COLORADO PUBLIC EDUCATION
Colorado’s workforce is one of the most highly-educated in the country. Yet among our children, significant income-based achievement gaps persist—particularly for communities that have faced barriers to opportunity and in rural areas. Political disagreement on how best to address these disparities has intensified in recent years. At the same time, educators and school leaders often do not reflect the diversity of the student population, and attracting and retaining diverse talent remains a significant challenge.
In the face of systemic challenges, school and district leaders, teachers, families, and community partners are coming together to think creatively about how we use all types of resources—including funding, materials, partnerships, facilities, and relationships with the broader community. The pandemic has heightened the urgency for new approaches to supporting students both within and beyond the K–12 system. As a result, many families have opted out of district-run public schools and are exploring alternatives to the conventional education model.
OUR PRIORITIES FOR EDUCATION
How We Support Education
Strategic Grants
Foundation staff work closely with a diverse group of education partners to initiate and support education projects that advance the strategic priorities and goals listed above. See our strategic education grantees here. If you think your project or organization might be a fit for our Education program, we encourage you to contact Russ Ramsey. READ MORE
Capital Grants
Two times a year, we accept applications for our capital grants program. Education projects that qualify include a wide range of construction, expansion and renovation projects for charter schools, rural schools, or other organizations that provide life-long learning. See a list of our recent capital grants for education here. READ MORE
Impact Investments
We put the Foundation’s endowment dollars to work through mission-aligned investments in education. Examples include Colorado Charter Facility Solutions, which helps high-quality charter schools access capital and evaluate real estate options, and an investment in Reach Capital, a prime equity fund focused on early stage education technology venture opportunities. READ MORE
Education News and Insights
Education Team
Our education team brings an array of experiences and talents to work with our partners and grantees. Whether it’s education research and data analysis, school district governance and systems reform, or community engagement and facilitation, our team is here to help our partners thrive.
Russell Ramsey
Vice President, Education
Ana Soler
Senior Program Officer, Education
Finally, also in 2023 a total of $410,956 previously committed by Gates to the 
A total of $1,110,956 committed to the 
In 2019, the Community Development program committed $932,500 in strategic grants to 13 organizations and $465,000 in responsive capital grants to 12 organizations. New impact investments supporting vibrant communities in 2019 included a $500,000 MRI to 
Our Focus Landscapes initiative, a key element of our Natural Resources program, underwent a comprehensive review, revision, and re-launch in 2019. This initiative was launched in 2011 to help Colorado achieve landscape-scale conservation through the protection of private lands in specific geographies. A great deal of progress was made in North Park, southeast Colorado, and the San Luis Valley, resulting in more than 200,000 acres of farm and ranch lands conserved, along with their associated ecological values. The strategic review process was done in close partnership with the land trust organizations representing those geographies, providing lessons-learned and an exploration of emerging opportunities. The revised Focus Landscapes initiative will first focus on two geographies: 