Private foundations

Private foundations engage with GPE to support innovations, advance education policies and invest in transformation at scale.

Dynamic partnerships between GPE and philanthropic foundations leverage technical expertise and networks, and catalyze advocacy and financing that leads to innovative, sustainable responses to education challenges in lower-income countries.

This engagement supports more inclusive and informed policy dialogue. It generates creative approaches to planning, implementation and monitoring, while advancing opportunities for the most marginalized learners to exercise their right to quality education.

GPE has forged growing engagements with education philanthropy, private foundations and their networks, and continuously strives to further develop mutual collaboration by harnessing the critical and valuable contributions from the philanthropic community.

A fund and a partnership

Private foundations have a pivotal role to play by leveraging the skills and know-how they bring to the education sector, at all levels, including – and beyond - their role as major funders of global education. Together GPE is working in partnership with private foundations to improve learning outcomes, equity and inclusion for all.

Over more than a decade, private foundations have partnered with GPE to advance gender-responsive education planning, learning assessment systems, effective approaches to pre-primary and early childhood education, catalytic financing and global advocacy.

GPE encourages and incentivizes philanthropic engagement and the culture of evidence needed for transformative education programs. Catalytic support from foundations is critical to effective education financing and delivery.

Why partner with GPE?

Equity
Equity
Invest in equitable education opportunities for all children in lower-income or crisis-affected countries.
Scale
Scale
Leverage GPE’s partnership model to support change and transformation at scale.
High visibility
High visibility
Engage in education policy and dialogue that spotlights promising initiatives and mobilizes decision-makers to keep education high on the agenda.
Catalytic impact
Catalytic impact
Compound investments that leverage additional dollars for education in domestic and international financing.

Partnership stories

a preprimary classroom in Côte d'Ivoire. Credit: GPE / Rodrig Mbock

Unique collaboration between the LEGO Foundation and GPE's Knowledge & Innovation Exchange (KIX) is supporting 5 applied research projects scaling early learning innovations in 11 countries of East, West and Southern Africa. Read more

Credit: GPE/Rodrig Mbock
Grade 6 students standing up in their classroom in Collège moderne de N'Guyakro, Côte d'Ivoire

The Jacobs Foundation convenes a coalition of investors to activate the GPE Multiplier, bolstering Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Education in enhancing learning outcomes and adopting evidence-based solutions. Read more

Credit: GPE/Carine Durand
Children in their classroom in El Renacimiento school, in Villa Nueva, Guatemala. Credit: Maria Fleischmann / World Bank

The Carlos F. Novella and Sergio Paiz Andrade foundations are partners in a coalition of Guatemala-based actors that leveraged $10 million of GPE's Multiplier for a transformative modernization of the country's education system. Read more

Credit: Maria Fleischmann / World Bank
Tariq Al Gurg, CEO, Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares is the longest-standing philanthropic partner of GPE. Over the last decade, this partnership has nurtured collaboration on gender equality, learning assessments, early childhood education, education financing and more.

Credit: Rob Tannenbaum/UN Dispatch
Students in a boarding school in Lao Cai Province, Viet Nam. Credit: The Nippon Foundation

Viet Nam is expanding inclusive education to reach children often left behind. A $2.6M partnership with the Nippon Foundation unlocked a matching GPE Multiplier grant leading to a total of $5.2M in additional financing for Viet Nam’s “Ramping up Education for All” program. The program is developing inclusive teaching materials, training teachers in disadvantaged provinces, and promoting mother tongue instruction to improve learning outcomes. Read more

Credit: The Nippon Foundation
US$80 million partnership to boost learning and strengthen Ghana’s education system

Ghana, with support from GPE and a consortium of philanthropic and private partners, which together leverages $118 million in additional financing, is scaling up efforts to improve literacy and numeracy in 16,000 public primary schools and kindergarten classes through the Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project. Read more

Credit: Atalanta
Malawi: Tech boosts literacy and numeracy skills

In Malawi, the government launched the BEFIT program to improve foundational learning through digital tools. GPE played a catalytic role in supporting the government’s ambition to scale up the program nationwide, providing a $15.2 million GPE Multiplier grant unlocked with match funding from philanthropy. Read more

Credit: Ofred Studios
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How foundations can engage with GPE

GPE’s principle of mutual engagement recognizes that philanthropy is more than a funder of global education.

  • As technical partners, foundations actively support the partnership. Pilot investment programs such as BELDS (Better Early Learning and Development at Scale) on early childhood education or A4L (Assessment for learning) on learning assessments have crystalized thematic niches for engagement. Co-creation of applied research initiatives through GPE’s Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX), support to partner countries through GPE’s Technical Assistance Initiatives, inputs into technical frameworks and strategic GPE documents are other examples of technical engagement.
  • As stakeholders in education dialogue and coordination, foundations have been part of GPE governance through a distinct Board seat since 2018. At country level, a growing number of foundations of all sizes are investing time and resources in joining and supporting local education groups or other coordination mechanisms.
  • As advocates and influencers, private foundations have supported GPE’s efforts and campaigns to advocate for more and better financing for education. They also voice the ongoing need for action on transformative agendas including gender equality commitments, climate action and early childhood care and education.
  • As funders, foundations have contributed over $35 million to the GPE Fund to date, in support of the Girls’ Education Accelerator, KIX and thematic initiatives. An additional $195+ million have been deployed or committed in co-financing of country-level education programs through the GPE Multiplier.

GPE’s model of engagement with private foundations offers the flexibility to explore partnerships and collaboration where interests intersect, towards the transformation of education systems.

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Latest blog and news

December 16, 2024
Partnership in Lesotho is transforming education
Lesotho has committed to improving children’s learning and delivering quality education to all. H.E. Prof. Ntoi Rapapa, Lesotho’s Minister of Education, highlights recent achievements and innovations in the...