Click here to vote.The IssueEducational inequality is this decade’s civil rights issue. Today, only about 50% of American children growing up in poverty graduate from high school with their class, with nearly half of high school dropouts citing a “lack of interest” as their main reason for dropping out. Indeed, low-income schools often cannot afford to provide students with the engaging experiences enjoyed by their wealthier peers. As school budgets shrink, many low-income schools are forced to eliminate programs like art, music, and athletics. Some schools are even cutting subjects like science and social studies. But when students do feel engaged in school, they thrive: high-achieving students in low-income schools overwhelmingly cite “interesting classes” as a major reason for their success.
The PlanThe Generation Project uses donors’ passions and ideas to expand educational opportunities for kids in need, and will use the $1MM to amplify the impact of those ideas. The Generation Project’s innovative model gives every donor the level of creative control usually reserved for wealthy philanthropists. Our donors do more than open their checkbooks—they personally design and fund opportunities for low-income students, and can oversee their gifts from start to finish. For under $500, donors have sponsored essay contests on seldom-taught historical topics, started sports teams at underresourced schools, and provided needy classrooms with collections of favorite books. With the Chase Million, we will set up a matching fund that will double, triple, or quadruple every gift that is designed through The Generation Project. In so doing, we will dramatically expand the impact individuals can make in low-income schools—and draw new donors into educational philanthropy.
The Outcome
The Generation Project will put the Chase Million to work in low-income schools across the country. With the first $250,000, we will quadruple the impact of any new gift designed through The Generation Project, allowing donors to fund four opportunities for the price of one. For example, a donor who sponsors a debate team at one urban high school could sponsor four high school teams for the same price. When the first $250,000 runs out, the next $250,000 will triple each new gift’s impact, and the remainder of the $1MM will double each gift’s impact. The Chase Million will thus go directly to children and classrooms in need, and will empower individuals at all income levels to do more in the fight against educational inequality.
