Our Blog

Spotlight on Innovation: Reflections on GenAI Investments and Trends in Education

Over the last two years, we’ve made over $13 million in commitments to organizations building, scaling, or learning about AI-powered interventions in Pre-K-12 education. To inform how we pursue genAI investments in 2025 and beyond, we analyzed our grantmaking efforts and trends we’re seeing in the broader landscape. Jon Sotsky shares five reflections from this exercise focused on the progress, challenges, and dynamics we’re observing through the efforts of our grantees and others in the field.

Spotlight On Evidence: The Role of Curriculum-Based Professional Learning in Boosting Student Achievement

High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) matter for student learning, but these materials alone are not enough—how they are implemented matters. Jessica Fredston-Hermann and Meghan McCormick dive into the evidence on the importance of pairing HQIM with curriculum-based professional learning to ensure educators have the support they need for impactful instruction.

Now Available: 2023 Grantmaking & Impact Report

In 2023, Overdeck Family Foundation disbursed $53.5 million to almost 100 grantee organizations, collectively reaching over 66 million children, 3.9 million families, and 500,000 educators nationwide. Our 2023 Grantmaking & Impact Report highlights what our grantmaking accomplished and uplifts the successes of the organizations we fund.

Q4 2023 Funding Announcement

In Q4 2023, our foundation awarded 20 grants totaling over nine million dollars. Of these, four were to organizations new to our foundation, nine were renewals, five were disbursements for ongoing pledges, and two covered additional grantee supports, membership fees, and convenings. In this blog post, we highlight just some of the organizations we’re proud to support this quarter as we conclude our 2023 grantmaking.

Perspectives: Schools Must Know If Their Learning-Loss Programs Work — Before ESSER Funds End

Since the pandemic began, the federal government has provided nearly $190 billion in education funding to states and districts. As these rapid-relief dollars are set to expire, Anu Malipatil suggests that now is the time for schools and districts to assess whether the dollars have made a difference, and use that insight to inform what funding should be spent on going forward.

2022 Bright Spots: Unlocking Evidence

In this blog post, we highlight stories of how Overdeck Family Foundation funding has helped Leading Educators, TalkingPoints, and Zearn unlock evidence to advance field knowledge or validate program models.

Q4 2022 Funding Announcement

In Q4 2022, our foundation awarded 24 grants totaling over $9.56 million dollars. Of these, five grants were new, 10 were renewals, and nine were disbursements for ongoing pledges. This post highlights just some of the many organizations we’re proud to support.

Q3 2021 Funding Announcement

In Q3 2021, our foundation awarded 33 grants totaling over $13.5 million dollars. Of these, six grants were new, while 27 were renewals. This post highlights just some of the many organizations we’re proud to support.

Jessica Greer, math LEAP Leader at Truesdell Education Campus, at the first district-wide LEAP Summer Intensive, which Leading Educators supported

Why Scaling Cost-Effective Professional Learning Is Critical During Covid

In recent years, more and more proof points have emerged that well-designed, externally-provided professional learning can drive significant improvements in both teacher and student-level outcomes, and do so at a fraction of the cost of the average school system’s annual spend on professional development. We explore why scaling this type of professional learning for educators is critical, the impact it can have on student learning, and what still remains to be learned.

Our Predictions for SY 2021-'22

Setting students up for success is crucial every year, but particularly so following the trauma and disruption caused by the pandemic. Here’s what we predict will be critical in ensuring children can both recover and accelerate in the upcoming academic year.

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