Major Foundations and the College Completion Agenda: Promoting National Policy Initiatives in Postsecondary Education

• In Event: A National Agenda for Student Access and Success

Abstract

Contemporary research demonstrates that postsecondary philanthropy is changing, with grant-making converging around policy advocacy investments and away from low-leverage grants. To what degree are philanthropists promoting national policy agendas in higher education? Drawing on semi-structured interviews and social network analysis, this study investigates the strategies employed by major foundations involved in federal policy engagement. Specifically, 39 in-depth interviews with high-powered officials and tax data from the largest foundations in higher education informed this analysis. This study finds that philanthropic organizations are instrumental in supporting policy environments conducive to college completion reform, in addition to elevating a coalition of grantees involved in national advocacy.

Author

• Nabih Haddad, Harvard University