Bill Gates Spent More Than $200 Million to Promote Common Core. Here’s Where it Went.
Bill Gates Spent More Than $200 Million to Promote Common Core. Here’s Where it Went.
The Gates foundation has bankrolled a sprawling network of groups to advance the standards.
—By AJ Vicens
| Thu Sep. 4, 2014 2:29 PM EDT
Source: Gates Foundation Photograph: Win McNamee
When it comes to putting your money where your mouth is, few organizations can match the sheer weight of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Longtime education benefactors, the couple has poured more than $200 million into the Common Core cause over the last several years. Below is the last few years’ worth of individual grants.
Gates-Keeper
The top recipients of funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to implement Common Core
| Grantee | Amount | Type | Year | Issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achievement First Inc. | $837,355 | States/schools | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Albuquerque Public Schools | $500,000 | States/schools | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Alliance for Excellent Education, Inc. | $551,336 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2009 and earlier | College-Ready |
| American Agora Foundation Inc | $100,000 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| American Enterprise Institute For Public Policy Research | $1,068,788 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2012 | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| American Federation Of Teachers Educational Foundation | $4,400,000 | Unions | 2012 | College-Ready |
| American Federation Of Teachers Educational Foundation | $1,000,000 | Unions | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Americas Promise-The Alliance For Youth | $500,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Americas Promise-The Alliance For Youth | $100,001 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Arkansas Public School Resource Center Inc | $200,000 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Aspire Public Schools | $249,855 | States/schools | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development | $3,024,695 | Nonprofit | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development | $244,733 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Atlanta Public Schools | $500,000 | States/schools | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Baton Rouge Area Foundation | $500,000 | nonprofit | 2012 | College-Ready |
| Battelle For Kids | $249,808 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Bellwether Education Partners, Inc. | $1,981,978 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Benchmark Education Company LLC | $25,000 | Private companies | 2013 | College-Ready |
| BetterLesson, Inc. | $3,527,240 | Private companies | 2012 | College-Ready |
| Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation | $500,000 | Nonprofit | 2014 | College-Ready |
| Center for American Progress | $550,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Center for Applied Linguistics | $249,396 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Center for Curriculum Redesign Inc. | $198,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2012 | College-Ready |
| Center for Teaching Quality, Inc. | $395,836 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Center for Teaching Quality, Inc. | $249,471 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Charter Fund Inc dba Charter School Growth Fund | $4,000,000 | States/schools | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Cleveland Metropolitan School District | $497,752 | States/schools | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Colorado Legacy Foundation | $9,707,210 | Nonprofit | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Colorado Legacy Foundation | $1,748,337 | States/schools | 2012 | College-Ready |
| Committee for Economic Development | $865,593 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| Common Core Inc. | $550,844 | Nonprofit | 2009 and earlier | College-Ready |
| Common Ground Software Inc. | $500,000 | Private companies | 2013 | College-Ready |
| ConnectEDU, Inc. | $499,375 | Private companies | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Council for a Strong America | $1,700,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| Council of Chief State School Officers | $9,388,911 | CCSSO/NGA | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Council of Chief State School Officers | $4,000,000 | CCSSO/NGA | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Council of Chief State School Officers | $1,958,500 | CCSSO/NGA | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Council of Chief State School Officers | $1,100,000 | CCSSO/NGA | 2012 | College-Ready |
| Council of Chief State School Officers | $799,825 | CCSSO/NGA | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Council of State Governments | $399,953 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Council of State Governments | $369,623 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Council Of The Great City Schools | $5,511,184 | States/schools | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Council Of The Great City Schools | $2,000,000 | States/schools | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Council Of The Great City Schools | $100,000 | States/schools | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Creative Commons Corporation | $1,099,687 | Nonprofit | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Cristo Rey Network | $556,006 | States/schools | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Delaware Department of Education | $400,000 | States/schools | 2013 | College-Ready |
| DePaul University | $248,343 | Higher education | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Education Commission of the States | $799,221 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Education Development Center, Inc. | $211,795 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound, Inc. | $250,000 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Facing History and Ourselves National Foundation, Inc. | $231,846 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Filament Games, LLC | $25,000 | Private companies | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Forsyth County Schools | $151,200 | States/schools | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Foundation for Excellence in Education Inc. | $2,000,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Fund for Public Schools Inc | $1,815,810 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2012 | College-Ready |
| Georgia Department of Education | $1,980,892 | States/schools | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Harvard University | $557,168 | Higher education | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Hillsborough County Council of PTA/PTSAs | $25,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2011 | College-Ready |
| iCivics, Inc. | $500,000 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Illustrative Mathematics | $3,416,901 | Nonprofit | 2012 | College-Ready |
| James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy Foundation, Inc. | $5,549,352 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2009 and earlier | College-Ready |
| James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy Foundation, Inc. | $1,749,070 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy Foundation, Inc. | $500,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| JUMP Math | $698,587 | Nonprofit | 2012 | College-Ready |
| Kentucky Department of Education | $9,800,877 | States/schools | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Kentucky Department of Education | $1,000,000 | States/schools | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Khan Academy Inc. | $4,079,361 | Nonprofit | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Khan Academy Inc. | $1,464,667 | Nonprofit | 2010 | College-Ready |
| KnowledgeWorks Foundation | $241,747 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Learning Forward | $999,795 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Learning Matters, Inc. | $25,000 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| LearnZillion, Inc. | $1,465,525 | Private companies | 2013 | College-Ready |
| LearnZillion, Inc. | $250,000 | Private companies | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Louisiana Department of Education | $7,351,708 | States/schools | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, Inc. | $151,431 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $3,204,132 | Higher education | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $115,000 | Higher education | 2013 | College-Ready |
| MetaMetrics, Inc. | $3,468,005 | Private companies | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Michigan State University | $650,000 | Higher education | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Military Child Education Coalition | $563,611 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Military Child Education Coalition | $269,998 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2009 and earlier | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| Military Child Education Coalition | $149,965 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2011 | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| Motion Math, Inc. | $100,000 | Private companies | 2013 | College-Ready |
| National Association of State Boards of Education | $1,077,960 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2011 | College-Ready |
| National Association of State Boards of Education | $800,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| National Association of State Boards of Education | $450,675 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2009 and earlier | College-Ready |
| National Catholic Educational Association | $100,007 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| National Center for Family Literacy Inc. | $239,796 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| National Conference of State Legislatures | $557,046 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| National Congress of Parents and Teachers | $499,962 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| National Council of Teachers of English | $249,482 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| National Governors Association Center For Best Practices | $1,293,904 | CCSSO/NGA | 2011 | College-Ready |
| National Governors Association Center For Best Practices | $750,000 | CCSSO/NGA | 2013 | College-Ready |
| National Governors Association Center For Best Practices | $37,674 | CCSSO/NGA | 2012 | Strategic Partnerships |
| National Indian Education Association | $600,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| National Indian Education Association | $500,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2011 | Strategic Partnerships |
| National Math and Science Initiative Inc. | $248,760 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| National Paideia Center Inc | $659,788 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| National Writing Project | $3,095,593 | Nonprofit | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Inc. | $350,000 | Nonprofit | 2011 | College-Ready |
| New America Foundation | $200,002 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| New Teacher Center | $250,000 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| New Venture Fund | $10,300,300 | Nonprofit | 2014 | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| New Venture Fund | $3,213,686 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| New Venture Fund | $1,150,000 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| New Venture Fund | $378,000 | Nonprofit | 2011 | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| New Visions for Public Schools, Inc | $8,149,935 | States/schools | 2010 | College-Ready |
| New Visions for Public Schools, Inc | $250,000 | States/schools | 2013 | College-Ready |
| New York University | $40,282 | Higher education | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction | $75,000 | States/schools | 2011 | Community Grants |
| Partnership for Learning | $499,492 | nonprofit | 2014 | Community Grants |
| Pennsylvania Business Council Education Foundation | $257,391 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2012 | College-Ready |
| Pennsylvania Department of Education | $526,960 | States/schools | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children | $240,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| Perkins School for the Blind | $249,113 | States/schools | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Policy Innovators In Education Network, Inc. | $499,951 | think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence | $198,206 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Puget Sound Educational Service District | $247,465 | States/schools | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Purdue University | $1,453,832 | Higher education | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Reasoning Mind, Inc. | $742,996 | Nonprofit | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Regents University Of California Los Angeles | $942,527 | Higher education | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Region 8 ESC of Northeast Indiana | $249,505 | States/schools | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Research for Action Inc | $1,309,409 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Research for Action Inc | $650,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc. | $4,968,652 | Nonprofit | 2011 | Postsecondary Success |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc. | $2,500,000 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Scholastic Inc. | $4,463,541 | Private companies | 2011 | College-Ready |
| School District of Philadelphia | $500,000 | States/schools | 2010 | College-Ready |
| Six Red Marbles LLC | $500,000 | Private companies | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Southeast Asia Resource Action Center | $440,035 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| Southern Regional Education Board | $350,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Stanford University | $1,400,000 | Higher education | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Stanford University | $200,000 | Higher education | 2013 | College-Ready |
| State Education Technology | $500,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2012 | College-Ready |
| Student Achievement Partners Inc | $4,042,920 | Nonprofit | 2012 | College-Ready |
| Summit Public Schools | $250,000 | States/schools | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Tennessee Department of Education | $400,000 | States/schools | 2013 | College-Ready |
| Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education | $250,000 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| The Achievement Network | $3,002,252 | Nonprofit | 2012 | College-Ready |
| The Achievement Network | $250,249 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
| The Aspen Institute Inc | $3,615,655 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| The Aspen Institute Inc | $1,500,003 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| The Aspen Institute Inc | $74,290 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | College-Ready |
| The College-Ready Promise | $300,000 | States/schools | 2011 | College-Ready |
| The Education Trust | $2,039,526 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2009 and earlier | College-Ready |
| The Fund For Transforming Education in Kentucky Inc | $1,903,089 | nonprofit | 2012 | College-Ready |
| The George Washington University | $259,895 | Higher education | 2013 | College-Ready |
| The NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education | $3,882,600 | Unions | 2013 | College-Ready |
| The NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education | $501,580 | Unions | 2013 | College-Ready |
| The NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education | $100,000 | Unions | 2014 | College-Ready |
| The NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education | $99,997 | Unions | 2012 | College-Ready |
| The SEED Foundation, Inc. | $200,000 | States/schools | 2013 | College-Ready |
| The University of the State of New York | $892,500 | States/schools | 2010 | College-Ready |
| The University of the State of New York | $600,000 | Higher education | 2011 | College-Ready |
| Thomas B. Fordham Institute | $959,116 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2009 and earlier | College-Ready |
| U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation | $1,383,041 | Think tanks/advocacy groups | 2013 | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| United Way Worldwide | $1,212,571 | Nonprofit | 2014 | Global Policy & Advocacy |
| University of Florida | $250,000 | Higher education | 2013 | College-Ready |
| University of Kentucky Research Foundation | $1,000,000 | Higher education | 2013 | College-Ready |
| University of Michigan | $1,999,999 | Higher education | 2012 | College-Ready |
| University of Missouri – Columbia | $249,826 | Higher education | 2013 | College-Ready |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $329,034 | Higher education | 2011 | College-Ready |
| University of Washington Foundation | $610,819 | Higher education | 2013 | College-Ready |
| WestEd | $30,000 | Nonprofit | 2013 | College-Ready |
Source: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
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