Nellie Mae Education Foundation Grants: Advancing Racial Equity and Student-Centered Learning in New England

Introduction

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation (NMEF), New England's largest philanthropic organization solely focused on education, is dedicated to reshaping the high school learning experience by working with schools and organizations to implement the principles of student-centered learning - learning that is personalized, engaging, competency-based, and happens anytime, anywhere. Established in 1990, NMEF focuses on racial equity in K-12 education by emphasizing student-centered learning across the six New England states. The foundation believes that organizations led by people of color are best positioned to organize and uplift the voices of students, families, and communities traditionally excluded from educational decisions. NMEF prioritizes community-driven solutions, responsive state systems, and a connected regional narrative to strengthen the public education ecosystem.

Overview of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation

Founded in 1990, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation (NMEF) is a New England-focused funder based in Quincy, Massachusetts. It was established by the Nellie Mae Corporation, a nonprofit education financing company. The Nellie Mae Education Foundation, founded in 1998 following the sale of the Nellie Mae Corporation to Sallie Mae. With assets exceeding $519 million and annual grant distributions of approximately $14.6 million, the Foundation has distributed over $180 million in grants since its inception. Over the last several years, the number of sponsorship requests the Foundation received has increased exponentially, requiring us to assess, clarify, and tighten our criteria, eligibility, and selection process. Applicants can apply for an Event Sponsorship up to $5,000.

NMEF seeks to support “efforts that prioritize community goals that challenge racial inequities and advance excellent, student-centered public education for all New England youth.” The foundation is the largest public charity solely focused on education in the New England states and has set a goal of getting 80 percent of New England students ready for college and career by the year 2030. Grantmaking interests include K-12 education, racial equity in education, and student-centered learning.

Strategic Shift Towards Racial Equity

NMEF underwent a strategic review of its grantmaking and shifted its focus to racial equity in education. Since 2015, NMEF has increasingly examined its work through a racial equity lens, culminating in a strategic shift to center racial equity in all its work. The Foundation underwent a significant strategic shift to focus its grantmaking on advancing racial equity in K-12 public education throughout New England, specifically addressing structural racism and white supremacy in education systems. In response, our refined strategy aims to strengthen the public education ecosystem by supporting community-rooted solutions, responsive state systems, and a connected regional narrative. At a time when education too often operated top-down, this strategy is designed to create stronger feedback loops and ensure community voices inform decisions at every level.

This involves addressing structural racism and white supremacy in education systems. The foundation's current mission is to ensure "every child has access to an excellent public education that prepares them to thrive in school and community." In 2025, NMEF refined its approach based on insights from over 2,500 students, teachers, parents, and community members, emphasizing strong community power, responsive state systems, and a connected regional narrative. Dr. Gisele C. Shorter has stated: "I am proud to be selected by the Board to lead the next phase of growth and impact at the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and eager to partner with staff and community partners to advance racial justice and educational equity across New England. She has also emphasized: "The Nellie Mae Education Foundation really seeks to make visible the invisible."

Grantmaking Priorities

NMEF tends to support grantees that reject a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach to learning and engage students in various ways. Past education grantmaking supports personalized learning, competency-based learning, learning beyond the traditional classroom, and helping students take ownership of their learning processes.

NMEF further seeks ways to engage low-income students and students of colors to overcome racial disparities in college and career outcomes. The Foundation values collaborative work across New England states. The Nellie Mae Education Foundation really seeks to make visible the invisible. They are responsible for ensuring grant funding is deployed effectively, compliantly, and in alignment with Nellie Mae’s mission and long-term strategic priorities.

The Foundation values partnerships between districts and communities, parent engagement, and grassroots organizing. NMEF seeks to transform educational systems, not just support individual programs. The foundation uses terms like "racial equity," "student-centered learning," "community power," "authentic youth voice," and "systems change" consistently.

Key Elements of NMEF's Grantmaking Strategy

Racial Equity is Central: The Foundation has made a clear strategic shift to focus exclusively on addressing structural racism in K-12 public education.
Public Education Only: The Foundation focuses exclusively on public K-12 education in New England.
Long-Term Partnership Approach: The Foundation emphasizes deepening relationships over time with adaptive strategy.
Strategic Networks: NMEF works with advisors and partners to co-create programs and identify organizations.
Community-Driven Solutions: The foundation values partnerships between districts and communities, parent engagement, and grassroots organizing.
Student-Centered Approach: Projects that center young people's voices, needs, and leadership.
Systems Change Orientation: NMEF seeks to transform educational systems, not just support individual programs.

Examples of Funded Initiatives

NMEF supports a variety of organizations and initiatives that align with its mission. Some examples include:

Women's Funding Network (WFN): In 2022, WFN received $45,000 to support their New England members’ efforts in building sustainable access to equitable and excellent education. Across the region, WFN members are active in the education space, working to improve access and quality across the early childhood, primary, secondary, post-secondary, and adult education communities. They are supporting education programs for refugees and immigrants, creating women’s leadership and youth mentorship programs, launching financial literacy programs, and advocating for improvements in childcare policy so moms can return to school.
Women’s Funds Across New England: Eight women’s funds across four states are using the investment to grow local programs that further education for women and girls. These include:
- The Women’s Fund of Western MA: Supporting their Young Women’s Initiative, which centers young women of color and gender expansive youth.
- Aurora Women and Girls Foundation: Focusing on their Hartford, CT-area Women’s College Success programs, which offers innovative support that addresses the needs of low income women, women of color, and first-generation students.
- Women’s Fund of Rhode Island: Working with college-aged women to provide training in self-advocacy and legislative advocacy.
- Women’s Foundation of Boston: Funding tuition-free, all-girl middle schools in low-income, under-resourced communities.
- Boston Women’s Fund: Investing in grassroots organizations led by women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals working toward racial, economic, social, and gender justice.
- Metrowest Women’s Fund: Supporting The Fund for Single Mother Students at Community College.
- New Hampshire Women’s Foundation: Focusing on their Women Run and Women Lead programs to empower women in local and state office.
Educate Maine, Data for Black Lives, the Connecticut Forum, and the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center: These are examples of past grantees.

Grant Details and Application Information

Grants typically range between $1,000 to $500,000, but they have gone as high as $5 million. In 2023, the Foundation made 234 grant awards totaling $14,645,178. In 2022, 257 awards were made. The foundation awarded over $14.6 million in grants in a recent year and held more than $519 million in assets.

Grants are typically limited to groups in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine.

Important Considerations for Potential Grantees

Invitation-Only Model: Do not submit unsolicited proposals. This funder does not have a general public application process. The Nellie Mae Education Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or requests for funding.
Alignment with Foundation Values: The Foundation uses its Salesforce-based grants management system with reviewer portals, suggesting they have a structured evaluation process. Specific decision timelines are not publicly available, as the Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis rather than fixed application cycles. Decisions are made through the Foundation's grants management system, which uses foundationConnect's Reviewer Portal to track reviewer scores and comments. Since the Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, success depends on alignment with their proactive strategy rather than traditional application factors.
Racial Equity Leadership: Organizations led by people of color and those with deep roots in communities of color are explicitly prioritized.

Addressing Systemic Issues and Broader Context

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation recognizes the importance of addressing systemic issues that impact students' learning experiences.

The Foundation understands that when students are anxious, grieving, or looking over their shoulders, academic excellence is hampered. College and career readiness weakens. Long-term economic mobility narrows. Communities feel the ripple effects.

NMEF acknowledges that this country’s early education, social, and economic policies were explicitly designed to exclude Black children and families-from literacy, from land ownership, from capital, from opportunity. When access expanded, it was often partial, conditional, and under-resourced. Each era moved us forward, but never to the absolute rights this American democracy promises.

The Foundation recognizes the importance of high-quality early learning to set children up for a successful future.

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Leadership and Vision

Under the leadership of President and CEO Dr. Gisele C. Shorter (appointed July 2023), the Foundation champions community-driven efforts that prioritize racial equity and student-centered learning across six New England states.

According to Dr. Shorter, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation really seeks to make visible the invisible.

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation is searching for a Director of Grantmaking & Organizational Learning. Our ideal candidate will design, execute, and oversee Nellie Mae’s grantmaking strategy and operations. This senior leader will play a critical role in helping advance our collective vision of ensuring every young person in New England can access excellent, rigorous, and relevant educational experiences that support their healthy development and prepare them to thrive in school, community, and careers of the future.

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