Our grantmaking is about enabling everyone to fulfill their potential. Given the role that education plays, most of Charles Koch’s philanthropy has focused there.
Forbes reports that his giving has surpassed $1 billion, including support for programs at hundreds of colleges and universities as well as nonprofit organizations across the country. In fact, 95 percent of his personal philanthropy went to educational opportunities and community groups addressing persistent poverty last year alone. Koch shares examples of a few of the initiatives he supports in TIME’s coverage and adds: “Those results – which are real and measurable – are the true indicator of my philanthropy.” That’s also why we’re committed to doing more.
Examples of recent grants include:
- Arizona State University professor Erik Luna’s bringing together more than 120 scholars from a wide array of universities and backgrounds to develop a comprehensive report on criminal justice reform;
- StoryCorps elevating stories that show the value of taking the first step on difficult conversations;
- Narrative 4 placing real-time video “rooms” at K-12 schools in NYC, Kentucky, and Mexico to connect students as if they are sharing a single space;
- Prairie View A&M professor Chris Medina creating a league for HBCU students to debate and understand differing points of view; and many others.
The common thread running throughout these and other initiatives is the understanding when we find ways to engage with each other, we improve the odds of solving even the most complex problems. Considering all that currently divides people, this work has taken on a new importance.
Learn more about these and other courageous collaborations.