Education Philanthropy Has Spiraled Since Risk Report

By Meg Sommerfeld

While educators may debate what effect the landmark 1983 report A Nation at Risk has had on American schools, one area where its role in jump-starting the school-reform movement is highly visible is education philanthropy.

In the decade since the release of the report, foundations have poured larger sums into efforts to improve elementary and secondary education and the status of school-age children.

Foundation contributions to child-related causes made up 12.5 percent of all foundation grant dollars in 1991--the most recent year for which data are available--up from 10.1 percent in 1983, according to the Foundation Center, which...