In terms of dollars spent, Gates is the leading billionaire/millionaire who has poured money into school “reform” in recent years. Such philanthropy has raised questions about whether American democracy is well-served by wealthy people who pour so much money into their pet projects — regardless of whether they are known to be useful in education — that public policy and public funding follow in their wake.

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Here are 15 of the biggest education-related grants listed on the Gates Foundation’s Web site for 2014:

New Venture Fund

Date: May 2014

Purpose: to support the successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards and related assessments through comprehensive and targeted communications and advocacy in key states and the District of Columbia

Amount: $10,300,300

Term: 13

Topic: Global Policy & Advocacy, College-Ready

Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA

Program: United States

Grantee Location: Washington, District of Columbia

Grantee Website: http://www.newventurefund.org

[The New Venture Fund received another grant in January worth $2,266,215, plus at least two more during the year worth $601,637]

Education Trust Inc.

Date: March 2014

Purpose: for general operating support

Amount: $8,000,000

Term: 36

Topic: Global Policy & Advocacy

Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA

Program: United States

Grantee Location: Washington, District of Columbia

Grantee Website: http://www.edtrust.org

[The Education Trust is an organization that supports charter schools and other school reforms.]

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Council of Chief State School Officers

Date: June 2014

Purpose: to support the implementation of CCSSO’s 2014-2015 Strategic Plan

Amount: $6,148,749

Term: 19

Topic: College-Ready

Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA

Program: United States

Grantee Location: Washington, District of Columbia

Grantee Website: http://www.ccsso.org

Educause

Date: May 2014

Purpose: to support the Next Generation Learning Challenges – Breakthrough Schools Fund

Amount: $5,100,000

Term: 20

Topic: College-Ready

Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA

Program: United States

Grantee Location: Louisville, Colorado

Grantee Website: http://www.educause.edu

[EduCause is a nonprofit association and a community of IT leaders and professionals committed to advancing higher education. Next Generation Learning Challenges supports applied technology with the goal of improving college readiness and completion.]

East Lake Foundation, Inc.

Date: March 2014

Purpose: to support charter school expansion efforts

Amount: $5,000,000

Term: 52

Topic: Not Available

Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA

Program: Foundation

Grantee Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Grantee Web site: http://www.eastlakefoundation.org

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Tulsa Public Schools

Date: September 2014

Purpose: to support organizations to develop innovative professional development systems to create personalized learning systems for teachers; experiment with innovative modes of delivery; and build the capacity at every level of the organization to design learning and direct resources efficiently and effectively.

Amount: $4,421,847

Term: 36

Topic: College-Ready

Program: United States

Grantee Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Grantee Web site: http://www.tulsaschools.org/

Pacific Charter School Development Inc.

Date: April 2014

Purpose: to support the facility needs of charter schools in Washington State

Amount: $3,998,633

Term: 36

Topic: College-Ready

Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA

Program: United States

Grantee Location: Los Angeles, California

Grantee Web site: www.pacificcharter.org

Lake County Schools (Florida)

Date: September 2014

Purpose: to support organizations to develop innovative professional development systems to create personalized learning systems for teachers; experiment with innovative modes of delivery; and build the capacity at every level of the organization to design learning and direct resources efficiently and effectively.

Amount: $3,940,766

Term: 36

Topic: College-Ready

Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA

Program: United States

Grantee Location: Tavares, Florida

Grantee Web site: http://lake.k12.fl.us/lakeschools

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Alliance for Excellent Education, Inc.

Date: August 2014

Purpose: for general operating support

Amount: $3,500,000

Term: 25

Topic: College-Ready

Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA

Program: United States

Grantee Location: Washington, District of Columbia

Grantee Web site: http://www.all4ed.org

[This organization received at least one more grant, worth $787,530.]

WestEd

Date: August 2014

Purpose: to support the vision and strengthen implementation of the Teacher Practice Networks nationally and with a focus in California

Amount: $3,457,786

Term: 36

Topic: College-Ready

Program: United States

Grantee Location: San Francisco, California

Grantee Web site: http://www.WestEd.org

[WestEd is a research, development and service agency that works with education and other communities to achieve equity and improve learning for all. Teacher Practice Networks were started by the Gates Foundation as a way for teachers to form networks to share Common Core lessons, tools and resources.]

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

Date: June 2014

Purpose: for the National Alliance for Public Charter schools to advance its mission for high quality public charter schools

Amount: $3,000,000

Term: 36

Topic: College-Ready

Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA

Program: United States

Grantee Location: Washington, District of Columbia

Grantee Web site: http://www.publiccharters.org

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National Association of Charter School Authorizers

Date: June 2014

Purpose: to provide general operating support

Amount: $3,000,000

Term: 36

Topic: College-Ready

Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA

Program: United States

Grantee Location: Chicago, Illinois

Grantee Web site: http://www.qualitycharters.org

[*Note: This association received two more grants in September totaling $1 million]

Georgetown University

Date: April 2014

Purpose: to support creation of an institute whose aim is to provide state agencies with operational support and technical assistance in advancing measurement of student success and labor market outcomes

Amount: $2,799,312

Term: 37

Topic: Postsecondary Success

Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA

Program: United States

Grantee Location: Washington, District of Columbia

Grantee Web site: http://www.georgetown.edu/

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Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities

Date: January 2014

Purpose: to support a cohort of public urban research universities to develop new business models that can increase access, improve success rates and find greater cost efficiencies and then use national association networks to scale promising practices

Amount: $2,507,628

Term: 25

Topic: Postsecondary Success

Regions Served: GLOBAL|NORTH AMERICA

Program: United States

Grantee Location: Washington, District of Columbia

Grantee Web site: http://www.aplu.org