Funders Giving 'i3' Runners-Up Second Look

Promising Applicants May Find Favor as the Push to Fund Innovation Continues

Though nearly 1,700 nonprofit organizations and school districts spent hours filling out applications for the $650 million Investing in Innovation grant program, part of the economic-stimulus program, all but 49 applicants walked away empty-handed.

Now some foundations—with an assist from the U.S. Department of Education—are beginning to turn their attention to those that didn’t make the cut for federal funding this year.

Before the “i3” winners were officially announced in August, a group of foundations, including the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Ford Foundation, of New York City, established a registry for programs vying for i3 grants. More than 700 applicants —the vast majority of which did not end up winning—submitted their applications to the registry, said Bibb Hubbard, a program officer at the Bill...

This article is available to subscribers only.

To keep reading this article and more, subscribe now or start a 2-week FREE trial.

Already have an account? Please login.


Subscribe to Education Week

You Save 20% or More!

Premium Online + Print


20 issues + Online Access
$39

You Save 20%

SUBSCRIBE NOW

(See details.)

Premium Online


6 Months Online Access
$29

You Save 22%

SUBSCRIBE NOW

(See details.)


Most Popular Stories

Viewed

Emailed

Recommended

Commented