All Learnings

Leaders from Imaginable Futures and IDEO.org chat about the newly released report, Learning Reimagined: The Next Chapter, and the role philanthropy can play in creating more equitable and responsive education...

We share insights and five lessons learned from developing a call for proposals supporting Black and Indigenous organizations in Brazil.

We urge the philanthropic sector to create more participatory grantmaking opportunities, as Ascend at the Aspen Institute and Imaginable Futures did for us through the Parent-Powered Solutions Fund.

Inspired by the creative, tenacious and innovative work of our partners and the powerful impact they have, we approached 2023 with renewed energy. Taking our focus on systems change one...

IF's Shikha Goyal and Abdelrahman Hassan share why funding African research requires a systems approach.

Imaginable Futures joined USAID, Council on Foundations and leaders in philanthropy in committing to support locally led development.

A group of foundations is mulling ways that they can better support the mental, physical and economic wellbeing of staff at nonprofit organizations.

Amidst the climate crisis, young people who are taking action to create a more equitable and sustainable future.

Everyone working to promote childcare can take a more holistic perspective to support, measure, and advocate for better outcomes for children and families. A co-authored piece with our partners in...

IF hosted a fireside chat, where speakers shared their lived experience, as well as strategies for sustaining JEDI efforts and nurturing trust-based relationships between funders and their partners.

How might one measure growing confidence among youth? Or the strength of emerging relationships between racial equity leaders and education policymakers We share our approach to measuring impact.

Some 100 representatives of education funders gathered in Edinburgh last month to dissect philanthropy’s latest buzzword: systems change.

Cidade Escola Aprendiz is heading a project that focuses on integrating racial literacy into school curriculums—a key to ensuring systemic transformation in education.

A study by Geledés Instituto da Mulher Negra and Instituto Alana found that 71% of municipal education networks in Brazil fail to teach Afro-Brazilian history and culture as required by...

A new set of giving practices has been on the rise amongst philanthropists: more partnerships, fewer regulations, faster disbursement of funds, and a more conscious look at power and other...

In the three years since it split from the Omidyar Network, Imaginable Futures has been working to redefine itself as a global education funder.

In February, we hosted a fireside chat on creating sustainable change by listening to, trusting and elevating youth voices.

With local research talent so well-placed to help improve African education, we need to level the playing field. African researchers are eager to tackle the problems their communities are facing.

Changemakers are burned out, as we’ve been hearing for the past few years. Now, leaders from a dozen philanthropies are trying to make a difference through the Funders & Wellbeing...

Earlier this year we partnered with the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) to gather feedback from our partner organizations, both non-profit grantees and for-profit investees, using their Grantee Perception Report.

Beam, a startup that helps citizens access government financial aid, has raised $6.4 million in Series A funding. The company, previously known as Edquity, helps deliver funds across a wide...

O edital tem caráter nacional e vai selecionar organizações, grupos e coletivos negros que atuam na educação.

The cost of higher education and the cost of child care are the “biggest hurdles” for student parents in colleges across the nation, according to a new report from the...

Philanthropy has never had an opportunity like we now have to make a meaningful difference in the lives and futures of America’s youngest kids. Big, private investments in early childhood...

The Future We Imagine fireside chat series explores how an individual’s background— in their communities, and/or as learners or caregivers themselves — shapes their understanding of their work and how...

MacKenzie Scott is part of an emerging trend in supporting early childhood education and care. Isabelle Hau outlines five ways women billionaires are moving the needle.

For communities to thrive, what type of learning environment is needed? This was the core question addressed by our partners in Brazil, Kenya and the US during our inaugural fireside...

Amy Klement shares a conversation with Denver Frederick, the host of The Business of Giving podcast about Imaginable Futures’ systems change approach and its strategy centered around JEDI.

Wonderschool has raised $25 million in a Series B round to grow and bolster its platform that enables individuals to establish child-care centers, as well as microschools, around the country.

Today's challenges call for creative investment strategies in philanthropy. Imaginable Futures is mentioned in this article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review for our innovative approach.

Amy Klement interviews with Forbes to share how Imaginable Futures is diving deeper and collaborating with partners to address systematic inequities that perpetuate barriers for learners.

Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm has launched a program that will see it invest over USD 7 million to fund youth education programs in Kenya and Sub- Saharan...

For philanthropy to drive sustainable change, we need to rethink traditional models that are too often top-down and risk perpetuating the same systems of oppression they seek to transform.

É com muito entusiasmo e humildade que compartilhamos a maneira como estamos desenvolvendo nossa estratégia e nos aprofundando para lidar melhor com os padrões de desigualdade que prejudicam a aprendizagem.

Imaginable Futures announced a strategy refresh that expands its collaboration with partners working to remove systemic barriers so that all learners have the opportunity to thrive.

Philanthropy has helped All Our Kin's work and expand its reach. Its co-founder and CEO Jessica Sager believes philanthropy has a key role in creating an infrastructure of early care...

The early childhood education system in the United States is fundamentally broken. Edsurge is expanding its coverage with Imaginable Futures' support.

Our nation’s higher-education system has too often failed to support students who don’t fit the traditional mold. To achieve economic mobility and racial equity, we must support student parents.

A report from IWPR highlights the importance of intentionally engaging, retaining and supporting adult parents and looks at the policy and practice reforms needed to help them succeed in college.

Segundo o pesquisa feita pela Datafolha, 71% dos pais de estudantes valorizam mais os professores agora do que antes da pandemia.

A new report from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research has made a compelling case for parents who have not earned a degree to go back to college.

Since its launch in 2020, Boston University’s Center on the Ecology of Early Development has worked to bring a sharper racial equity lens to the early childhood education field.

Amidst the uncertainty, SPARK Schools continue to do what they do best: nurturing scholars who are responsible, persistent, and kind and who will positively contribute to South Africa’s future.

Upswing, a digital resource for nontraditional students including student parents, has raised a $5 million Series A. Vinice Davis chats with The Plug’s editor on why Imaginable Futures invested.

If you ever wondered how a Silicon Valley mindset rooted in social entrepreneurship can improve global education, then this episode on the Do One Better Podcast featuring our Amy Klement...

Three Austin-based startups — one focused on cybersecurity and two on remote education offerings — have combined to raise $24 million funding deals. Upswing, supported by Imaginable Futures is one.

Holberton School, which is reimagining the future of software engineering talent, completes a successful Series B funding round. Imaginable Futures is among the number of investors.

SPARK Schools concludes a successful Series C capital raise, making it possible for the affordable K-12 private school network to reach over 35,000 learners in South Africa in the next...

Six public entities partnering with community organizations will advance professional success for students who are parents, in this initiative supported by Imaginable Futures and ECMC Foundation.

XPrize announced that 10 teams from 4 countries are advancing to the Qualified Teams round of the $5M XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling competition, funded in part by Imaginable Futures.

We invested in Career Karma because it is a promising model that helps learners access middle-to-high skill tech jobs, many of whom are women, students of color and student parents.

Career Karma raises $10 million, with support from investors including Imaginable Futures to scale their platform, which helps workers navigate digital and technology career pathways.

Tom Vander Ark interviews Isabelle Hau who shares investment opportunities in early learning that could reignite an equitable start in life and long-term economic mobility for children and families.

We invested in Shujaaz because of their unique focus and commitment to listening and lifting youth voices. Understanding youth sentiment is critical for designing youth and equity-centric solutions.

The Centering Healthcare Institute has announced grants totaling $13 million supporting efforts to scale up its model, which provides continuity of care from pregnancy through early childhood.

This Global Entrepreneurship Week, we’re honoring with gratitude and celebrating all the brilliant and compassionate edu-preneurs with whom we are grateful to partner.

What if, at this moment of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, our learning systems in Kenya could be redesigned to eliminate the inequities that are embedded in our schools...

Ascend at the Aspen Institute announces winners of the Aspen Parent Powered Solutions Fund – the first student parent-led fund supporting organizations dedicated to supporting student parent success.

Handshake, which provides a platform for college students to search for work, and for recruiters to search for candidates and advertise entry-level openings, has raised $80 million.

Understanding the impact of the pandemic on early learning, families and children is crucial. That is why we’re supporting Edsurge’s efforts to expand coverage on this topic.

Amy Klement joins Tom Vander Ark on the Getting Smart podcast to discuss equity, impact investment, as well learnings from our joint exploration on the future of learning with IDEO.

On our Learning to Overcome podcast, UNICEF’s Robert Jenkins and Think Equal’s Leslee Udwin share how to help the whole child – educational and social emotional needs – during the...

Student parent judges Lesley Del Rio and Ariel Ventura-Lazo chose College Unbound to receive the $100,000 Risers’ Choice prize. In this Q&A, we find out why and what made College...

Efforts to support college students who are also parents should include flexible wraparound services tailored to the multifaceted identities of student parents.

On Higher Learning Advocates’ blog, Vinice Davis calls on philanthropy to advance innovation that supports student parents by seeding and incentivizing promising ideas and evidence-based solutions.

Imaginable Futures and UNICEF release a three-part podcast series, Learning to Overcome to explore supporting students during COVID. The podcast is hosted by NPR reporter Gwen Thompkins.

A new report from Imaginable Futures and Lumina Foundation examines promising ideas and practices in supporting student parents, common barriers to success, as well as innovative ways to overcome them.

The Rise Prize shows how much energy has been building around serving student parents. To keep up the momentum, we must learn from the innovators working in this space, and...

"Learning has been disrupted because of the pandemic, yet also reimagined. I don't fantasize remote learning will ever be as good as being in school," shares our Amy Klement in...

What if our learning systems could be redesigned to eliminate embedded inequities? Read our report Learning Reimagined: Radical Thinking for Equitable Futures.

In this Q&A, we asked the team behind Morehouse College’s Fathers to the Finish Line Initiative to share the inspiration behind their program and their experience participating in the Rise...

We teamed up with the Lemann Foundation to commit a combined $1 million for a COVID-19 emergency relief program in Brazil. In this post, we announce the grant recipients and...

Programs at Everett Community College and Bristol Community College, both aimed at removing barriers for student parents and helping them succeed, are among the 15 winners of the Rise Prize.

Winning solutions of the Rise Prize, announced in early July, embodied the 6 C’s for improving the success of student parents. We highlight how the winning solutions fit into the...

Vinice Davis co-authors this op/ed in Philanthropy News Digest calling for support to two groups of students left behind in the pandemic relief aid: undocumented students and student parents.

With the crisis likely to extend into the fall, we need more philanthropic investment in emergency aid for students left behind by federal programs.

A research team at the University of Nebraska Medical Center was awarded $430,000 in funding from five foundations to conduct the first U.S.-based validation of a new scale of early...

Imaginable Futures, a venture of the Omidyar Group, and Lumina Foundation have announced grants totaling $1.55 million to the fifteen winners of the Rise Prize.

An upcoming expansion of an Arizona State University chatbot, Sunny, hopes to make higher education easier for any parent to access. ASU was one of the 15 winners of the...

Announcing the 15 winners of the Rise Prize, awarding $1.55 million in combined prizes to the best innovative ideas supporting the postsecondary success of student parents.

By investing in student parents & organizations that center their lived experiences, Imaginable Futures is committed to helping Generation Hope turn the statistics on student parents around—for good.

On Juneteenth, we celebrate the progress towards racial justice in the US, but also recognize the reality of how systemic racism has historically impacted and still permeates society.

There is a near-universal consensus that early learning programs can break cycles of poverty and lead to lasting upward mobility. But they have always been fragile, and now more so...

Twenty-six finalists from more than 300 applications are selected for innovative solutions that support student parent success, in a joint initiative of Imaginable Futures and Lumina Foundation.

There is much work to do. We are failing the challenge before us and we don’t have all the answers on the path ahead. Yet, we have an unshakable commitment...

Isabelle Hau and Cindy Minn write in EdSurge on the looming mental health crisis — the third wave of the pandemic; and call on the urgent need to invest in...

A report by Generation Hope reveals concerns from student parents, such as feeling disconnected and unwelcomed, in need of family-friendly policies, and assistance in applying for aid.

As COVID-19 continues to spread, funders and investors including Imaginable Futures, are stepping up to meet the immediate needs of individuals and vulnerable populations impacted by the virus.

The global pandemic has caused an unprecedented uncertainty for many, including student parents. The Rise Prize seeks to support innovations that meet the challenges they face in their journey.

Imaginable Futures is among funders stepping up to fill the gaps in public support for women, who face multiple challenges during the pandemic, including securing child care.

The COVID-19 pandemic requires us to rebuild a childcare and early childhood education system that works for everyone. Through our GSV session, we present solutions to do just that.

With the global COVID-19 pandemic impacting all our lives – and the lives of our families and communities around the world – we are thinking of you, what you may...

For International Women's Day, we honor our Imaginable Futures portfolio and the incredible women who have persevered to be part of the solutions for learners and their families.

Isabelle Hau co-authors this op/ed with funding partners highlighting ways philanthropy can support student parents and also shares our two-generation support model and the Rise Prize.

High quality on-site childcare helps student parents beat the odds and graduate. From policymakers to funders, support has been rising to support the needs of student parents, including childcare.

Imaginable Futures' Rise Prize is mentioned in the Chronicle of Higher Education's "The Edge" a weekly roundup of people, trends and ideas reshaping education.

We must serve student parents better. While the increased attention over the past few years has been critical, we’re still doing far too little to actually design education solutions for...

Awarding $1 million in combined prizes to 10 innovative ideas supporting parents’ postsecondary education success.

When 10 tornadoes ripped through the Dallas, it left $2 billion in damages and thousands of displaced people in its wake. Many of them were college students.

Imaginable Futures, Omidyar Networks’ latest spinout, will focus on early childhood through adult learning in Africa, Latin America and the U.S, while working closely with Omidyar Network India.

Omidyar Network is spinning off its education initiative into a standalone entity. Called Imaginable Futures, it will invest in for-profit and non-profit ventures addressing the future of learning.

We’re thrilled to share that after seven years as Omidyar Network’s Education initiative, today we launch as Imaginable Futures, an independent global philanthropic investment firm focused on the future of...

Launches with $200 million of capital invested and $150 million from philanthropists Pierre and Pam Omidyar. Will focus on the future of learning across US, Africa and Latin America.

Omidyar Network announces the latest and final spinoff of its education intiaitive, now Imaginable Futures led by Amy Klement.