define success for them, we do think it is important that groups have a process for measuring their own work.

Can a group’s funding amount change over time?

We prioritize and trust that groups will continue to be guided by their mission and not our criteria. That being said, we recognize that over time some groups’ work will evolve to become more or less aligned with our criteria. Funding amounts are reconsidered at renewal based on where groups are in the work at that time.

What if I do not see my group’s work reflected in the criteria?

While we do not expect any group to be compatible with all of the criteria, if you feel you are stretching to fit many of the criteria, you may consider whether the Memorial Fund resources are compatible with your group’s efforts.