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Funders
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The tenacity of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland in fighting for more equitable funding for Baltimore schools has brought more than $1 billion into the city school system and for at-risk children across Maryland in the last decade.
This wouldn't have been possible without funders like the Jacob & Hilda Blaustein Foundation, Abell Foundation, Morton & Sophia Macht Foundation, Struever Bros., Eccles & Rouse, Alvin & Fanny B. Thalheimer Foundation, Lockhart Vaughan Foundation, Clayton Baker Trust, Aaron Straus & Lillie Straus Foundation, Open Society Institute-Baltimore and The Fund for Change. These funders have not only supported the ACLU but stayed deeply involved in the nitty-gritty work needed to follow through on the state's commitments to a more equitable school system.
Initial investments by Abell and Blaustein in the ACLU's Bradford lawsuit, which defended the right of Baltimore city school children to a quality public education in accordance with the state constitution, helped jumpstart a 13 year school reform effort. ACLU's successes in court led to the Thornton Commission on Education Finance, Equity, and Excellence and the Bridge to Excellence in Education Act.
With each success, more foundations came on board to lend support, forcing a re-examination of the way state funds are allocated and setting in motion many strategies to improve public education, particularly for the city's poorest students.
"The stability of the funding has allowed the ACLU to keep an incredible lead organizer, Bebe Verdery, on board through many different administrations," notes Lara Hall, senior program officer with the Blaustein Philanthropic Group. The funders constantly share information and support ACLU in its watchdog role to monitor enactment of the key legislation and to keep school reform funding from being reduced or not increased as much as it should be.
"But money alone is not enough; it must be spent wisely and well," observes Susan Goering, executive director of the ACLU of Maryland, noting that the other half of ACLU's work is pressing government officials at all levels for good education practices and policies.
For example, by this year, Thornton called for every school district to offer half-day pre-Kindergarten to all low-income children, but state-wide the school systems are far short of that goal. The ACLU, with foundation support, has been working intensively with school systems and the State Department of Education to make sure that happens. "If we can ramp up the numbers of poor kids getting early childhood education," notes Goering, "wouldn't that be an incredible contribution?"
"Our investment in the ACLU has paid off many times in increased funding and accountability that their excellent work has brought about for the children of Baltimore City," says Betsy Krieger, The Fund for Change. |
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"The funders have been phenomenal," says Susan Goering, executive director of the ACLU of Maryland. "What's great is that they're deeply involved. They read the papers and know in great detail what is going on with the schools; they initiate reforms and roll up their sleeves to implement them; they've been involved with everything from early childhood education to high school reform." |
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Snapshots of Philanthropy offer a glimpse into the many ways funders are making a difference in our community. This is one in a series of 25 profiles created to celebrate the work of Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers (ABAG) members in recognition of the 25th anniversary of ABAG.
The Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers is the Greater Baltimore region's premier resource on philanthropy, dedicated to informing grantmakers and improving our community, with membership of more than 120 private foundations and corporations |
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