Focus Areas
Early Impact
New educational innovation models place an increasing emphasis on the early phases of child development. Questions of opportunity, access, and community support must be addressed right from the start so that kids can be set up for success before they start Kindergarten. Girard Foundation is determining how to better meet the educational needs of preschool children with directly accessible learning options that serve a child throughout their educational life. We are looking to establish partnerships with organizations that work in the preschool space and that provide pre-schoolers with the tools and opportunities necessary to thrive in an ever-changing world.
Innovative Learning
Educational innovators are increasingly exploring new models for how kids learn and assimilate knowledge, from reimagining classroom structures and curriculum to developing project-based learning initiatives to rethinking how technology can integrate best into the learning experience. Girard Foundation invests in programs that combine best practices in education with emerging technologies to improve the educational experience. We take a venture-philanthropy approach and fund programs that personalize the learning experience and foster student autonomy. We prioritize innovations that aid underserved communities, that support teachers in their vital role, and that build effective partnerships between students, parents, schools, and the larger community.
Career Readiness
For us, cultivating career readiness means understanding that students have differing passions and goals, different life experiences, and therefore they need a range of options. The career journey is not going to look the same for all students. Accordingly, Girard Foundation supports projects that encourage active career exploration and that focus on the real-world demands of the economy. We help students cultivate technology-based skills such as coding as a baseline for career readiness in a digitally-driven world, and we fund models that support students doing hands-on work.
Funding Philosophy
Girard Foundation’s work grows from a passion for innovative education solutions and a deep commitment to making positive change in young people’s lives. Our grantmaking approach combines strategic venture-philanthropy with an ongoing commitment to supporting organizations in the greater San Diego area. We fund ideas that improve education, help educators launch new projects, and support the organizational structures necessary to bring these ideas to life.
Girard Foundation seeks out projects and partnerships that are student-centric and personalized, that emphasize both academics and the social-emotional growth of the student, and that enhance the quality of life for students in San Diego County.
We prioritize projects that serve students from low-income families and their surrounding communities, and that support teachers and educators that play a vital role in students’ lives. We work to support projects whose success has implications for San Diego’s young people and in some cases, influences how educational innovation is implemented nationwide.
We fund a range of nonprofit organizations including public K-12 schools, universities, service organizations, and educational startups. Girard seeks grantees that bring innovative ideas, that clearly articulate their vision and solutions, and that see technology as a tool to advance learning and education to be more powerful and effective.
We seek to build open, honest, and collaborative relationships with grantees in which we work together on success metrics and jointly evaluate each project’s efficacy. Our board members take an active role in developing projects and establishing metrics with our partners.
Partnerships
Girard Foundation values partnership and collaboration. We work with San Diego-based organizations to incubate pilot programs locally that also have the potential for scaling nationally, and we work with national innovators to adapt programs for the San Diego community.
We stay connected to educational innovations by participating in educational conferences, hosting working groups with like-minded funders, and engaging thought leaders and renowned practitioners in education innovation. Through our partnerships, we share information, gain insight into best practices, build capacity, increase our responsiveness, and better serve the communities where we provide funding.
Girard Foundation seeks to share information and collaborate with other like-minded organizations in order to accelerate positive change. Some of the organizations we partner with include:
We believe in the power of collaboration and seek conversations with like-minded individuals and organizations that are interested in driving innovation and making an impact in local classrooms.