Throughout our 15-year history, the National Public Education Support Fund has provided foundation leaders with a learning community to exchange ideas on the intersections of philanthropy, policy, research, and practice. Founded in 2008 by Dan Leeds, as part of the Leeds family of philanthropies, NPESF was created to support projects and organizations working to increase opportunities and improve outcomes for students. In 2009, we launched the Education Funders Strategy Group (EFSG) and what began as a burgeoning funder network evolved into deeply rooted, adaptive, and dynamic entities supporting learners’ and educators’ wide range of needs. 

Consequently, NPESF became known as a national hub for convening and connecting influential leaders in education philanthropy, advocacy, research, policy, and practice. In addition to the Education Funders Strategy Group, NPESF actively sponsors Grantmakers for Thriving Youth, the Data Funders Collaborative, and the Global Science of Learning Network. These funder collaboratives continue to take an equity-centered approach informed by the science of learning, including the voices of children, youth, and communities. 

The profound impact of the pandemic and its seismic impact on the societal, human, and education challenges we are experiencing, now more than ever, insist that philanthropy, policymakers, educators, communities, youth, and students need to work together if we are to realize a society and education system where all learners thrive and are valued. 

Our organization’s role is to create a safe space that welcomes and supports critical dialogue and healthy conflict in order to find the shared impetus that propels systems change, all of which focus on a central theme of more profound collective activation: collaboration. So it’s with great excitement that I announce that NPESF, as many of you know us, is now The Philanthropic Collaborative for Education – or, The Collaborative, for short.

We have spent the past few years in deep reflection and inquiry, assessing and identifying as a team with our board members, partners, and networks the core values we represent as an organization and how we tell our story. Time and again, we heard about how, as an organization, we can help advance learning, collaboration, and work as a convenor and connector to make sure philanthropy is offering all we have to help ensure communities are thriving and educational experiences are equitable, meaningful, and engaging; nothing left on the table.

That cross-sector work is our sweet spot, bringing together funders, and the public sector, to explore ways to meet the needs of students, youth, families, and communities. 

Today, we unveil our new logo and updated website, which visually encompasses our role as providers of infrastructure and continuous support to philanthropic networks, offering access to collaborate and challenge ideas, sharing comprehensive tools and resources, and creating equitable pathways and policies for all children to thrive and succeed in a globally diverse society.

Our new identity allows us to clarify who we are and how we work with our networks, partners, and members, and how we as an organization have evolved. This new logo and color palette are just a first step—we will be rolling out more new things in 2023 that will continue to uplift the vital work of our networks, collaboratives, and partners. We’re excited to meet this moment, together. Check out our new website, and please let us know what you think. How can we collaborate?

Thank you for your continued support.