Strategically Responsive Grantmaking

Since its inception, ECMC Foundation has prioritized being responsive to the field, fueling evidence-based innovation aimed at increasing postsecondary persistence and completion among students from underserved populations. As we continue to grow and evolve, we have upheld our commitment to an open letter of inquiry process, staying attuned to the needs and opportunities facing postsecondary education. While we are certainly not alone in these practices, accepting unsolicited letters of inquiry and earmarking funding to remain responsive to the field are important—and equity-centered—aspects of ECMC Foundation’s approach. 

By allocating a significant proportion of our funding to strategically responsive grants, we have the flexibility to adapt to a changing higher education ecosystem. While our initiatives allow the Foundation to work toward systemic change through specific areas of focus, our strategically responsive grantmaking supports a broader range of projects that are all connected to one or more of our three strategic priorities. As a result, we can be nimble when we receive proposals that excite and inspire us, without having to make special exceptions or ask potential grantees to alter their proposals to fit within one of our initiatives.

The strategically responsive portfolio uses a spectrum of funding structures to support nonprofit organizations, community colleges and broad-access four-year universities (inclusive of minority-serving institutions), higher education systems, government entities and for-profit ventures. Funded projects support a diverse range of strategies across populations served, geographies supported and interventions employed that improve persistence and degree completion for students pursuing postsecondary credentials of value. This includes—as it has for nearly the last decade—high-quality, equity-centered postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) programs that lead to certificates and associate degrees, as well as programs that confer bachelor’s degrees, all of which offer learners navigable pathways to well-paying careers. We are pleased to continue to be one of the few postsecondary funders invested in the success of postsecondary CTE.

We continuously assess our strategically responsive portfolio for common themes and throughlines. Collaborating with the Learning and Evaluation (L&E) team, we assess learnings to date and identify areas where ECMC Foundation could fill specific gaps and catalyze action. In addition to supporting postsecondary programs that have been part of our DNA since the beginning, we also leverage the flexibility of our strategically responsive approach to incubate emergent priorities. For example, as we explore a variety of populations, geographies and interventions, we are seeing promising results tied to projects that incorporate mentoring, advising and coaching models and those that include work-based learning opportunities. As discrete priorities emerge, the team determines the Foundation’s point of view, funding strategy and evaluation framework, each with aligned activities, articulated timeframes and earmarked budgets, as the team has done for all the initiatives, including the new Rural Impact Initiative.