By Peter J. Taylor, ECMC Foundation

ECMC Foundation is both old and new—while it was founded in 2002, a substantial change in direction took place in late 2014 to rebuild it as a grantmaking foundation focused on improving the educational outcomes of underserved youth through evidenced-based innovation. Our previous programs, emphasizing direct operational services to educators and youth, have been transferred to the offices of ECMC; information about these initiatives can be found here.

Our values on the front page of our website outline our approach to the $20 million of grants per year that we anticipate making starting in calendar year 2016. While our headquarters is in Los Angeles, we expect to make grants nationally to organizations that share our emphasis on college readiness, college retention and vocational education. We will also have a grantmaking program that seeks to invest in new research in teacher training, especially with a focus on better ways to educate underserved students.

ECMC Group, our parent company, has long had a history of giving back to the community with substantial charitable donations. As a financial services company operating under the umbrella of a 501(c)3 structure, ECMC Group has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in scholarships around the nation in the past ten years. In 2013, however, the ECMC Group Board of Directors decided that its philanthropy should be more strategic, working from a permanent foundation focusing on long-term, systemic change.

While our strategy and direction are new and our grantmaking initiatives are in infancy, we look forward to engaging with grantees that share our desire to take risks that might have outsized impact on the lives of young people throughout the nation. If you have ideas or advice, please contact us. We look forward to having a conversation about future directions and the best way to make a positive impact in our communities.

Best,
Peter J. Taylor