Philanthropy Action

Category: Education

There are 16 entries in this category.

Apr 24, 2008

Explosive Growth in Conditional Cash Transfers

Conditional cash transfer programs (CCT) are rapidly gaining popularity around the world. While there are studies which show that CCT programs have a positive impact, there’s still a lot we don’t know about how well they work, why they work, and how to structure programs for maximum benefit to both recipients and society. To help answer these questions, we recently spoke with Dr. Leigh Linden, an assistant professor of economics at Columbia University.

Apr 23, 2008

Paying Parents to Keep Kids in School

For families living in poverty, the cost of sending a child to school can involve more than just educational fees. The “opportunity cost” of attending class—generally measured in potential wages lost as a consequence of having a child who’s in school rather than taking care of younger siblings so parents can work, or working himself—can be too great to justify the expense and delayed benefit of a formal education. To deal with this conflict governments are experimenting with conditional cash transfer programs which, in the case of education, provide incentive payments to poor families that send their kids to school.

Mar 21, 2008

Emerging Opportunities in the US, Part II

More opportunities for high-impact philanthropy in the US.

Mar 10, 2008

The Worst of Journalism, Part II

Reporting like this only serves to muddy the waters for anyone trying to improve education in the US and elsewhere. The false impression readers get of cause and effect makes it all the harder for sound research on what works and what doesn’t to rise to the top.

Feb 28, 2008

Emerging Opportunities for Philanthropy in the US

The current economic situation is generating many other possible opportunities for innovative and high-impact philanthropy. Here are a few ideas that are worth exploring.

Dec 17, 2007

Where Philanthropy and Government Meet

Wealthy people from the developing world are dedicating large portions of their personal fortunes to addressing social gaps in their countries, a trend which is growing commensurate with the explosion of wealth in parts of the developing world. In some cases they are doing it in partnership with government.

Sep 27, 2007

More Money Does Not Always Lead to Better Education

The 2007 Education at a Glance report, published by the OECD, shows that among the world’s wealthiest countries, those who spend well more than average on education (the US included) do not see proportionate increases in the number of students who finish secondary school, or indeed go beyond. 

Jun 06, 2007

The Slum Opportunity

Despite their horrors, in slums there are jobs, access to markets, more developed roads and water systems and other civic infrastructure. And opportunity for the poor and donors alike. 

May 24, 2007

Laptops for School Children Don’t Improve Performance

Secondary schools in the United States that have experimented with one-child-one-laptop provision are shutting down those programs after five or more years, an article in the New York Times reports. 

Apr 25, 2007

Education and Development: A Delicate Marriage

India’s large supply of skilled workers coupled with the comparably low salaries they are paid give Indian companies a competitive advantage in world markets—yet recent studies show that advantage is on the wane.

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